The Taiwan Foundation for Democracy (TFD) (財團法人台灣民主基金會 pinyin cáituán fǎrén táiwān mínzhǔ jījīnhuì ) was established with an inter-related, two-tracked mission in mind. Domestically, the TFD has been set up to play a positive role in consolidating Taiwan's democracy and enhancing its commitment to human rights; internationally, the Foundation strives to become a major player in the global democratic network, cooperating with similar organizations around the world.
History
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Republic of China)(MOFA) initiated the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy project in 2002. The MOFA integrated the required resources from many sectors of society and from different political parties. In January 2003, the Ministry obtained the support of all political parties to pass the budget for the Foundation in the legislature. The TFD was formally founded on June 17, 2003 when the first meeting took place. With its first meeting of the Board of Trustees and Supervisory Board. At that meeting, Legislative Yuan President Wang Jin-pyng was elected its first chairman. According to its By-laws, the TFD is governed by a total of fifteen trustees and five supervisors, representing political parties, the government, academia, non-governmental organizations, and the business sector. For example, this means that the chairman will always be the current Legislative Yuan of the Taiwanese parliament, and the Vice-Chairman will always be the current serving Minister of Foreign Affairs of Taiwan.
Mission
The focus of the TFD is mainly on:
- Setting up and maintaining relationships with related organizations all over the world;
- Participating actively in the global promotion and enhancement of democracy;
- Supporting the improvement of human rights;
- Supporting activities who promote democracy at NGO's and academic institutions like universities and think tanks;
- Encouraging research and publications on democratic developments either National or International; and
- Holding seminars, workshops, conferences, and other educational activities in the area of democracy and human rights.