Taipei, April 27 (CNA) The nation's youth should treasure the opportunities to volunteer that are available to them and contribute to the progress of society, President Chen Shui-bian urged Saturday at a ceremony marking this year's Global Youth Service Day.
"A single individual who spends 1,000 hours doing good deserves respect, but if 1,000 people each spend one hour as a volunteer, the benefits to society are even broader and more enduring," Chen said.
The president added that young people can "definitely change the world" if they can spend "a little time" volunteering in such ways as taking care of the elderly, children and the handicapped, or doing knowledge-based tasks such as serving as museum guides.
The third annual GYSD is an ongoing global event from April 26-28 involving over 3 million young people in over 100 countries and designed to highlight their contributions to the development of their communities through voluntary service.