I read this article in a couple of months ago.
It's perhaps not really an article with political issue.
However, once one has the sucificent confidence to his/her own country,
the national identity could be deep-rooted more.

Our President Chen is a representative from nobody to somebody,

his spirit is to appreciate for sure.

Yet, recently, Taiwanese are sick of scandle-ridden to President Chen.

Freedom House, a non-profit, nonpartisan organization in New York, is working for the political and economic freedom around the world. This organization arrays seven degrees to evaluate how democratic country is. The 1st degree represents for the most democracy; and the 7th degree is vice versa. Taiwan’s rating has improved from 2 to 1 because of the freedom of political rights and electoral reforms in 2006.

“In 2004 and 2005, Taiwan launched ambitious constitutional reforms that have cut the size of the national parliament in half. The country also made an effort to reduce corruption and improve the quality of political representation through ambitious electoral reform. Taiwan's tense relationship with neighboring China took a turn for the worse during 2005 with Beijing's announcement of an anti-secession law, which authorizes the use of military force against Taiwan in the event "peaceful" attempts to unify with Taiwan prove ineffective.” (http://www.freedomhouse.org/template.cfmpage=22&year=2006&country=7069)

Huntington, a political scientist known for his analysis of the relationship between the military and the civil government, came up with “two turn over test” which Taiwan didn’t past this test yet. As a young democratic country, Taiwan seems to be making progress for the way.

Huntington furthermore mentioned that “willingness” and “capacity” are two crucial elements for decolonized countries to promote the democracy or not. From the event of Depose-Chen rally proceeding, Taiwanese is upset over President Chen’s corruption. While we Taiwanese telling the black and white, we also could take Huntington’s theories as a consideration. Willingness perhaps can be shown from a leader’s determination; but capacity depends on a leader’s charisma and assertiveness. Yet how intertwine those two elements? Education matters!!

More information about Freedom House: http://www.freedomhouse.org/

Meg Ti-Cheng Chiu



[轉貼]龍應台談世界公民意識

進統一星巴克買咖啡，你知道可以指名要一杯「公平咖啡」嗎？

去年孩子從德國來訪，15歲的老二發問：「台灣怎麼每個街角都有7-11？」19歲的老大接口說：「對呀，我也奇怪政府怎會允許？」──媽媽龍應台忍不住好奇他們為何這麼說，沒想到這兩個青少年指出，7-11這類跨國企業有龐大財力人力可以營運，勢必擠壓本土柑仔店的生存，當一個城市的跨國企業越膨脹，意味小資本產業消失，城市的多元文化與在地特色也遭受打擊。

從小到大，孩子許多發言都讓龍應台大感驚訝他們的世界公民意識從何而來？昨晚她在「清華思想沙龍」，從主人變「客人」，以「台灣人能不能有世界公民意識？」為題演講，觀察自己的孩子在德國的教育與生活環境中成長，她發現「原來在那個環境中，公民教育幾乎無所不在，而且是『世界公民教育』！」

學校環境中，一半孩子是外國人，還有交換學生，足球隊與社團則不斷訓練著個人與團體的互動溝通；他們在學校中每一堂課討論政治、社會、公民、宗教、倫理，談個人如何面對權威、組織、國家、政府，看全球化市場經濟，談個人與良知的抉擇，幾乎不需要有專門一堂「公民教育」來教孩子怎麼成為「世界公民」。

世界公民教育無所不在，存在於每一堂課、每一個接收到報紙廣播電視電影的時刻，甚至晚餐桌上的談話。

誰是「Global Citizen」？龍應台指出：要認知到個人行動可以造成不同；關心公平、正義；關懷人類社區的現在和未來，認為這種關懷不為國界阻擋；以行動表達關懷。

她舉加拿大的「維多利亞公民教育網」為例，教十幾歲的青少年認識全球化下的貿易、貧窮問題、生態問題、人權問題、健康問題……，讓他們知道，世界上有多少人死於瘧疾，愛滋孤兒以何等驚人的幾何級數增多，教孩子怎麼寫信反應他們的關切，要把信寄到哪些關鍵單位，還要把副本寄到報社。

這個網站也讓孩子了解，為什麼一國富會導致另一國貧窮，在一杯咖啡裡，咖啡農被剝削有多少？而跨國連鎖企業的邊際利益有多可觀！

由是他們不能不知道，「樂施會」推動公平咖啡，輔助坦桑尼亞卡蓋拉合作社的三萬農民，也迫使雀巢將伊索比亞600萬美金債務減為150萬，星巴克則有「公平咖啡日」，台灣是在每月20日，這天咖啡商保證供應的是高價而非剝削價買來的咖啡豆。

龍應台強調，台灣國民所得排名全球第30名，超過紐西蘭、西班牙、葡萄牙、希臘；我們的人口結構，2003年就每三對有一對外籍通婚，外籍人口超過60萬，我們必須教育孩子具備「世界公民」的意識。

「教育」正是使國家向上提昇的關鍵，所以龍應台強調，清華思想沙龍要「影響有影響力的人」，這些人是老師，是青年，是家長，要讓大家相信甘地的話：「你必須成為你想看到的世界的改變之鍵。」 【2006/03/22 民生報】