The Forward Alliance today announced a long-term partnership with Samaritan International to promote exchanges between Taiwan and Europe on resilience, with European Economic and Trade Office head Lutz Gullner stressing the importance of such cooperation.
The alliance, a national security and civil defense think tank, today held a ceremony at National Chengchi University to announce the partnership, attended by Gullner, Deputy Minister of the Interior Ma Shih-yuan (馬士元), National Fire Agency Director-General Hsiao Huan-chang (蕭煥章), Samaritan International EU office director Paul Wardenga and alliance founder Enoch Wu (吳怡農).
Taiwan has demonstrated the capacity of civil society organizations to coordinate and work together, which is key to building a resilient society, Wu said at the ceremony, citing how hundreds of thousands of people across Taiwan mobilized when disaster struck Guangfu Township (光復) in Hualien last year.
Photo: Chen Yi-kuan, Taipei Times
Samaritan International brings together civil society groups from more than 20 European countries, and its volunteers include social workers, first-aid responders and search-and-rescue personnel, much like in Taiwan, Wardenga said.
The partnership would be a valuable platform for volunteer training and coordination to enhance whole-of-society resilience, he said.
Amid today’s geopolitical uncertainty, the EU considers resilience and preparedness crucial for all societies facing natural and human-related disasters, Gullner said.
Taiwan has valuable experience and robust systems for responding to natural disasters, while the EU has more experience in wildfire response and cooperation, he said.
Taiwan and Europe can learn and develop together to build a culture of resilience not only between governments, but also within civil society, he added.
Resilience means maintaining society’s essential functions, as well as responding, recovering and preparing for disasters, Gullner said, adding that cooperation is crucial to improving resilience on both sides.
The Ministry of the Interior aims to train 3.5 percent of Taiwan’s population, or about 800,000 people, to be volunteers and civil defense personnel, Ma said.
It also aims for 25 percent of the population, or about 6 million people, to serve in national defense, including military and ministry personnel, medical workers, civil servants and volunteers, he said.
The government is still seeking ways to meet these targets and integrate resources, he said, adding that determining how the government and civil society should work together is a key challenge.
Additional reporting by Chen Chih-cheng
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