Pacific Islands Leadership Program with Taiwan is shifting into high gear, with the 27 participants from 10 countries—including Republic of China (Taiwan) diplomatic allies Kiribati, Nauru, Palau and Solomon Islands—commencing Oct. 11 a program of cultural activities during the final stage of the international cooperation initiative.
Organized by the Institute of Diplomacy and International Affairs under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in conjunction with Hawaii-based East-West Center, the Sept. 25 to Oct. 25 Taiwan leg of PILP aims to bring participants up to speed on such topics as community development, disaster management, education, environmental protection, green energy, health care, indigenous culture, industry revitalization, international cooperation, nongovernmental organizations and vocational training.
PILP Director Abraham Wen-shang Chu said the Taiwan component of the program is an ideal platform for participants to gain the education, skills and training necessary to advance their careers and emerge as leaders of the future.
These young officials and professionals also stand to gain from exposure to Taiwan’s diverse array of cultures and cutting-edge business, creative and environmental developments, the ROC ambassador to Kiribati from 2012-2015 added.
The cultural activities program involved a visit to Taipei-based National Palace Museum, a performance of Peking opera and a special show and workshop by world-renowned drumming group U-Theatre Taiwan.
PILP participant Joanie Ro-Lyn Hartman from Nauru said U-Theatre’s martial arts-inspired movements and highly choreographed performance techniques left a lasting impression. This example of great discipline and resilience also coexists in Taiwan’s culture, and perhaps explains the country’s successful development, she added.
According to Hartman, another reason for Taiwan’s success is its progress in advancing women’s rights and striving for gender equality. This serves as a worthy example for Pacific nations to follow, she said.
Equally upbeat is Turaga Vakaregu Basalusalu, a planning officer with the Ministry of Economy in Fiji. PILP is a great inspiration and has helped open the door to a new world of potential collaboration projects in the region, he said.
PILP was proposed by Kurt Campbell, then assistant secretary for the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, in November 2011 and negotiated by Rajiv Shah, then administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, during a visit to Taiwan in December the same year. The program was finalized under a five-year memorandum of understanding inked in December 2012 by the MOFA and EWC.
The MOFA and EWC are set to sign a new agreement extending PILP until 2022 at a ceremony scheduled for Oct. 25 in Taipei.