In December, 2012, Cathay Charity Foundation joined forces with Eden Social Welfare Foundation in Taiwan in the Diverse Intelligence Development Camp for New Immigrant Children, marking another grand success of the annual presentation since the program’s inauguration in 2010. The venue at Cathay Financial Conference Hall was filled by more than 200 participants, for whom young participants presented their yearlong learning outcomes with Vietnamese folk songs, children’s action songs, and multicultural theaters.

From 3-7 December, 2012, Eden Social Welfare Foundation joined International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) campaigners, and landmine survivors from nearly 40 countries at the opening of the Twelfth Meeting of States Parties (12MSP) to the Mine Ban Treaty, taking place from 3-7 December in Geneva, Switzerland, to call on governments to commit to eradicating antipersonnel landmines in years, not decades.

Eden Social Welfare Foundation hosted a Service of Thanksgiving and a concert for its 30th anniversary at Greater Taichung International Expo Center on December 1st, 2012. More than 2000 participants joined the celebration from all over Taiwan and abroad, lending their support for the spirit of Eden Social Welfare Foundation, which will “Never Give Up” its commitment to serving those in need.

Having visited Haiti and assessed the needs of persons with disabilities affected by the earthquake in 2010, Eden Social Welfare Foundation returns to the country this November for another visit assisted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) of the Republic of China (Taiwan).

Alicia Neo, a Singaporean visual artist in residence at Bamboo Curtain Studio in Taipei, is hosting a photographic exhibition, titled “Unseen,” at Ai-Ming Center with 6 participants with visual impairments from Eden Social Welfare Foundation.

The 7th annual walk-a-thon for Taipei Adventist American School (TAAS) was held on November 18, 2012. Students have met this year at Taipei City Fulin Elementary School in a joint effort to raise money for disabled and economically disadvantaged persons of Eden Social Welfare Foundation’s Love without Borders Wheelchair Donation Project in Vietnam and Nepal, where the proceeds will go, which will donate 300 wheelchairs to people with disabilities in the two developing countries.

Eden Social Welfare Foundation has achieved another reelection this October for the Committee Chair on Accessible Tourism and Transportation at the Asia & Pacific Disability Forum (APDF) Conference 2012 held in Incheon, Republic of Korea, since its first success in the election in 2006. APDF is an international platform for persons with disabilities as well as non disabled participants from the Asian and Pacific region to network and share experiences and ideas.

As of October 27th, 2012, Eden Social Welfare Foundation has been honored to be graced with the presence of His Majesty King Mswati III, King of the Kingdom of Swaziland, who has visited Taiwan with high level officers and administrators of the Kingdom of Swaziland for the 13th time since 1989.

On the 24th of October, Standard Chartered Bank (Taiwan) Limited, a faithful supporter of Eden Social Welfare Foundation’s breakfast program for children of marginalized communities, held a youth financial camp at its local branch in Dahu, Miaoli, for socially disadvantaged children from Taichung Evangelical Covenant Church and Eden Social Welfare Foundation New Immigration Development Division, Miaoli. Young participants at the event were given the opportunity to learn financial knowledge outside of classrooms as they had a taste of what it was like to work in a financial institute.

The 2012 Barrier-free Housing Design Contest is kicking off. The event is co-chaired by Tainan City Government Bureau of Social Affairs and Eden Social Welfare Foundation. A display house has been built to promote the publicity of barrier-free homes. Prospective contestants may start submitting applications until the 7th of December, 2012. Students who study architecture, interior design, urban planning, and landscape architecture in Taiwan’s colleges and universities as well as professionals in private practices are invited to join the contest for a chance to win the first price of 100,000 NTD.