Taipei, May 5 (CNA) President Chen Shui-bian urged local people Sunday to join various volunteer services initiated by the Red Cross Society to demonstrate to the world Taiwan's commitment to promoting human rights and helping other developing countries.
Chen made the appeal in a speech delivered at an annual conference of the Red Cross Society of the Republic of China in his capacity as honorary president of the charitable group.
Noting that the Red Cross Society has contributed much to Taiwan's development over the past half century, Chen said he appreciates the devoted services of the large army of Red Cross volunteers. "In the post-World War II years, Taiwan was still an agricultural backwater. At that time, the Red Cross Society helped offer health care and primary medical services," Chen recalled.
Since the late 1980s, Chen said, the Red Cross Society has even served a conduit for exchanges between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait. "After more than 40 years of split, the two sides of the Taiwan Strait were strangers to each other and lacked mutual trust. The Red Cross Society has helped bridge the gap and boost cross-strait civilian exchanges and humanitarian assistance," Chen said.
With progress in Taiwan's economic development, Chen said, the Red Cross Society's role and functions have expanded in recent years to include welfare services, disaster relief and international humanitarian aid.
Chen said he hopes more local people would join the Red Cross Society's volunteer work force to help cultivate a better living environment in Taiwan as well as to assist other developing countries in disaster relief.