Forecast: 2012 will be a pivotal year for Taiwan and the PCT

["Taiwan Church News" <enews@pctpress.org>]

3122 Edition

December 26, 2011-January 1, 2012

Headline News

Forecast: 2012 will be a pivotal year for Taiwan and the PCT

Reported by Sam Lee

Written by Lydia Ma

PCT marked the end of 2011 and the dawn of 2012 ahead of time at a “Prayer for 
Taiwan” rally scheduled on December 9, 2011. At that rally, youths and children 
expressed their hope that 2012 would usher in a “new and independent Taiwan” 
and a country where justice and peace reign. 

Many changes are already expected for 2012, whether within the PCT or in 
Taiwan, and many challenges carried over from 2011 still need to be addressed, 
including the high unemployment rate, the increasing gap in wealth between 
urban and rural areas, low birth rates, increasing cases of corporate takeover, 
etc. Regardless of who takes office come May 20, 2012, issues such as Land 
Expropriation Act, compulsory no-pay leave, inflation, and aging demographics 
still need to be addressed.

Though the presidential and legislative election is scheduled for January 14, 
2012, major changes will take place in Taiwan before that time. As of January 
1, 2012, organizational reforms in the Executive Yuan will begin to be in 
effect, including the reorganization of 37 divisions into 29 divisions, the 
incorporation of the Government Information Office into the National 
Communications Commission, and more. 

Taiwan Labor Front described the current time we live in as an era on the verge 
of a massive collapse. In light of problems such as power imbalance between 
labor force and corporations, steady outward flow of capital, freezing of 
salaries, massive unemployment and over-exertion, will 2012 bring respite from 
these problems and stave off a massive collapse?

Taiwan Labor Front is convinced that Taiwanese must stop focusing merely on GDP 
growth, stop politicians from hijacking national policies, strive to close the 
economic gap between the rich and the poor, and strive to strengthen social 
programs with innovative enterprises and create a progressive welfare state. 

For the PCT, 2012 is also an election year and a new General Secretary will be 
elected during the 57th General Assembly Annual Convention, scheduled for April 
10-13, 2012. The new General Secretary will take office in 2013 and will 
determine the future course of all PCT ministries. 

For the years 2012-2013, PCT’s theme will be “Cherishing our country – Taiwan; 
proclaiming the gospel – Jesus Christ.” This theme is meant to highlight the 6 
dimensions of PCT’s ongoing evangelistic ministries, which include proclaiming 
the gospel, training God’s children, serving in love, changing Taiwanese 
society, taking care of God’s creation, and influencing the culture through the 
gospel message.

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