Vice President, Chairman Wang, Minister Chen, Distinguished International Guests, Members of the Legislative Yuan, Trustees and Supervisors of the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy, President Kau, Friends from the press, Colleagues of the Foundation, Ladies and Gentlemen: Good Morning!
It is with great pleasure that I join you today for the First Anniversary celebration of the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy (TFD) and the inaugural ceremony of the Foundation's headquarter. I would like to first extend my appreciation to our distinguished guests for partaking in this auspicious occasion and to commend you for your long-term commitment to democracy and human rights.
The founding of TFD and the inauguration of its headquarter signifies an important milestone in Taiwan's democratization – one that beckons us to commemorate the valuable support and assistance from countries worldwide and peoples everywhere. Today, democracy is the proud asset and the most enduring value shared by the 23 million people of Taiwan. For Taiwan's democratic reforms, we shall strive on; and for the support of the international community, we seek to reciprocate, by proactively sharing our democratic experiences and human rights ideals, in all corners of the world and for the advancement of humanity.
In September 2002, the Sanchih Strategy Conference on national security was convened, during which ten major conclusions were reached. The first of these conclusions called for the prompt establishment of the "Taiwan Foundation for Democracy" with the aim to promote democracy in Taiwan and to cultivate partnerships with parallel organizations in developed democratic countries. As a result of tremendous efforts by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and with the endorsement from all major political parties and special assistance from the President for the Legislative Yuan, Wang Jin-Pyng, the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy was formally established on June 17, 2003. Today, the Foundation stands as the first nationally endowed democracy assistance organization in Taiwan, and the first of such organization in Asia.
The establishment of the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy embodies our nation's core values and overall development strategy. In my May 20th inaugural speech, I articulated a vision for Taiwan's future democratic development, while heeding that democracy does not come ready-made, nor is it a Utopian ideal. There is no express train to transport us to the final destination and the democratic advancement can only be achieved through constant and gradual endeavors, one step at a time. In the initial stage of Taiwan's democratization, we have consolidated our democratic values and fostered Taiwan's national identity. We will now forge ahead in the second stage, placing a greater emphasis on the establishment of a civil society and on the rebuilding of unity through a sense of shared destiny. Furthermore, it is our hope, as well as the TFD's most imperative mission, that the universal values Taiwan shares with the United States, Japan, and other international allies – namely, freedom, democracy, human rights, and peace – will form the basis of a "value alliance," through which the rights of the 23 million people of Taiwan, as citizens of the world, can be honored, and our obligations to the world fulfilled.
Since its inception, the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy has already attained many laudable accomplishments – including training program for legislative assistance, research on initiatives and referendum mechanisms, the publication of Taiwan Democracy Quarterly, support for World Movement for Democracy's biannual assembly, collaboration with other democracy assistance foundations, and funding for research and symposiums in the area of democracy and human rights. Therefore, I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to Mr. Wang Jin-Pyng, President of the Legislative Yuan, who has graciously accepted the chairmanship of the Foundation to lead a board of trustees comprised of distinguished leaders from political parties, the academia, businesses, and non-governmental organizations. Under the outstanding leadership of Chairman Wang, former Vice Chairman Eugene Chien, Vice Chairman Mark Chen, and President Michael Kau, the Foundation's efforts have since reaped positive results and its activities flourished in Taiwan and abroad in just a year.
Building upon the accomplishments from the past year, we hope the inauguration of the Foundation's headquarter will further energize the continued deepening of Taiwan's democracy and bring about the realization of a value alliance. We are confident that "clusters of democratic communities" in the Asia-Pacific and the rest of the world will soon emerge, and democracy – not only as a universal value, but also an integral part of everyday life - will one day be a reality shared by the world.
Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to once again congratulate the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy and wish the Foundation every success. My best wishes for good health and happiness to each one of you. Thank you.