The Formosan Association for Public Affairs (FAPA) is a

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

-based

nonprofit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

that seeks to build worldwide support for Taiwan independence. Its name "Formosan" refers to Taiwan's historical name of " Formosa", and its 43 chapters seek to advance the interests of

Taiwanese people Taiwanese people may be generally considered the people of Taiwan who share a common culture, ancestry and speak Taiwanese Mandarin, Hokkien, Hakka or indigenous Taiwanese languages as a mother tongue. Taiwanese people may also refer to the i ...

and communities around the world. In 2018, its President was Dr. Mike Kuo. Currently, the President of FAPA is Dr. Minze Chien

History

Established in 1982 in

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

, FAPA subsequently moved its headquarters to Washington, D.C. The organization provides

U.S. The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

policymakers, the

media Media may refer to: Communication * Media (communication), tools used to deliver information or data ** Advertising media, various media, content, buying and placement for advertising ** Broadcast media, communications delivered over mass e ...

, scholars and the

general public In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the ''Öffentlic ...

with information on issues related to

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...

Goals

*Promote international support for the right of the people of Taiwan to establish an

independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...

and democratic

sovereign state A sovereign state or sovereign country, is a political entity represented by one central government that has supreme legitimate authority over territory. International law defines sovereign states as having a permanent population, defined te ...

, and to join the international community. *Advance the rights and interests of Taiwanese communities throughout the world. *Promote peace and security for Taiwan. *To promote relations and cooperation between Taiwan and the United States. *To protect the right of self-determination for the people of Taiwan.

FAPA Young Professional Group

FAPA Young Professional Group is an affiliate organization primarily targeted at second-generation

Taiwanese-American Taiwanese Americans () are Americans who carry full or partial ancestry from Taiwan. This includes American-born citizens who descend from migrants from Taiwan. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, 49% of Taiwanese Americans lived in the state of Califo ...

s who are generally in their 20s and 30s. Their goals, which parallel those of FAPA, are: *To promote international recognition for the right of the people of Taiwan to establish an independent and democratic country and to join the international community. *To advance the rights and interests of Taiwanese communities throughout the world. *To promote peace and security for Taiwan. *To provide young proponents of Taiwan with the knowledge and skills necessary for grassroots advocacy on Taiwan's behalf. YPG hosts an annual national conference in DC, during which participants visit their Congressional representatives to voice concerns about the US-Taiwan relationship, as well as regional events throughout the year.

International branches

Canada

The Formosan Association for Public Affairs Canada (FAPA Canada) is a non-profit organization based in

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...

. FAPA Canada aims to promote the sovereignty of

in Canada and across the world. The current president of FAPA Canada is Dr. Harry Chen. FAPA Canada was established originally as a chapter of the United States Formosan Association for Public Affairs in 1984, but was transformed into an independent organization in 1993. FAPA Canada takes an active role in cultivating a good relationship with the Parliament of Canada; encouraging Canada-Taiwan political, economical, and cultural exchanges; and informing politicians and policy makers about the aspirations of the Taiwanese people. Recent activities of FAPA Canada include letter writing campaigns to Canadian Members of Parliament and

press releases A press release is an official statement delivered to members of the news media for the purpose of providing information, creating an official statement, or making an announcement directed for public release. Press releases are also considere ...

supporting Taiwan's

sovereignty Sovereignty is the defining authority within individual consciousness, social construct, or territory. Sovereignty entails hierarchy within the state, as well as external autonomy for states. In any state, sovereignty is assigned to the perso ...

in the international arena. It has also succeeded in publishing

letters to the editor A letter to the editor (LTE) is a letter sent to a publication about an issue of concern to the reader. Usually, such letters are intended for publication. In many publications, letters to the editor may be sent either through conventional mai ...

in several Canadian newspapers.

Europe

The Formosan Association for Public Affairs Europe (FAPA Europe) is a non-profit organization based in

Freiburg Freiburg im Breisgau (; abbreviated as Freiburg i. Br. or Freiburg i. B.; Low Alemannic: ''Friburg im Brisgau''), commonly referred to as Freiburg, is an independent city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. With a population of about 230,000 (as o ...

Mainz Mainz () is the capital and largest city of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Mainz is on the left bank of the Rhine, opposite to the place that the Main joins the Rhine. Downstream of the confluence, the Rhine flows to the north-west, with Ma ...

, and

Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...

. FAPA Europe aims to promote the sovereignty of

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...

and across the world. It was established in 2007, and was inspired by FAPA USA. The current chairperson of FAPA Europe is Jenny Hsieh. FAPA Europe operates in three languages:

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

, French, and

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

. The organization has had several letters to the editor published in various European newspapers. It also distributes the occasional press release, and has posted a number of online articles.

References

External links

FAPA AmericaFAPA CanadaFAPA Europe
{{Authority control Advocacy groups in the United States Asian-American culture in Washington, D.C. Non-profit organizations based in Washington, D.C. Taiwanese-American culture Taiwan independence movement Taiwan–United States relations Advocacy groups in Canada Canada–Taiwan relations Advocacy groups in Germany