Taipei, Oct. 30 (CNA) A Taiwanese non-government organization (NGO) Tuesday established an alliance with a Japanese NGO to strengthen the capabilities of both to further pursue international humanitarian works and deepen their global impact through collaboration.
Taiwan Root Medical Peace Corps (TRMPC) , an NGO devoted to humanitarian relief and emergency medical services, signed a memorandum of agreement with Peace Winds Japan (PWJ) , which is operating more than 50 relief projects around the world.
As the majority of its members are physicians and surgeons, TRMPC will be able to provide medical assistance which PWJ cannot, said TRMPC President Liu Chi-chun in a press conference.
PWJ will be able to help its Taiwanese ally to obtain visas to countries that do not have official diplomatic ties with Taiwan through foreign embassies in Tokyo, PWJ chief executive officer Kensuke Onishi said, adding that Taiwanese humanitarian workers could join PWJ missions in the future to avoid political interference.
TRMPC missions have failed to enter Tanzania, Lebanon and Pakistan in the past for political reasons, which was unfortunate because international humanitarian works should know no borders, Liu said.
The alliance is expected to begin collaborating on emergency relief work in the wake of earthquakes and on several projects in Africa, Liu said. Onishi added that PWJ, with an annual budget of 1.5 billion Yen, will be able to provide help with funding as the TRMPC does not conduct public fund-raising events.
Onishi said he would describe the alliance as the "integration of Japanese and Taiwanese civil societies", and therefore deeper than the simple collaboration of two NGOs.
The two parties will strengthen their mutual relations and promote cooperation for organizational interaction with international institutions. Staff exchanges will be carried out on all organizational levels through field visits, training seminars, internships, conferences, and consultations, Liu said.
TRMPC was established in 1995 and has participated in relief works in Kosovo, Macedonia as well as Taiwan. PWJ, one of the largest NGOs in Japan, was established in 1996 and currently employs about 50 paid staff members and 1,000 volunteers around the world.