How Will Chow Mei-ching Fulfill Her New Role?

How Will Chow Mei-ching Fulfill Her New Role?
United Daily News editorial (Taipei, China)
A Translation
May 27, 2008

Once the news came out that First Lady Chow Mei-ching intended to retire, charitable groups began fighting over her tooth and nail, trying desperately to recruit her to their cause.

This was hardly unexpected. If Chow Mei-ching had continued going to work, had continued being a career woman, the public would have respected her decision. They wouldn't have bothered her too much. But now that she is retiring, the public has a whole new set of expectations of her. They want her to take part in charitable work. That the public would react this way was entirely predictable.

To Chow Mei-ching and the larger community, this is a big deal. Chow Mei-ching may be willing to meet the public's expectations. But would she be merely sticking her big toe in the water? Or would she be diving in head first? Would she be taking on all comers, or concentrating her efforts in a single area, for maximum effect?

Thirty years ago, Song Mei-ling retired from public life. She has been followed by a secession of First Ladies, including Liu Chi-chun (Mrs. Yen Chia-kan), Chiang Fang-liang, Tseng Wen-hui, and Wu Shu-cheng. None of these are the kind of First Lady we wish to discuss at the moment. Today the public has all sorts of expectations of Chow Mei-ching, and Chow Mei-ching appears duty bound to meet these expectations. In fact, If a nation has a First Lady who can participate in charitable activities and touch the hearts and minds of the entire nation, she is not merely a sidekick who can amass approval points for the president, she is a precious asset to the entire community. Does Chow Mei-ching have such expectations of herself? Is she ready for such expectations from the public?

We believe that Chow Mei-ching is willing to fulfill her new role. If Chow Mei-ching is conscientious, she should not merely dabble. She should devote all her energies to a specific charitable activity, enabling her to make a genuine contribution. She may wish to focus on families, with an emphasis on youth. If Chow Mei-ching becomes a field worker for a charitable organization, her high media profile may become a hindrance. It may be best if she settles down inside some particular charitable organization. She can then network horizontally with other organizations that deal with families and youth. For example, If Chow Mei-ching were to settle down inside the Tzu Chi Foundation, or the Family Support Center, she could set up a "workshop" within such a reputable charity, and through such a workshop connect with other charities willing to be part of a larger network. She could even link to universities and vocational schools. Each charity would solve problems its own way, but each charity would support other charities. She could do great things. Chow Mei-ching could become "The People's Chow Mei-ching." Chow Mei-ching would be working for everyone.

Chow Mei-ching participating in such an effort would be a golden opportunity for all sorts of charities. Helping families lies at the heart of all charitable activity. This includes low-income households and elderly people living alone. Helping youth, in turn, lies at the center of the heart of all charitable activity. One cannot not wait until parents, driven by despair, kill themselves and their children by setting charcoal fires in their living rooms. Such efforts as delivering meals, visiting the housebound, and tutoring, require vast amounts of human resources, financial resources, and love. If the various charities can establish horizontal links, they can share resources, eliminate dead corners, and reduce blind spots, They would complement each other and increase each others' effectiveness. Therefore instead of squabbling over her, the various charities should come up with a win/win approach that pools their resources. Only this will enable Chow Mei-ching to maximize her potential. Only this will enable her to benefit the entire community.

If by some miracle Chow Mei-ching still has energy to spare, she can participate in other charitable activies. But we think it would be best if she stuck to the same theme, such as families or youth. She should establish a solid reputation in a specific area before expanding out to others. Two years from now, in her capacity as a charity worker, Chow Mei-ching may even wish to visit children in the Sichuan region who were victimized by the earthquake.

Based on recent public reaction, charitable groups have exerted a great deal of pressure on Chow Mei-ching. But Chow Mei-ching should see these expectations as well-intentioned. The public should allow Chow Mei-ching to decide how she wishes to participate in charitable activities and to what extent. Chow Mei-ching is known for being as cool as a cucumber. But if you look closely at her forehead, you can detect a trace of tension and a touch of melancholy. The shackles imposed by the Ma family are something she can't talk about. If she dives into charitable activities right now, her public persona may lack softness, warmth, and openness. Becoming involved in charitable activities may not be much of a challenge for her. But if Chow Mei-ching keeps an open mind, and plunges headlong into charitable activities, she has a good chance of achieving something meaningful. Once she unleashes her full potential, and reveals the full extent of her charisma, the public will see a sunnier, brighter, more charismatic Chow Mei-ching. If so, the cool as a cucumber Chow Mei-ching we know so well, may finally allow the public to see her smile.

The public considers Chow Mei-ching more charismatic than Ma Ying-jeou. In fact, just as Song Mei-ling was able to be her own woman, Chow Mei-ching does not need to be conceived exclusively in terms of his relationship to Ma Ying-jeou. Why not take this historic opportunity to allow Chow Mei-ching to make a name for herself?

周美青如何擔當她的新角色？
【聯合報╱社論】
2008.05.27 02:27 am

第一夫人周美青打算退休的消息傳出後，社福慈善團體出現搶人大戰。

這是意料中事。周美青若繼續上班，當她的職業婦女，社會大眾會尊重她的選擇，不至於太過打攪她；但如今一旦「退休」，國人不免對她另有期待，各方希望她能參與公益慈善工作，則是用膝蓋想也可知道的社會反應。

這對周美青自己及對整個社會，都是一件「大事」。對周美青而言，她也許會願意回應社會的期待，但究竟是打算蜻蜓點水式地淺嘗輒止，或是準備整個人「←落去」？究竟是來者不拒地四處放煙火，或是選擇一個主題深耕密耘？

對整個社會來說，則自宋美齡隱退後，三十餘年來，劉期純（嚴家淦夫人）、蔣方良、曾文惠、吳淑珍皆非此刻我們要討論的那類「第一夫人」；但如今社會大眾卻對周美青頗有期待，周美青似乎也是義不容辭。其實，一個國家如果有一位能夠參與社會並感動國人的「第一夫人」，她非但是可為總統加分的「賢外助」，抑且是整個社會的珍貴資產。不知這是否周美青的自我期許，亦不知她是否準備好了？

我們認為，周美青應會樂於承當起她的新角色。倘若周美青是有心人，則最好不要蜻蜓點水地四出作花瓶，而不妨集中心力在一個社福主題上，作出一些實質的貢獻。或許可以選擇以「家庭」為主題，並以「青少年」為重點；且周美青似乎不便作為某一社福機構的專屬義工，而最好能「寄靠」在一機構中，卻能將其他機構有關「家庭」及「青少年」的工作橫向聯結起來，形成整合的大網絡。例如，周美青如果「寄靠」在慈濟功德會或家扶中心，而這個有公信力的「寄靠」單位能設立一個「工作室」，再透過這個「工作室」將其他願意「加盟」的相關社福機構聯結起來，亦可連繫大專學校慈善社團，分頭發掘問題，相互支援資源，即必可有大作為。如此，周美青始可能成為「大家的周美青」，而周美青亦始可能「為大家工作」。

周美青若能參與，也是各社福團體群策群力的契機。「家庭扶助」是社福工作最核心的課題，包括了中低收入戶、獨居老人等項目；「青少年」則又是核心中的核心，不能等到父母帶孩子燒炭才來掉淚。然而，這些工作，如送餐、親訪、課輔等，皆需極大的人力、資源及愛心；若能將各社福機構橫向聯結起來，資源更充裕，死角減少，盲點也減少，自有相輔相成的效益。因此，各社福團體與其對周美青爭相「挖角」，何如想出一個「資源共享」的共贏之道；倘能如此，就不但成全了周美青，也嘉惠了整個社會。

當然，周美青若行有餘力，仍可參與其他社福工作；但我們認為，最好是在一個「主題」（如家庭、青少年）的工作上有若干基礎後，亦即以實際績效建立了自己的品牌後，再行漸進地拓展工作領域。周美青甚至不妨思考，兩年後可以慈善義工的身分，往訪四川災區兒童。

從近日社會的反應看，社福團體似乎給了周美青不小的壓力；但周美青不妨皆視為善意的期許，社會公眾最後仍應尊重周美青自己決定參與的項目及程度。其實，被稱為酷酷嫂的周美青，眉間常有一絲淡淡的憂鬱與緊張；馬家的拘謹，對她應是難以言說的束縛；以她現在的形象，若投身慈善工作，或許仍少了幾分柔軟、溫暖與開放；因此，未來她若投身社會福利，在應對上未嘗不是一大挑戰。不過，我們認為，周美青若能開放胸懷，投身社會工作，對她的自我實現也是甚佳的契機；或許，待她充分釋放了能力與魅力，國人應可看到一個更陽光、更開朗，更具感動力的周美青。倘能如此，未來走入社會的酷酷嫂周美青，也許會讓國人看到多一些笑容。

輿論曾經認為，周美青有超越馬英九的魅力。其實，正如宋美齡享有自我實現的榮譽，周美青也不必認為自己只是馬英九的分身；何妨在這個歷史機遇中，也為周美青三字寫下一段傳奇？