President Chen Shui-bian met with the winners of the "13th Distinguished Young Citizens Award ", extending his congratulations and expecting them to be role models for other youths.
The award is annually held by the International Distinguished Citizens Society, a service-oriented group founded by the Taiwanese around thirty years ago and has been promoting social services and international youth exchanges. The president thanked the organization for continuously holding the meaningful event and rendering the youths more opportunities to devote themselves to social services.
This year, some young students and voluntary group leaders were elected the winners of the award. The president congratulated them and expected them to be the models that others could look up to. "The youths are the pillar of the country and the society," the president commented. Youth is an abundant resource with no limits. Therefore, the president encouraged the winners that "It, however, is your mind, your talents, the creativity you bring to your life and the lives of others that count."
At the same time, while referring to the ideal of creating a youthful Taiwan and an energetic government, the president urged the winners to continue to embody the idea of "volunteer Taiwan", a core philosophy that the president always bears in mind which aims to provide voluntary services to the domestic and the international communities. "From you, we should learn to work and serve for others," said the president, honoring the youth as a driving force of the society. "Without you, there would not have been a Taiwan as such," the president concluded.
Lastly, the president wished the award winners good luck and advancement in their studies.