2014/01/08
Press Release No. 003
Mr. Kailash Satyarthi, joint recipient of the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize, and his wife are scheduled to visit Taiwan from January 14 to 18, at the invitation of the government of the Republic of China.
The Indian children’s rights advocate will deliver two speeches, call on government leaders, and meet with local charity groups to facilitate exchanges. His visit will give him the opportunity to gain a better understanding of Taiwan’s vibrant civil society, as well as ROC government achievements in safeguarding human rights and promoting democracy.
As a pioneer in the fight against child exploitation and illiteracy, Mr. Satyarthi has been involved since 1980 in campaigns to end child labor and promote children’s education. The nongovernmental organization he established in India, Bachpan Bachao Andolan, known in English as the Save the Childhood Mission, has saved more than 80,000 children and exploited workers from human trafficking syndicates and the shackles of servitude. His longstanding and unwavering fight against social injustice has highlighted the moral power to be tapped in our societies.
During their visit, Mr. Satyarthi and his wife will call on President Ma Ying-jeou, Vice President of the Legislative Yuan Hung Hsiu-chu, and Minister of Foreign Affairs David Y. L. Lin. They will also meet with the Eden Social Welfare Foundation, Child Welfare League Foundation, Wake Welfare Action Association, and Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation. He will speak at the Chang Yung-fa Foundation’s Evergreen International Convention Center and National Tsing Hua University. (E)