Taiwan

Report from the international seminar in Seoul, 26-29 June 2005

The 2005 WRI annual seminar was entitled “Peace In North-East Asia” and focused on a variety of related topics over 3.5 days. It consisted of a mixture of panel discussions, small workshops and a nonviolence training session.

19/05/1998 1 Conscription

conscription exists

Conscription has existed since the achievement of independence.

The legal basis of conscription is a text published in China in 1933, plus subsequent modifications. [1]

military service

All men between the ages of 18 and 45 are liable for military service. [1]

Military service lasts for two years. [1]

There are reserve duties. [4]

Military training for both men and women is available at both college and university, but it is not known whether it is compulsory.

March 8, International Women's Day, was celebrated in a variety of ways around the world. In Turkey, the women of Izmir Savas Karsitlari Dernegi (ISKD--the Izmir War Resisters Association) produced Dario Fo's play "The Rape", and held a discussion afterwards with the audience. The women joined with other organizations to march on March 11, rather than March 8, in order to increase participation.

Bienvenue, Dominique!

Dominique Saillard is the new woman on staff at WRI's London office, and the official liaison with the WRI Women's Working Group. She works three days a week at the office, and you can write or speak to her in French, Spanish, German or English. Dominique was born in France and educated as a professional translator; she lived in the US for awhile, where she was active in peace and environmental groups. She is deeply committed to women's empowerment. A very warm welcome from all of us, Dominique.

[from The China News, 26 May 1991]

On February 23, 1990, the first lesbian group in Taiwan was started. Its name is Wo Men Zhi Jian (Between Ourselves).

The first task of the founders after starting was to network and start letting other lesbians know about the group. They got a post office box in Taipei (number 10464) to give women a way to Contact the group. Roberta, one of the members, went to the Asian Lesbian Conference in Thailand in December 1990.

(by Brett McDonnell, from The China News, 25 May 1991)

“I didn’t come out to my friends until last December. Only two or three close friends knew I told several friends. Most of them said, ‘Oh, I already know.’ This made me feel very relieved.”

“I always thought I didn’t need friends, that I was a rock. That was until I started to come out. Then I found, ‘Oh, I’m in paradise. Communication is so important.’ I feel closer to my friends.”