Twenty-five (25) Youth Ambassadors under Taiwan’ s International Youth Ambassadors Exchange Program sponsored by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China (Taiwan) accomplished their visit in India Sept. 2, after a five-day journey including meetings with the Taiwan Alumni Association members, voluntary work in non-government organizations and a successful cultural presentation and performance on the “Night of Taiwan.”
As part of the government’ s efforts under the “New Southbound Policy,” which aims at strengthening Taiwan’s engagement with Southeastern and South Asian countries to help Taiwanese youth participate in international affairs and promote people-to-people exchanges, the Youth Ambassadors delegation made a very successful visit in India.
During the visit, the Taiwan Youth Ambassadors delegation called at the Taipei Economic and Cultural Center in India (TECC) and met up with members of the Taiwan Alumni Association on Aug. 29 who introduced India’s “Act East” policy and “Make In India,” “Digital India” as well as “Smart Cities” initiatives.
On Aug. 30, the Youth Ambassadors divided into two (2) groups – one group visited Mukti Ashram under the Bachpan Bachao Andolan, which was founded by the Nobel Peace laureate Kailash Satyarthi in 1980, the other group visited Fo Guang Shan Educational and Cultural Center, a Buddhist monastery based in South Delhi for one-day social service.
In the following days, the Youth Ambassadors visited the African-Asian Rural Development Organization in Delhi to learn the function of the organization and its commitment to assist its members to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
They also visited the famous landmark India Gate, met with Delhi Study Group and its President Vijay Jolly, and attended a guided tour in the Parliament House to learn the Indian parliamentary system.
As a concluding ceremony and to showcase Taiwan’ rich culture, the Youth Ambassadors staged the “Night of Taiwan” on Sept. 1. With more than a hundred guests from the parliament, academy, media and Taiwanese business community in Delhi, the Youth Ambassadors presented a well-orchestrated choreographic performance to demonstrate both aboriginal rhythm of Austronesian tribes in Taiwan as well as its well-preserved Chinese handwriting art of calligraphy. Being high-spirited and creative, they also presented paper sky lanterns, which were meant to send good wishes, projected screen-slides of delicious Taiwanese street food and played classical Chinese melodies with a lute and flute, striking the audience in awe.
Mr. Chen Wen-Ting, spokesperson for the Taiwan Youth Ambassadors, said he learned a lot from this trip in India. “What is written in textbooks and what is seen in movies about India are actually very much different from the reality,” he said, adding the experience is more than memorable for him.
The Taiwan Youth Ambassadors concluded their visit in India on Sept. 2 and left for Singapore to continue their visit.
