Ethnic Harmony Fund
From the "Two Bullets" to the Establishment of the Fund
As an immigrant society, Taiwan has experienced various forms of ethnic conflict throughout different periods; although the scars of these conflicts have yet to fully heal, driven by the aspiration for democratization, people still chose to "pretend to be together."
On the eve of the 2004 presidential election, the "two bullets" that pierced the president's body, along with the various conspiracy theories that followed, resulted in the election outcome being rejected by the losing side, subsequently sparking ethnic conflict and protests. A time bomb that had laid dormant for years was finally detonated. To quell the controversy, a ballot recount lawsuit was imperative; however, bearing the massive litigation costs plunged the situation into yet another dilemma.
Driven by a desire for ethnic harmony in Taiwan, Kingston Technology co-founder Sun Ta-wei generously donated NT$100 million to the Judicial Reform Foundation to cover the costs required for the ballot recount lawsuit, and stipulated that the remaining funds be used to support the development of ethnic harmony in Taiwan and the promotion of legal education.
Thanks to Mr. Sun's righteous act, many attorneys undertook the recount work pro bono. Coupled with amendments to the new laws, only about NT$10 million in litigation costs was ultimately expended. With Mr. Sun's expectation, the JRF placed 50% of the remaining NT$80-plus million into a trust to establish the "Ethnic Harmony Fund," dedicated to promoting projects related to ethnic harmony in Taiwan.
Fund Mission and Grant Directions
The mission of the "Public Trust Ethnic Harmony Fund" is to promote ethnic harmony and resolve social confrontation. The first Advisory Committee discussed and agreed that the Fund should center on echoing independent Taiwanese civil society forces, encouraging Taiwanese civic groups to advance the harmonious development of ethnic relations, broadly inviting various sectors to submit project applications conducive to ethnic integration, approving grants, encouraging associations, and empowering grassroots communities.
Grant directions are categorized into the following five major areas:
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1Discussion of the historical evolution of ethnic relations and major events, alongside social action.
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2Exchange of ethnic life experiences and recognition/acknowledgment of identity.
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3Publishing academic knowledge in a popular format to serve as a foundation for societal understanding and dialogue.
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4Introducing foreign experiences in promoting ethnic harmony.
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5Other ethnic issue initiatives.
Fund Achievements
Project Grants
Grant applications are subject to multiple reviews by external reviewers and the Advisory Committee to ensure that disbursed grant funds are not diverted to other purposes. Through the implementation of various projects, people of different ethnicities and generations have been able to gain a deeper understanding of the diverse society shaped by Taiwan's historical context, as well as the various latent problems within this society, while striving to prevent the recurrence of ethnic conflicts.
Between 2006 and 2013, a total of 52 grant projects were approved.
Independent Planning
To promote ethnic harmony, the Fund's Advisory Committee independently promoted multiple activities, including:
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Multicultural Teaching Design Competition Project
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Campus Promotion Project for "We Are of the Same Country" DVD and Publications
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Multicultural Education—Understanding New Immigrants: Teaching Activity Design Award
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Taiwan Ethnic Relations Research Paper Award
📄 2013 Achievement Report (PDF) — A comprehensive record of the implementation results of past grant projects.
Future Outlook
Following its establishment in 2005 and a decade of project grants, the Fund applied to terminate the trust in 2015 amidst a lack of new capital injections. Even though the Fund has concluded, it is believed that the various projects funded in the past have expanded the space for discussion on Taiwan's ethnic issues and inspired more people to commit to this care.
Ethnic harmony is bound to be the sweet fruit shared by everyone on this land of Taiwan.
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Support Judicial Reform, Sustain the Momentum for Reform
The spirit of the Ethnic Harmony Fund remains alive in every civil society initiative promoted by the JRF. If you identify with this effort, you are welcome to support the JRF as it continues moving forward.
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2016
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