|
|
|
|
|
|
Port of Call |
LAST UPDATE July 12, 2005
|
|
| site design imagesparkle.com |
| July 18, 2004 |
Taipei, Taiwan - Tracing Taiwan's Unknown History |
|
| |
 |
| 2.28 Memorial Museum plaque |
Together with local partner organization Peace Time Foundation and its Director Chien Hsi-Chien, Peace
Boat's participants spent a day in Taiwan learning about the turbulent past of the island, with its
more than 50 years under Japanese colonial rule, and the complex issues - including the Cross-Straits
situation - that face its people in their new society. Following the Japanese colonial period, Chiang
Kai Shek's military regime ruled Taiwan. Today, however, the Taiwanese people have succeeded in establishing
a democratic society. The first part of Peace Boat's programme was a visit to the 2.28 Memorial Museum,
which documents and commemorates the February 28 Incident of 1947, in which many thousands of Taiwanese
were killed in a brutal crackdown by the government on those who opposed their rule. The 2.28 incident
marked the start of a lengthy period of political repression on the island and a sign at the entrance
reads "History is a mirror and a window," underlining that the museum was built not only
for remembrance, but also as a reminder to the younger generation. |
|
|
 |
| Peace Boat and Peace Time participants performing a loose interpretation of a traditional
Greek dance together |
Today, another crowd of mostly Taiwanese and Japanese people gathered to welcome three Greek peace
ambassadors travelling aboard Peace Boat. The trio aims to bring attention to the Olympic Peace Truce
campaign, which seeks to revive the ancient Olympic tradition of a ceasefire during the Games. An
Ching-Lung, a Taiwanese gold medalist in the Paralympic decathlon, met them in a peace ceremony to
share the flame of peace they are carrying from the atomic bomb cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki to
the opening of the Athens Olympics. Afterwards, volunteers from Peace Time Foundation, a Peace Boat's
NGO partner that helped organize the event, and audience members joined in a traditional Greek dance. |
| |
 |
| Dance Performance "The Night of Anti-Wars" by Mia Hseieh, founder of Voice and Move Theatre which also participated in the ceremony |
Furuyama Yoko, Peace Boat's 46th Global Voyage representative, stressed the importance
of facing up to the past history, no matter how unpleasant. Furuyama pointed out the need for Japanese
to reach out to the nations they occupied prior to and during World War II. "We are here to take
responsibility, so that there will be no future wars." She appealed for the Olympics, through
the Olympic Truce tradition, to be seized as an occasion to stop war throughout the world and to prevent
any conflict in the East Asia region. |
| |
 |
| Talking about the Cross-Straits issue, Albert Lin, Secretary General of Research
Association of National Peace-Security in Taiwan (TRANPS) |
In a peace education seminar after the ceremony, Albert Lin, from the Research Association of National
Peace-Security in Taiwan (TRANPS), talked about Taiwan's internal conflicts and the Cross-Straits
issue. Envisioning a peace process as a widening circle of change - from personal to domestic politics
to regional and globally - Lin emphasised the importance of dialogue and non-violent methods of conflict
prevention. For Lin, who has lived the remarkable changes in Taiwan's recent history, the traditional
tracks towards peace, such as official diplomacy and business cooperation, need to be balanced by
a strong and vibrant civil society. "To begin with, Taiwanese should be able to decide what happens
to them," said Lin, pointing out full participation by people from all levels of society is vital. |
| |
 |
| Peace Boat's contribution to the ceremony and exchange programme included a traditional
Japanese drum (wadaiko) performance by Inoue Nao and Ueda Jin |
As part of the seminar, Peace Time Foundation introduced Taiwan's "Alternative
Service" system which, unique in East Asia, offers young people the chance to opt for civilian
volunteer activities (such as care for elderly pepole and community service in schools) instead of
the two-year military draft. Three young people - two currently serving in the community sector, and
one in the military - explained the system and related their experiences. A Peace Time staff member,
who completed his service in the military before the civilian alternative was offered, expressed his
belief that this new system has been a powerful tool for the strengthening of civil society and expressed
his hope that this is one step on the path towards non-violent conflict prevention in the region. |
| |
| Links |
•Peace
Time Foundation Taiwan
•Olympic Truce
•Taipei 2.28 Memorial Museum |
| |
| |
|
|
|