The Youth Development Administration of the Ministry of Education provides opportunities for young people who are very much interested in public affairs by organizing 2019 Let’s Talk, a program covers a variety of issues for like-minded young people to brainstorm and deliberate.
Taiwan is surrounded by sea. Taiwan is surrounded by sea. With its geographic position, it has developed a flourishing fishing industry. Chen-Pin Fishing Harbor was constructed in 1934 in Keelung. It used to be the largest harbor and a hub for companies engaging in deep sea fishing in northern Taiwan during the Japanese regime. Vessels built today have larger capacity. The harbor is no longer able to accommodate larger vessels. As a result, local prosperity has diminished, and the economy shrank. Zhengbin Art, a local art studio in Keelung, in response, organized “Talk”, a program bringing young people together to discuss ways to preserve the traditional culture of the harbor and maintain its economic functionality simultaneously.
Two local placemakers were invited to share their experiences. Mr. Chun-Cheng Lin, the founder of CAN Culture, Art & Nature, shared his experience in promoting placemaking in Sanxia and elaborated on the importance of creating brands and products, such as Meiji matcha and Hsinchu rice vermicelli, that can represent local communities. According to Mr. Lin, placemaking requires deep and long-term perspectives, the integration of local industries and professional skills into the curricula of elementary and high schools to develop the attachment of students and young adults to their local communities and retain a younger workforce. Mr. Ching-Yeh Chang, CEO of The Kids from Lukang, mentioned that the Taiwanese Lantern Festival was held in Lukang in 2010. The town once again became a tourist spot. Mr. Chang seized the opportunity and combined local culture and arts by organizing an art exhibition. To ensure continuity, Mr. Chang recommended to use business activities at an operational level to support the organization of art and cultural events.
The sharing of the speakers inspired young people to put forward many ideas and recommendations for establishing an autonomous association for zone economy. The proposed autonomous association will play a neutral role and establish a comprehensive platform to integrate internal and external resources, connect with local residents, solicit views from interested parties, coordinate with residents and the public sector to assist with complicated procedures, and convene shareholders’ meetings. All these efforts aim to boost the local zone economy and increase public participation. These proposals, hopefully, will create a better future for Chen-Pin Fishing Harbor.
Many activities were held in August for Let’s Talk. What if you missed them? Don’t worry! Activities in September also cover many topics. Information is available at the website (http://107ypu-letstalk.yda.gov.tw/). You are invited to participate in our broad discussions! For more information, please visit the website of Youth Development Agency (http://www.yda.gov.tw).