On April 8th, Irish Taiwanese participated in the first-ever global livestream health walk initiated by the European Federation of Taiwan Health Alliance (EFTHA) and the Global Taiwan Medical Alliance (GTMA) for World Health Day. The event took place at the Kilmacurragh National Botanic Gardens in Dublin, Republic of Ireland. The intention of this event was to encourage Irish Taiwanese to recognise the importance of exercise, strengthen family bonds, and raise awareness for Taiwan to join the World Health Assembly in May 2023. The event was organized in collaboration with the Taiwan Emergency Assistance Association in Ireland (TEAAI), Taiwan Centre for Mandarin Learning in Ireland (TCML), the Taipei Representative Office in Ireland, and the Taiwan Ireland Association (TIA).
In the past, the Irish Taiwanese community has actively supported Taiwan to join WHA through various demonstrating activities. This year, on World Health Day, they gathered again to participate in an outdoor walk and Easter egg hunt in the National Botanic Garden in County Wicklow, showing their support and emphasizing the importance of Taiwan becoming part of WHO. At the beginning of the event, everyone carried eye-catching banners and posters with slogans such as "WHO + Taiwan, Taiwan can Help" and "HEALTH FOR ALL + TAIWAN", while the event was simultaneously streamed online to more than 20 cities from the US, Europe, Canada, and Taiwan on the Taiwan Salon YouTube platform.
The event was followed by a stimulating Easter egg hunt. Children ran through the emerald grass with their baskets, searching for chocolate eggs and chocolate bunnies. The excitement of discovering chocolates brought huge smiles to everyone's face. Later on, everyone took a scenic trail while holding the slogans in the tranquil National Botanic Garden after a brief refreshment in the café. The colorful banner attracted many local tourists' attention during the walk. The event ended successfully after everyone hiked in the sea of Rhododendron blossoms.
We are grateful to Taiwan Salon for providing the YouTube channel that broadcasts the highlights of the active support from the Irish Taiwanese community over the past few years. We would also like to sincerely thank the Overseas Community Affairs Council R.O.C for sponsoring this meaningful event.
