Dear fellow members and distinguished guests, good afternoon!

　First of all, I would like to express how honored I am today to have been re-elected as WTIC President for the 2010 to 2011 term. Thank you very much indeed for your kind support. Please rest assure that I will continue to do my absolute best.

　As President of the WTIC and the spouse of a diplomat, my ambition is to foster friendship and mutual understanding between women of different nationalities. Therefore, on behalf of the board of directors and supervisors, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all of our dear members for their strong support over the past year.

　I would also like to pay tribute to the dedicated and selfless chairpersons of the interest groups and their members, as well as the WTIC working committee members for their devotion, enthusiasm and remarkable achievements. Thanks to them, I have had the opportunity to host a variety of events, such as the Lunar New Year luncheon, a Maya civilization cultural seminar, the spring and autumn outdoor excursions and a tea ceremony. Besides, the International Cooking Demonstration interest group introduced various cuisine from Taiwanese, Swedish to Mexican styles. The Art and Cultural group visited art exhibitions from Manet, Picasso to Song Dynasty.

　The common key ingredient in each of these was the friendship fostered through colorful cultural exchanges. These activities gave us the opportunity to learn more about one another by sharing our interests, talents and hobbies. All of us have developed friendship within the WTIC, which we shall cherish forever. We are fortunate to be able to learn so much from our fellow members representing all corners of the world. Each of us clearly has plenty to offer.

　In recent years, the world has been facing an environment prone to unpredictable disasters. From typhoon Morakot last year in August to the Haiti earthquake in January this year, WTIC members reached out to their international sisters, and demonstrated their humanitarian concern with generous donations during these difficult times. Earlier this month, the Diplomatic Corps organized a successful fundraising dinner, to which members of the WTIC also contributed for the benefits of the Homeless Women Center in Taichung City.

　I would like to urge our members to be more aware of the environmental issues. Thus I hope to integrate environmental topics into our future cultural exchange programs. Most of our members are leaders of different women’s groups. Therefore, I believe we can try our best to contribute our share to a safer and healthier society.

　Earlier this year, Ms. Julia Banks, the newly elected WCI President, wrote me a letter stating that the WTIC is regarded as a valued partner of the WCI, and that our members are held in high esteem by the latter. In September, the 50th Anniversary Celebration and 19th Convention of the Federation of Asia-Pacific Women’s Association (FAWA) took place in Taipei. The WTIC played an active role in the Convention’s Organizing Committee, as we share the same goals in promoting international friendship. Please remember to mark both the WCI Biennial Conference in Colorado and the FAWA Convention in Guam on your 2012 calendar.

　The year 2011 marks the centennial of the Republic of China (Taiwan), and the WTIC is entering its glorious 25th year. We are fortunate to be living in such a peaceful and prosperous society that is blessed with abundant soft power. Vince Lombardi, the legendary football figure, once said, “The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will.” I believe that this best describes the spirit of the WTIC volunteers. Therefore, let us keep our minds open and work harder to learn more about the world so as to foster friendship through mutual understanding.
　
　Thank you very much. May all of you have a successful year of 2011. Happy holidays!