福爾摩莎基金會(美國)停止運作
【南加訊】2001年成立於洛杉磯的福爾摩莎基金會，經，為守護台灣民主努力16年，已經在去年年底宣告停止運作。
現任董事長Enoch Chang 於日前發信給支持該會人士，向他們表示感謝之意。在信中也提到基金會創辦人吳澧培當年因為台灣政黨輪替，為支持青澀時期的台灣民主及培養第二代年輕人支援台灣而創立。透過該會的青年大使訓練，及許多講座造就美國國及台灣兩地區數以百計的國際事務外交新秀，在美國國會及民間厚植支持台灣的力量，例如去年參與創立Global Taiwan Institute的葉介廷就是其中的一個例子。
吳澧培當初以南加地區台美人社團活躍人士為基礎組成團隊，揭示改變美國的「一中政策」，讓它和台灣脫勾為目標，獲得全美各地台灣人社區的熱烈響應，基金會成立之後，在彭明敏教授、李鴻禧教授、葉菊蘭女士及吳釗燮教授的力挺下，分別在洛杉磯、聖路易市、紐約市、休士頓市及北加灣區舉行大型募款餐會，風起雲湧，聲勢浩大，共募得數百萬美元。開始運作時，辦公室設洛杉磯市區最精華的世貿中心。
吳澧培後來接受陣水扁總統的聘任為總統府資政，決定回台直接投入守護台灣的戰場。福爾摩沙基金會決定重金禮聘在美國行政及立法部門有堅實關係的Terri Giles出任執行長，並且聚焦於年輕第二代優秀民間外交人材的培養。
董事長Enoch Chang 表示，去年蔡英文總統宣誓就職，台灣已經三度政黨輪替，台灣民主漸漸成熟及堅固，加上，第二代的年輕人青出於藍，己在各方獨當一面，福爾摩沙基金會的階段性任務已經完成，因此決定停止運作。
因為基金會是美國lRS註冊501(c)(3)的非營利教育公益基金會，該會決定將所剩價值達5萬多美元的資產，贈送給同性質的非營利機構FAPA，繼續用於為台灣作民間外交之用。
Formosa Foundation 完成階段性任務，息燈了。
Dear Friends and Supporters of Formosa Foundation,
After more than 15 years of advocating for human rights, democracy, and strengthening of U.S.-Taiwan relations, Formosa Foundation has decided to wind down its operations at the end of 2016. On behalf of the Foundation and its board, I would like to first thank our founder and honorary chairman, Mr. Li-Pei Wu, for his ongoing financial and strategic support. Mr. Wu’s support and guidance throughout the Foundation’s existence has allowed us to leave a lasting legacy through the many programs conducted by the Foundation. I also wish to thank the Taiwanese American community, our advisors, program speakers, and many others who have partnered with the Foundation throughout the years.
Formosa Foundation was founded in 2001, shortly after the first peaceful transition of power in Taiwan. At that time, Mr. Wu and other early supporters started Formosa Foundation as a non-profit organization based in the United States to support Taiwan’s young democracy and to train the next generation of advocates for Taiwan. Since then, Formosa Foundation’s flagship program, the Ambassador Program, has trained more than [300] student ambassadors who advocated for Taiwan every summer through one of the most intensive advocacy training program, followed by a week of meetings with Congressional members and staff. The Ambassador Program has been recognized by many on the Capitol Hill as one of the best advocacy programs.
In 2005, Mr. Wu asked me to join the Foundation and to help expand the Ambassador Program to participants from Taiwan. Since then, more than 100 students from Taiwan has participated in the Ambassador Program, providing the young people of Taiwan unparalleled access to advocacy training, policy insights, and unique opportunities to share their experience with U.S. Congressional members and other policy makers. By working together throughout an intensive “advocacy boot camp”, participants from Taiwan and those from North America are also able to build lasting friendships and partnerships. Many Taiwanese alumni of the Ambassador Program went on to become strong advocates of democracy in Taiwan.
“The Formosa Foundation Ambassador Program has been a life changing milestone in my life. The passion of my fellow Ambassadors and everyone leading the program inspired me to pursue law and eventually a lifelong career in advocating for Taiwan. All the Ambassadors that have walked through the halls of Congress the last decade have been and will continue to be the foundation for Taiwan’s transformation for this generation.”
– Chieh-Ting Yeh, AP Class ‘2005
In addition to the Ambassador Program, the Foundation has held several conferences on U.S.-Taiwan relations, hosted public policy forums and roundtables, and helped promote awareness of Taiwanese history by working with Formosa Films and the producer of “Formosa Betrayed”, a Hollywood film founded and supported by the Taiwanese American community to help others better understand Taiwanese people’s struggle for democracy and self-determination.
Taiwan is now a mature democracy, and the Formosa Foundation’s work with both American and Taiwanese students has played a role in the consolidation of Taiwan’s democracy. Many former ambassadors went on to start new ventures and programs to advocate for Taiwan in different ways. For example, a former ambassador started “Strait Talk,” a program at Brown University aimed to foster cross-strait dialogues through working with students from the U.S., Taiwan, and China. In 2016, former ambassador (and program coordinator) Chieh-Ting Yeh started, with several other former ambassadors, Global Taiwan Institute, a public policy incubator aimed to enhance Taiwan’s relationship with other countries, especially of the United States.
In January 2016, Taiwan completed its third peaceful transition of power, when Dr. Tsai Ying-wen became the first woman to be elected President of Taiwan. I had a chance to witness the election from inside Dr. Tsai’s campaign headquarter, at the invitation of several former ambassadors who were part of her presidential campaign. Since Dr. Tsai’s inauguration as President of Taiwan, the Taiwanese government has been able to make several break-through in its relationship with the United States.
As a new generation in both Taiwan and in the U.S. takes up the mantle of advocacy for Taiwan, the board of directors, after consulting with Mr. Wu, has determined that the timing is right for the Formosa Foundation to close. As a 501(c)(3) organization, the Foundation is distributing its remaining assets to Formosan Association for Public Affairs (FAPA) to continue the work of advocating for Taiwan.
> Please see attached letter from FAPA President Mr. Peter Chen <
Again, I want to thank Mr. Wu, our current and former board members, our supporters and advisors, and our alumni for contributing to the Foundation’s success in the past 15 years. While Formosa Foundation, as a legal entity, is coming to an end, the mission and the legacy of the Foundation will carry on through your continued effort to advance democracy in Taiwan and its recognition by the international community.
Sincerely yours,
Enoch Chang
Chair, Formosa Foundation, 2007-2016
