Taipei, Jan. 25 (CNA) Republic of China President Chen Shui-bian said Friday that he will set aside May 20 each year -- the day he was inaugurated as head of state in 2000 -- as his personal "volunteering day" to transform the spirit of volunteering into real action.
Chen made the pledge to carry on the personal tradition he started last year while receiving at his office the 11 winners of the 18th Golden Camel Award, given to model volunteers for their exceptional service to society.
The president said that ROC society has flourished both economically and democratically over the years, becoming more pluralistic and allowing people to fully exercise their free will.
However, he lamented that it has also become easier for people to neglect the respect, concern and understanding that should exist between people. The individual's sense of responsibility toward society has weakened as well, with utilitarianism and the resulting social disorder obstructing the progress of modernization, he added.
Chen said that political power and legal regulations cannot fully resolve these problems because only by arousing the love that already exists within people's hearts can peace, happiness and order be re-established in society.
He said: "This is the sacred task that the winners of the Camel Award carry out each day, helping their compatriots emerge from shadows in their lives, to find the truth and meaning of life."
The people of Taiwan should be proud that the island last year became one of the few countries in the world to ratify a Volunteer Service Law, Chen said.
This year's Golden Camel winners are Chen Ling-chu, Chu Chen Hsin-yueh, Tsai Chen Shu-chen, Tsao Kuei-sung, Chang Yen, Luo Ming-chu, Wu Chin-chuan, Chi Hsiou-feng, Su Ching-fu, Wang Kuo-chang and Hu Bang-tsen.