sow0917的部落格

李醫師

 

關於您的報導出來了請笑納

http://taiwanjournal.nat.gov.tw/ct.asp?CtNode=122&xItem=25278

 

還有一張圖在我們的首頁喔

http://taiwanjournal.nat.gov.tw/mp.asp?mp=2

 

昨天去荒野聽了一場座談，也是很棒

要感謝你還有那些對於一件事情充滿熱情長時間專心投入的人

 

佩君

                       Education follows a natural path

 

One of Lee Wei-wen's twin daughters watches a tree frog on her finger. (Courtesy of Lee Wei-wen)

Packing their children off to schools in North America has long been a popular decision for Taiwanese parents coming from affluent backgrounds. Another choice might involve enrolling their loved ones in a summer camp, with tours to New Zealand thrown in to further their English skills. Due to the stressful environment in schools across Taiwan, where mountains of tests and homework are the norm, any kind of alternative education would offer students a measure of respite. However, Lee Wei-wen, co-founder of the Society of Wilderness, wants to demonstrate that raising children in Taiwan can be educationally beneficial, as well as being a lot of fun.

There are two distinctly different approaches Taiwanese parents take in relation to the schooling of their children, according to Lee. One approach manifests itself in all the celebrity accounts of the quality of education available overseas, as well as in the mountain of titles telling parents the best way to get their kids into top foreign universities. The other approach is best illustrated by considering the models used by the Humanistic Education Foundation's Forest School or the Waldorf schools in the counties of Yilan, Hsinchu or Taichung. The HEF's boarding school provides students with a learning environment in a natural setting, while the Waldorf schools are renowned for employing educational methods developed by Austrian scientist and philosopher Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925).

Lee remarked Jan. 4, however, that most parents who take the second approach to their children's education still intend to send them overseas for advanced studies when they get older. So, what about those parents who cannot afford to send their offspring abroad? What about the majority of people who want their children to remain in Taiwan during their formative years but not be overloaded with excessive amounts of schoolwork? What about those who, though able to afford the costs, are afraid that after attending experimental elementary schools their kids may have problems with normal secondary schools?

"There are parents like my wife and I who would like our children to be able to cope with Taiwan's school system and eventually enter good local colleges without being deprived of a happy childhood," Lee said. In his new book titled "Bringing up Children can be this Romantic," Lee attempts to answer the kind of questions parents might ask. He also shares his ideas on education as a father, professional man and environmentalist.

Lee's twin daughters are two of those rare students in Taiwan who neither attend classes after school nor watch television at home. The Lee household has been without a television for years. Instead, reading books, participating in SOW's various programs and volunteering for environmental projects are the family's major activities that in their own way are highly educational. Parental company is a child's principle source of happiness, Lee stressed, adding that such quality time is more valuable than any amount of money earned or spent on extracurricular courses.

"Time and money are far less of a problem than whether one has the will [to do something] or not." Lee said. One way he is able to maximize the amount of time he spends with his family is by utilizing what is already close at hand, such as public libraries and the wonders of the great outdoors. He also tries to create more resources through community networking and making demands from the government. Having enough willpower is also how Lee owns the ability to concentrate both on his dental practice and his volunteer obligations. "Children mainly learn by following examples. The way parents and others deal with things will have a dramatic effect on a child's set of values," Lee said. He added his volunteer work was a good example for a child to emulate, concerning how to live according to principles.

The SOW was founded in 1996 in Lee's dental clinic. Since then, he has been a tireless volunteer and vocal spokesman for its causes. The organization has grown into Taiwan's largest civic group with an agenda focusing on environmental education and protection. Today, the SOW has more than 10,000 members and 10 branches throughout the island, with its headquarters being in Taipei. Educational programs account for up to 90 percent of the society's activities, Lee noted. Though it was a coincidence that his children were born in the same year that SOW was founded, his twin roles of father and environmentalist enabled him to show that protecting nature and nurturing children are mutually beneficial to each other, he pointed out.

Lee always encouraged his daughters to immerse themselves in nature and learn about the lives of trees and bugs, monitor rivers, grow rice and vegetables, and go rock climbing and river tracking, for example. Such activities are included in the SOW's nature-education program, designed especially for kids. Over the past five years, monthly events have attracted as many as 700 families, according to Lee. He emphasized the importance the organization placed on creating fun and exciting conditions for children to learn and practice how to react in various situations. "Children learn well [by being put] in a situation because wilderness is the best teacher," he said.

Such programs are not only created to sculpt children into environmentally conscious citizens of the Earth; they have the whole community in mind. "If you affect one child, you will likely influence six adults," Lee remarked. "As far as pursuing an environmental agenda is concerned, you invariably run into people who favor development and immediate benefits. It's difficult for activists to penetrate this kind of community and explain the virtues of conservation," he continued, stressing that in terms of the future, children--not adults--are the ones who will have the power to make a better world.

The veteran environmentalist, however, did not subscribe to certain government officials encouraging people to have more babies, saying, "Human beings and their actions are prone to do harm to the natural environment." The real point is that people can flow wherever they want to go but nature cannot, Lee commented. So, rather than focusing on birthrate for the betterment of Taiwan, the government's responsibility should be to invest in the country's existing children and entice those abroad to return. The best way to do that would be to create attractive conditions, in terms of both natural environment and basic infrastructure, so people would be more inclined to stay, live, study and work in Taiwan, he said. Policymakers need to think in a more global manner and revamp national policies concerning immigration, population and distribution of resources, Lee urged.

When asked if he ever felt frustrated while pursuing conservation issues, Lee said he never did. "We always learn something from whatever we do. Every experience is another step toward success in the long run. Why be frustrated over setbacks at the present moment, or cynical about the general situation?"

Furthermore, he stated, the issue of sustainability in Taiwan today has not so much to do with halting development projects. "It's more about changing our values and attitudes toward life," he said. In that regard, Lee revealed that the objective of the SOW is to create opportunities for people to volunteer for environmental projects. By doing so, people will have more opportunities to change and find things in life that are more valuable than the pursuit of fame and money. Ultimately, he hoped, there would be more good examples for the next generation to follow.

Lee believed that the process of broadening a child's horizons should be rooted in nature rather than, for instance, the creation of English-speaking environments for children to get ahead. "There are bountiful natural resources in Taiwan that we can make use of," Lee concluded.

Write to June Tsai at june@mail.gio.gov.tw

A group of children play in Beishih River in Sindian, Taipei County. Lee emphasizes the importance of children having a "secret garden." (Courtesy of Lee Wei-wen)

Opposition party scores massive victory in legislative elections

Publication Date：01/18/2008       Section：Front Page
By Edwin Hsiao

Even to the opposition Kuomintang's own surprise, it scored a resounding victory over the ruling Democratic Progressive Party in the seventh legislative elections Jan. 12. The KMT won 81 seats, including 57 district seats, four aboriginal seats and 20 at-large seats. The final tally meant there would be a significant shift in power, with the KMT securing a 71.68-percent representation share of the 113-seat Legislative Yuan.

With the goal of capturing 35 district seats and 15 at-large seats, the DPP fared poorly, ending up with only 13 district and 14 at-large seats. Winning no aboriginal seat, the DPP will have only 23.89 percent of the total number of seats in the new Legislature. The Non-Partisan Solidarity Union won two district seats and one of the six seats reserved for aboriginal peoples, the People First Party claimed an aboriginal seat, and an independent candidate won the district seat for Kinmen County.

Due to little chance of winning a district seat, most of the smaller parties focused on gaining the 34 at-large seats. In the political-party ballot, 11.86 percent of those who voted chose one of the smaller parties. Among them, the New Party scored 3.95 percent of the total valid ballots and the Taiwan Solidarity Union gained 3.53 percent. Post-election opinion pointed out that the 5-percent threshold required to gain an at-large seat was too high for any small-party nominee to be elected into the Legislature.

There were a total of 17,179,655 eligible voters for the district-seat ballot and 17,288,551 for the party ballot. However, overall turnout for the district and at-large ballots was only 58.5 percent and 58.28 percent, respectively, according to the Central Election Commission. Political observers attributed the DPP's defeat partly to this low turnout, implying the March 22 presidential election could still go down to the wire if more voters were mobilized. For the 1996 presidential election, 76.04 percent of Taiwan's voting population went to the polls, with 82.69 percent in 2000 and 80.28 percent in 2004.

KMT and DPP responses

The KMT's new two-thirds majority would allow the party to impeach the president in its own right. In addition, with the support of four of the remaining five non-DPP legislators, the KMT would have a three-quarters majority to put constitutional amendments to a referendum. KMT presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou, however, looked to assuage concerns that the KMT might use its advantage unfairly. He stated Jan. 13 that the party would neither seek to amend the country's constitution, nor initiate presidential-recall motions or block formation of a new Cabinet by the DPP.

The current Cabinet, led by Chang Chun-hsiung, is to resign en masse Jan. 28 in accordance with the constitutional convention of 1995. The convention dictates that a fresh Cabinet be formed for every new Legislature. The incumbent Cabinet must step down before the newly elected Legislature convenes Feb. 1.

Right after the outcomes were released, KMT Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung said, "We offer our deepest appreciation for today's election result." Surrounded by other party heavyweights, he added, "We understand that you have put your faith in us, but our joy should last for only one night. Starting tomorrow, we will have more responsibilities. I promise we will not abuse the power of the majority but we will use it to stabilize society and unite people. We will respect the minority in parliament."

In response to the defeat, President Chen Shui-bian stepped down as DPP chairman. "I should and I am willing to shoulder all of the responsibility," Chen said Jan. 12, calling the election loss the "worst-ever" setback in the history of the party. "I resign as chairman, effective immediately. I feel very sorry. I am shamed by this election result," he stated.

DPP presidential candidate Frank Hsieh took over the party's helm Jan. 14 after the DPP Central Executive Committee chose him as the party's acting chairman. Hsieh sought to rebuild support for the party in preparation for what is expected to be a tough contest for the presidency. "I will not shun any responsibility and I will bravely blaze the trails," he said.

Despite the DPP's setback in the district-seat polls, Hsieh highlighted figures showing that 3,610,106 people had voted for the DPP in the political-party ballot. "We should make the DPP stand tall again. The DPP still has the support of millions of people, so we cannot disappoint them." He appealed to everyone to offer the party his support in the presidential race, saying that only through unity can the DPP be strong enough to "straighten a collapsing building and stem raging tides."

Hsieh's comments were seen as being related to the district-seat ballot and the narrow margin by which many seats were won by the KMT. In some districts, the DPP nominee was only 4 percent behind the winning candidate. The KMT scored 53.48 percent of votes cast in 2008's district-seat ballot, compared with the DPP's 38.65 percent. The DPP's total was actually an increase from the party's figure of 35.72 percent in the 2004 legislative elections. If these figures could be improved on, Hsieh might have more of a chance to win the presidential election.

Post-election analysis

Chao Yung-mau, a political science professor at National Taiwan University, said Jan. 12 one reason the DPP had faltered under the new "single-member-district, two-ballot electoral system" was that the KMT's election machine was efficient and well organized. It had established a network of support from local politicians during its 50-year period as ruling party and had a solid support base.

The DPP's disappointing performance also showed that a focus on identity and ethnic issues no longer worked as effectively as it used to, analysts said. While the identity issue may stir up the passion of core DPP supporters, it might also scare off more moderate voters, said Wu Chin-en, a political-science research fellow at Academia Sinica. "Those issues are like a double-edged sword," he said. "They have limited effect when they become the central issue in almost every election."

In the aftermath of the legislative elections, political observers and the media from around the world attended a Jan. 13 seminar to discuss the possible effect the results might have on the upcoming presidential election. Some pundits thought that voters might swing back toward the DPP, but other people agreed a "coattail effect" was the more likely outcome, possibly leading to Ma's eventual victory in March. Another consensus of opinion at the event, however, was that the DPP's defeat in the legislative elections was not necessarily a sign of approval for the KMT, rather a vote of no-confidence in Chen.

If Ma does go on to capture the presidency in the March election, the KMT might well be in a position to end years of stalemate between Taiwan's legislative and executive branches and possibly stabilize the island's relations with China. However, it would also cause concerns about the check-and-balance function of the KMT-dominated Legislature toward the same-party administration.

Two referendums

Aside from the legislative elections, both referendums held in conjunction with the Jan. 12 elections failed to attain the 50-percent turnout required for them to pass. The DPP's referendum on recovering the KMT's alleged ill-gotten assets had a voter turnout of only 26.34 percent. Among those who voted, 91.46 percent of the valid ballots supported the DPP's objective.

The KMT-initiated referendum on empowering the Legislature to investigate corruption involving high-level government officials had a 26.08-percent turnout, with 58.17 percent casting affirmative votes and 41.83 percent opposing the move.

Analysts were divided over what effects the referendum results would have on either party. It was, however, seen as probably the last chance for the DPP to retrieve KMT assets. A successful result in the referendum could have given the DPP more encouragement in relation to the planned U.N. referendum in March. In tandem with the presidential vote, the DPP will ask the public to vote on whether it supports the decision to apply for U.N. membership under the moniker of "Taiwan."

Write to Edwin Hsiao at edwinhsiao@mail.gio.gov.tw

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