Help prepare Taiwan for an emergency
No endorsement of Spirit of America by the US Department of Defense, Department of State, or US personnel is intended or implied.
Taiwan, like all global democracies, is facing unprecedented external threats to its freedoms and way of life.
Spirit of America is working to help protect Taiwan’s democracy and to help Taiwanese citizens increase their resiliency in the event of an emergency.
Officially known as the Republic of China (ROC), Taiwan is an island separated from China by the Taiwan Strait. It has been self-governed since 1949 – and has democratically elected presidents since 1996 – but Beijing views the island as part of its territory. Beijing has vowed to eventually “unify” Taiwan and its 23 million residents with the mainland, using force if necessary. The United States has said that China’s diplomatic and military pressure on Taiwan represents a threat to all democracies.
Taiwan is a key economic partner to the United States. It is a global leader in advanced semi-conductor production, with up to 92% of advanced, US-designed chips manufactured on the island. These chips are in everything from your cell phone and car to our satellites and military equipment.
Forward Alliance founder Enoch Wu teaches a woman how to apply a tourniquet. We are training 10,000 Taiwanese civilians in trauma first aid and crisis response skills.
Taiwanese civilians learn how to rescue people that are trapped under wreckage in a simulated training exercise.
We are partnering with a Taiwan-based nonprofit, Forward Alliance, to teach over 10,000 civilians how to respond to and help others in a disaster or emergency. As of November 1, 2,092 have been trained. Workshops by Forward Alliance provide basic techniques in trauma first aid – such as how to correctly apply a tourniquet – and crisis response skills – such as search and rescue – so that participants feel confident and empowered to assist first responders in an emergency.
Spirit of America and Forward Alliance are also working directly with the National Fire Agency of Taiwan to find innovative solutions to natural and man-made disaster response. In 2023 we will pilot country-wide civilian emergency response teams to directly support Taiwanese first responders in the event of a crisis. Spirit of America is also supporting Taiwan’s first responders by training police precincts on trauma medical care and donating trauma medical kits.
“Whether it’s the next 7.0 earthquake or, worst case, a military invasion, we know we can’t rely on just the 1% [first responders and military] to do everything for us,” Forward Alliance founder Enoch Wu, a former special forces soldier, has said. “There has to be a public and private partnership to make Taiwan more resilient.”
A more prepared Taiwan is critical to its resiliency and democratic way of life. With your help, we can prepare and empower Taiwanese citizens and first responders to help their communities and their country in the event of a disaster or emergency. Please consider making a donation today.
Spirit of America Asia-Pacific team members Brittany Egosque, Dillon Levy, and Joshua Brandon met Taiwan Vice President Lai Ching-te at a September training event with Forward Alliance, whose founder Enoch Wu is pictured at far right.
