2016.10.15-16 教育部青年發展署2016青年國際參與及關懷研討會

This is not my first time attending YDI’s events, and each time there’s always some takeaways from the topic. We are divided into three groups, mine is to discuss the youth’s role in narrowing the gap between the poor and the rich. This isn’t a new topic and is way too often being neglected.

Besides Taiwanese participants (mainly students), there are also many foreign delegates, countries spanning from Latin America, Canada, Australia, to Japan, Korea and Malaysia. Before the event kicks off, we are already getting to know each other. Since there are nearly 150 participants, it’s impossible to make acquaintance with everyone. However, what I did not know before coming here is, there’s also Taiwanese delegation, 12 students who have previously applied and made their way to become each country delegation’s guides. With that being said, they are not here just for the 2-days seminar, in fact, I am very surprised to see Amy (小美) and Grace (劉姮秀) playing the guide’s role.

Prof. 黃奎博 is invited to the seminar as a keynote speaker and moderator. I met him last year for me and Sonny hosted an refugee event at NTUST. There are two more speakers invited to give the youth some ideas. Obviously, one of the speakers from Sri Lanka has a serious accent problem, and on top of that, he just read off his lines, let alone it is even a Word document, not Powerpoint.

After lunch, we are finally going to get down to the topic, in the form of workshop. The workshop is led by Korean and Canadian delegation, they have to present their countries’ situation of the rich/poor. The Koreans bring up education, pointing too many students are under stress of getting into big corporations, and the tuition fee is incredibly unaffordable if they get into private ones. It seems like many countries are facing this issue, not just Koran, or Taiwan. Unfortunately, I have to say, they only just describe the status quo, I do not see how they will address it. Perhaps this is too big of a problem to come up with a solution within just a few minutes. Moving on, the Canadians start from the angle of volunteering, they tell us some student organizations who are devote to helping distribute supplements, or donate money to the poor. One of the points they say about volunteering really got me thinking that is being a volunteer just make you feel superior? And if you are just being a volunteer in a homeless shelter, rather than focusing on finding the root problem, can it still be a merit? Let’s say, the refugees are coming across the border to central Europe nonstop, and we don’t not find a solution to reduce, or control the amount, it’s really like 臨渴掘井. On a second thought, how will you really understand their needs and lives if you are never there? Being a volunteer is not only an experience, but to tell the world how grateful you are to be a giver!

A little way down the road, I happen to run into Mr. Lord, the president of the World Youth Alliance (WYA). He’s only 25 years old but I’m stunned to hear what he’s done in the past, I can feel positive around him. I’m privileged to chill out in his room. Even later on the first day, I go down to the lobby hall to see if there is anyone available. Guess what, there is an Australian guy- Dominic. He is kind of in his studying, but I realize he is practicing his Chinese, trying to write down Chinese characters. I rarely saw foreigners who speak our language. He is convivial, we open up so many topics, mostly in Chinese as I feel he could use the time to enhance his Chinese. We totally lose track of time, don’t even realize it 1 a.m. now.

The second day, we are supposed to finish up the solutions by World Café. However unfortunately, the host does not want to do it normal, they put us on the same table, and to make things worse, there is only one Canadian girl with the rest are all Taiwanese. At the end, we have to assign a table leader to go on to the stage to make the declaration. I do think we have concluded this issue, the whole discussion doesn’t go well, just not enough diversity of cultures.