Tang Prize Foundation
On the morning of September 30, 2024, Mary Robinson, the 2024 recipient of the Tang Prize for Rule of Law, visited Taipei Municipal Chien Kuo High School. She was joined by distinguished guests, including Huang Chiao-Wei, Director of the Department of Education, Taipei City Government; Wei Yin, Commissioner of the Department for Youth, Taipei City Government; Ming-Hsiang Wu, Principal of Taipei Municipal Zhonglun High School; along with nearly two hundred students from various schools in Taipei, including Taipei Municipal Chien Kuo High School, Taipei First Girls High School, Taipei Municipal Zhong Shan Girls High School, Taipei Municipal Zhonglun High School, Taipei Wanfang High School, Taipei Municipal Nan-Gang High School, and Taipei Mandarin Experimental Elementary School, for a lively discussion.
The youth symposium, titled "Generation Green: Climate Justice and Sustainable Future," was hosted by Chih-Liang Hsu, an English teacher at Chien Kuo High School, with student Yun-En Chen serving as emcee. Four student representatives—Huang Hao-Chen and Chong-Wei Ma from Chien Kuo High School, Li-Ya Lin from Taipei First Girls High School, and Tzu-Yuan Shen from Zhong Shan Girls High School—engaged in a dialogue with Robinson, focusing on four key areas: her political career, experiences as president, sustainable development and environmental protection, and advice and future outlook for youth. The floor was also opened for questions from the audience.
Through the dialogue, Professor Mary Robinson shared insights from her education at Harvard Law School and her political career in Ireland. As the first female President of Ireland, she transformed the role of the presidency and demonstrated her unique leadership qualities. She emphasized the vital role of education in fostering leadership skills among young people. She humorously recounted the gender challenges she faced in a conservative Ireland, including the discriminatory tradition of women wearing hats in the Irish Senate and the requirement for married women to obtain written permission from their husbands to open bank accounts. These challenges reinforced her commitment to her work and the advancement of women’s rights in Ireland. This unwavering commitment, born from adversity, fostered a profound resilience within her. Mirroring her own resilience, the yellow dandelion badge she wore embodied the growth and reforms led by women.
Professor Robinson also encouraged the young audience from the perspective of an elder concerned about climate change. She acknowledged that everyone, even she, makes mistakes, and urged them not to let the fear of failure prevent them from taking action. The world, she emphasized, needs the participation of young people. She candidly admitted that her generation's overdevelopment and environmental neglect have left the younger generation to bear the consequences of climate change – a grave mistake of the previous generation. As a member of The Elders, she passionately called for urgent global action on climate change and highlighted the importance of youth involvement in decision-making. Only through collaboration across generations can a sustainable future be created.
Wei Yin, Commissioner of the Department for Youth, Taipei City Government, noted that Professor Mary Robinson's experiences and achievements demonstrate the convergence of rights and justice. She serves as a role model for global leaders and reminds every young person of their ability and responsibility to make a difference in the world. He hoped that all young people would be inspired by Professor Robinson's efforts, learning how to move from local to global action and strive for a just and sustainable future.
Yin-Yin Hu, Director of the Department of Planning and Development at the Tang Prize Foundation, added that Professor Robinson's spirit exemplifies the understanding that justice is conscience, and reform is action. Justice requires both conscience and action. The world needs immediate climate action to ensure a sustainable and equitable future for all. The future belongs to the youth, who, as the pillars of the nation, are the key force driving change. This is the original intention and commitment of the Tang Prize Foundation in collaborating with Taipei Municipal Chien Kuo High School to hold this youth dialogue.
In closing, representatives from Chien Kuo High School expressed their gratitude to the Tang Prize Foundation for facilitating Professor Robinson's visit and sharing her life experiences with students and teachers from various schools. They hoped that this dialogue would serve as guidance for everyone in their learning and career development. Representatives from Chien Kuo High School and other schools presented souvenirs to Professor Robinson as tokens of appreciation. Professor Robinson, delighted by the students' enthusiasm, accepted the gifts with a dance; in return, she reciprocated a signed hand-painted oil painting of the iconic red brick school building of Taipei Municipal Chien Kuo High School to commemorate this meaningful intergenerational dialogue.