February 13, 2013
No. 10
In order to demonstrate the development and characteristics of volunteer service
in Taiwan and to increase cross-strait student exchanges, the Mainland Affairs Council
(MAC) entrusted the International Association for Volunteer Effort Taiwan to organize
five sessions of "Cross-Strait Youth Volunteer Service Camp", through which may
encourage students from both sides of the Strait to jointly experience the spirit
of volunteer service and inspire them to care more for society.
The camp sessions were held from October to December of 2012 with a total of
400 students participating from both sides. The study themes of the sessions were
"Environmental Conservation/Community Development", "Elderly Services/Community
Development", "Religious Culture/Environmental Conservation", "Child Welfare/Community
Development", and "Social Welfare/Religious Culture". The camp arranged lecture
courses, discussions, visits, and hands-on practices to encourage interaction amongst
cross-strait students, while at the same time enabling them to see for themselves
the humanistic philosophy behind diversified services and mindset and achievements
of spontaneous civic participation in Taiwan.
Young students from both sides were deeply affected by their actual participation
in volunteer services such as beach cleaning and elder care. Mainland students felt
that Taiwan’s volunteer services are well-developed with high-quality volunteers
of great passion and perseverance; whereas Taiwanese students complimented the Mainland
students on their self-motivated volunteer participation and also for their independent
thinking abilities. Some of the students remarked that the experience of the event
sparked their enthusiasm for international volunteer service and that in the future
they would more actively participate in volunteer service work overseas and in remote
regions. Joint participation in volunteer service by youth across the Strait is
not only conducive to mutual exchange and learning, but also strengthens the power
of volunteer services, inspires one to care more for society, and while working
in the services, participants can also experience the essence of volunteer work
in "learning by doing" and "learning by contributing."