Taipei, Sept. 27 (CNA) President Chen Shui-bian urged people Friday to work out their differences a year after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the United States, so as to promote world peace and prosperity.
Chen made the remarks in an address at the opening ceremony of the 29th Asian Regional Training and Development Organization, which will last until Sunday.
He extended a warm welcome to the human resources experts and scholars from 16 countries and regions who are attending the meeting.
Chen noted that Taiwan hosted a joint annual meeting of the 22nd International Federation of Training and Development and the 19th Asian Regional Training and Development a decade ago. Most of the consensus reached at that meeting later become the mainstream of world human resources development, he added.
He urged the participants to plan for the further development of human rights resources and especially to span the digital bridge built by computer technology "so that the fruit of a knowledge-oriented economy can be enjoyed by all."
He also said that the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks have made people realize that they are interdependent in the global village, so that an attack on one place will also affect other places, while a slumping economy in one region will affect the livelihoods of those in other regions.
He said that a trend of liberalization and globalization is forming and that no-one can distance themselves from this trend.
The president urged people to nurture a broader perspective, respect each other's cultures and try to work out their differences through respect and tolerance so as to help world peace and prosperity.