2024-1-24

To further build the international capacity of Taiwanese NGO workers, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) held its annual NGO International Training Program in Taipei on December 9 to 10. This year, Chris Liu, head of the recently established Taiwan office of the Westminster Foundation for Democracy, and other local NGO leaders led the training sessions. Participants learned about postpandemic international exchanges and how the government and civil society can work together to advance the resilience of Taiwan's society. 

In her opening remarks, Wu Chu-jun, deputy director general of MOFA's Department of NGO International Affairs, said the theme of this year's training on Public-Private Partnership—Showcasing the Diversity of Taiwan's Resilience demonstrated how Taiwan's NGOs had actively engaged in international exchanges after the pandemic. Taiwan had shone on the international stage in areas such as medical care, humanitarian assistance, gender equality, education, and environmental sustainability. Wu stressed that the government was the foundation of social resilience. She added that Taiwan was proud of the key role played by NGOs in expressing national resilience.

Chou Kuei-ru, chairperson of the Taiwan Nurses Association; Ingrid Yeh, supervisor of the international department at the Garden of Hope Foundation; Ho Cheng-hui, executive director of the Kuma Academy; and other speakers shared their experiences in facilitating international exchanges, bolstering national defense awareness, and building social resilience. Stephen Lee, deputy secretary general of the International Cooperation and Development Fund, explained how Taiwan assisted its diplomatic allies through various outstanding international cooperation development projects, fully demonstrating that Taiwan can help.

MOFA also invited international youth ambassadors who visited Saint Lucia—one of Taiwan's Caribbean diplomatic allies—in September to share their experiences and encourage the young participants to engage in international exchanges and contribute to Taiwan's diplomacy. In a world café session, participants divided into groups to discuss how to elevate the level of international participation of Taiwan's NGOs. After a lively exchange of views, the participants set up a Facebook group so they could stay in touch and continue to network in the future.