URL:

http://www.peopo.org/portal.php?op=viewPost&articleId=102026

Fanzigou Park is located beside the Jiaxiong Luqiao Bridge. Initially, locals were extremely hopeful about the new park, which promised them the opportunity to live a greener lifestyle. However, over time problem after problem began to arise. Liucuo Park had similar problems with brickwork and as a result of moss growing on the brickwork pathways some residents slipped and fell. Additionally, the dilapidated and rotten wooden decking looks perilous. The park’s transformation was finished in 2008, and in 2009 refurbishing work cost around 10 million NTD. However, after the passing of an application to the Ministry of Interior from City Government in September of 2009, at the beginning of 2010 the park was once more fenced off for “reconstruction” – in a further 30 million NTD makeover. The children’s playground as well as exercise equipment suddenly vanished and workers began laying new brick paving to replace and discard the only recently laid, now ‘old’ paving. The reason given was that a building application for an overhead walkway over Highway 1 had been passed. Locals were extremely confused and asked why the park had to be closed ahead of building work on the overhead walkway? “Once the budget has been set and designated time arrived at, even if it is considered as waste, it has to be used up…whether the money is allocated to the correct area or will take many years to pay off is of no concern”, said Chiayi City Government Economic Affairs Bureau. Currently, as a direct result of building works the central drain near Boai Rd. is giving off a terrible stench. The government department responsible for the work promised to fix the problem by the end of May, but this means locals will have to put up with the rancid odor for another 20 days. This rancid smell is certainly not helping Fanzigou Park’s ecological reputation and is a terrible inconvenience to local residents – it is sincerely hoped that the government understands just how important and significant this problem has become.

URL:

http://www.peopo.org/portal.php?op=viewPost&articleId=101893

After the citizen journalist spotted a photograph of Rainbow Military Dependents Village being demolished, they quickly rushed to the scene in order to get a clearer picture of the situation. On arrival at the village, there was some relief in discovering that Grandpa Huang’s block was still standing. Ironically, Culture Bureau billboards celebrating Grandpa Huang’s Rainbow Military Dependents Village remained pasted to the railings that fenced off the flattened part of the village. The exact statement read: Demolition work on Ganchengliu Village, located to the rear of Ling Tung University, commenced two to three weeks ago. Areas to be preserved include: the church, several old trees and 7 buildings of ‘Grandpa Huang’s Rainbow Village’.
While interviewing Grandpa Huang it became apparent that he is not optimistic about the future of the Rainbow Village. He said that if the property developers ask him to leave he will go immediately – what would Rainbow Village become without the creator of it, Grandpa Huang. As the years pass, Rainbow Village will probably face the same fate as the area flattened to the ground a few weeks ago – considered to have no grounds for preservation. The Department of Cultural Affairs should in accordance with The Cultural Heritage Preservation Act ensure this area is granted a preservation order, not to merely pay lip service, or insincerely use the area as part of election campaigns. Unless a preservation order is attained, it is most likely the area will become another victim of property developers or urban renewal. 

 
Bringing wood to life (by CJ funy)

URL:

http://www.peopo.org/portal.php?op=viewPost&articleId=101865

After a great deal of careful planning and hard work by National Tsing Hua University teacher Hsu Yu-ming, the school is now able to offer students a diverse selection of imaginative courses. The woodworking course is directed by teacher Tang, who has fused together woodworking skills and mechanical theory to produce some extremely ingenious toys. Students meticulously work through their projects step by step, from the design drawing, to cutting, drilling and sanding, all the way to assembly of the finishing toy. Overseeing the complete process allows these Science and Engineering students to get a thorough grasp of both theory and practice. In the classroom, one can see anything from flying birds and walking snails, to cute little kittens drinking milk – it really is a joyful sight to behold. “Wooden toys have such a soft touch and each one is completely unique…these are the kinds of toys that can be passed down through the family”, said teacher Tang. Teacher Hsu hopes that students share the knowledge they have gained to the community at large, introducing even more people to the joys of making wooden toys.

URL:

http://www.peopo.org/portal.php?op=viewPost&articleId=101445

On 28th April, the eve of International Workers Memorial Day, Taiwan Medical Workers Union mobilized primary healthcare workers from across the country to stage a protest in front of the Council of Labor Affairs. During the rally, protesters performed a drama depicting the nightmarish reality many nurses face each day. Many of the nurses wept as they stood in front of the Council of Labor Affairs illustrating just how desperate their situation has become. Their protest is not for any one-off incident or grievance but for a longstanding dispute over working conditions, something they must face each day of their lives. The Department of Health has taken the lead in attempting to crush the currently deplorable working conditions of nurses, but the funding of hospital developments by financial consortiums has meant the situation for nurses continues to deteriorate. The main problem is the vague and easily misinterpreted wording of Article 34 of the Labor Law that states workers should be given ‘appropriate rest time’. Another problem is the fact that inspections of working conditions in Taiwanese hospitals have become a mere formality. After the protests finished, the Taiwan Medical Workers Union and participating primary healthcare workers entered into the Council of Labor Affairs, where negotiations with government officials were held. In the end, Taiwan Medical Workers Union proposed a public hearing with primary medical workers and set a deadline for an official reply.

URL:

http://www.peopo.org/portal.php?op=viewPost&articleId=101606

Yeh Chien-kuo was effectively washed out of his hometown when Typhoon Morakot struck Taiwan, but he has returned to Taitung County in order to get involved in the rebuilding of his native Jialan Village. In mid-April 2012, after the permanent housing was completed, the affected households living in temporary housing were busy moving back to Jialan. Unfortunately, Yeh Chien-kuo was unable to partake in their joy. Two years ago, Taimali Township had a few permanent housing vacancies for victims of the disaster and as Yeh Chien-kuo’s family was small, they became the target of a resettling ploy. One day, in a drunk and confused state of mind, Yeh Chien-kuo signed a consent form that would resettle him in Taimali. In the eyes of the public sector, from then on, he was not a Jialan resident anymore. It is disappointing that after huge government expense and enormous effort in the rebuilding of Jialan Village, Jialan disaster victims have been nonchalantly dumped in Taimali!

URL:

http://www.peopo.org/portal.php?op=viewPost&articleId=101678

At a natural farm in Nan-ao Township, Yilan, participants who are willing to help out with the farming are rewarded with all the technical ins and outs of farming, in addition to food and boarding. Taking part in this working vacation allows participants to choose the area of the farming that best suits their needs. Most of the participants are deeply interested in how the food they eat every day is produced and indeed where it comes from. The main work of participants is to assist with the farm work of long-term volunteers. “I wanted to know just where the food we see day in and day out comes from and so decided to take part in a working vacation”, “ In the morning we dug up ginger and after that beat rice…there is a real sense of camaraderie and harmony, and the volunteers are great fun to work with”, said Xie Yating, a hospital clerk from Taichung City. In the first year, the working vacation scheme attracted around 500 people, which means that around 3000 people are expected to participate in the first three years. Organizer of the scheme, A-Jiang, hopes that the introduction of working vacations will help promote the philosophy of natural and clean food production. He added that hopefully through the scheme, farmers will turn away from exploiting the land for profit and became true guardians of the land.

http://www.peopo.org/portal.php?op=viewPost&articleId=101101

Since the opening up of Taiwan to mainland tourists, Alishan has become one of the most popular tourist attractions in the country. Simultaneously, Alishan High-mountain Tea become a much sought after souvenir and gift for the hoards of mainlanders that visit the area each year. Shrewd business consortiums got an early foothold in the area, snatching up all the best shop locations and building a first-rate tea plaza where they could lure all incoming mainland tourists. Tour coach after tour coach of tourists who are unfamiliar with Taiwanese tea and the area make their way into the exclusive tea plaza. It is an open secret that after sampling some tea and undergoing a sales pitch by attractive young women the unsuspecting customers often part with several thousand NTD for low quality tea. In other words, local tea growers and tribes in the area are not directly benefitting from the presence of so many mainland tourists in the Alishan region. Local tea growers believe this ‘inferior’ tea that has been unscrupulously brought into the area will slowly undermine the name of Alishan Tea - a brand they have worked hard to develop over the last ten years or so. President of Taiwan Tea Association, HsuehWen-yi, and other members of the association have worked hard to come up with a novel idea to protect the interests of consumers and tea farmers alike – the ‘Product Transparency and Authenticity Scheme’. In the scheme, consumers can simply use their smartphone to scan the barcode on the back of the tea carton and are able to see the whole production process of the product, including management of the tea plantation, picking, processing and packing. The scheme uses the most advanced technology and is currently the most reliable way to ensure product authenticity. The scheme’s stamp of approval provides customers with a guarantee, but unfortunately, as yet not all local tea growers have agreed to participate. The association and its members are currently working hard to persuade all local tea growers of the benefits of the scheme and the importance of protecting the prestigious name of Alishan Tea. The job is proving extremely tough, but everyone involved is in agreement that if the name of Alishan Tea can be protected, no matter how difficult the job, it will all be worth it.

URL:
http://www.peopo.org/portal.php?op=viewPost&articleId=100566

On 2nd April, Quintain Steel’s application to build an additional steel galvanizing by plant entered its third environment conference. The farmers and fishermen of Guantian took their protests to the Environmental Protection Bureau after many of them became anxious about the potential for discharges of wastewater and waste acid to enter the environment and affect crops. In fact, Quintain Steel has already been established in Guantian for over ten years, and it is the addition of the potentially hazardous galvanizing production process that has caused a storm of protest. Moreover, the area surrounding the plant is fertile green land and Tilapia fish farms. Farmers and fishermen expressed that they were not opposed to the setting up of factories, but hoped that they could be located in industrial areas. In response to worries, the developers expressed that they would utilize the most advanced technology and hoped that in the future there would be no pollution - in the event of pollution, Quintain Steel would be liable to pay full compensation. A special panel set up to oversee the meeting concluded that the proposed project was likely to have an adverse effect on the nearby Guantian Pheasant-tailed Jacana Restoration Area, as well as the local agricultural zone, and ecological environment at large. Moreover, as it is impossible to assess the potential environmental impact of a serious accident, it was recommended that consent not be given. With an absence of the new factory, over the last ten years Guantian has become an important area in the production of organic water chestnuts and for the restoration of the Pheasant-tailed Jacana, and as such there is a very real need for a new EIA. This is why the Self-help Association and environmental groups have called for Quintain Steel to conduct an new Environmental Analysis and not be allowed to continue based on the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) passed in 2002. In order to protect their homeland the Self-Help Association has fought long and hard.