5/30(Tue.) news & the new president of France(Host: Luis)

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Luis Ko
YOYO member
文章: 970
註冊時間: 週三 6月 06, 2007 10:18 pm

5/30(Tue.) news & the new president of France(Host: Luis)

文章 Luis Ko »

session one

http://edition.cnn.com/2017/05/24/asia/ ... -marriage/

Taiwan is closer to being 1st Asian place to allow same-sex marriage

By Katie Hunt and Karina Tsui, CNN
Updated 1350 GMT (2150 HKT) May 24, 2017

(CNN)Taiwan's top court has cleared the way for the island to become the first place in Asia to grant same-sex couples the right to marry.

The Constitutional Court ruled Wednesday that current laws, which say that marriage is between a man and a woman, violate the Constitution.
The panel of judges has given the island's parliament, known as the Legislative Yuan, two years to amend or enact new laws, which could potentially make Taiwan the first place in Asia to allow same-sex marriage.
The island has a large gay community and its annual gay pride parade is the biggest in Asia but the issue of marriage equality has divided Taiwanese society, with thousands turning out in recent months to protest for and against marriage equality.

"This explanation is a step forward in the history of Taiwan's same-sex marriage," said Yu Mei-nu, a Taiwanese legislator.
Yu said the court's explanation means that even if lawmakers do not pass legislation allowing same-sex marriage in the next two years, gay couples will still be able to marry by this time in 2019.
"I hope that the legislators will have the moral courage to pass same-sex marriage into law, however it is hard to predict how long it will take, at this moment," she said. "The opposition toward gay marriage in Taiwan won't just gladly accept it and give up the debate, so the debate will continue."
Draft legislation is already making its way through Taiwan's Parliament but it has stalled.
"We feel that this is a huge success for the LGBT and marriage equality movement in Taiwan," said Wayne Lin, an activist who runs an LGBT hotline on the island.
"We want to amend the Civil Code so same-sex couples can get married... our target is to complete this whole process within this year."
Tsai Ing-wen, Taiwan's first female president, expressed support for gay marriage before her election in 2016.
"In the face of love, everyone is equal," she said in a Facebook video during 2015's gay pride parade.
"I support marriage equality. Every person should be able to look for love freely, and freely seek their own happiness."

The case
The decision came in response to two requests for a Constitutional Court ruling on article 972 of Taiwan's civil code, which states that marriage is between a man and a woman.
One of the requests was filed in 2015 by Chi Chia-wei, a veteran gay rights activist who has spent more than half his life fighting for marriage equality in Taiwan, according to the island's official Central News Agency (CNA).
The other request was filed by the Taipei city government the same year after three same-sex couples lodged an administrative lawsuit against the government when their marriage registrations were rejected, CNA reported.

Elsewhere in Asia, the LGBT community has been facing increased persecution. South Korea has been cracking down on gay armed service members, while in Indonesia gay men have been facing more restrictions, with a recent raid on a gay sauna party and two men being caned for having homosexual sex in the conservative province of Aceh.
Japan does not recognize same-sex marriage, although a handful of cities and wards have legalized same-sex partnerships. However, LGBT people are not protected from discrimination under Japanese law.
Homosexuality is not illegal in China and the Communist government removed it from the official list of mental disorders 16 years ago, but activists and experts say that prejudice and discrimination persist.
Last year, a court in central China ruled against a gay couple in the country's first same-sex marriage lawsuit, dealing a blow to a nascent but increasingly visible campaign for LGBT equality.
No Asian nations are on the 23-strong list of countries that have legalized same-sex marriage, according to Pew Research, although it was permitted in New Zealand in 2013.
CNN's Yuli Yang and Joshua Berlinger contributed to this report

session two

http://edition.cnn.com/2017/04/20/europ ... -election/

Paris (CNN)He was once the subject of mockery in French political circles. Now Emmanuel Macron has had the last laugh.

The independent centrist who has never held elected office, has become the Fifth Republic's youngest ever president after defeating far-right candidate Marine Le Pen on Sunday.
The 39-year-old former investment banker, who entered the race without the backing of an established political party, had been branded by his opponents as inexperienced.
But part of Macron's allure is his atypical rise -- a civil servant who became a millionaire and eventually a government minister.

Marriage a focus
His private life has attracted attention, too.
As a 17-year-old, he told his high school teacher that he would one day marry her. He fulfilled that promise in 2007 when Brigitte Trogneux, 24 years his senior, became his wife.
French journalist Anne Fulda reveals more details about their relationship in her recent book, "Emmanuel Macron: A Perfect Young Man."
According to Reuters, the book tells how the teenage Macron defied his father's orders to end the romance with Trogneux, who was married with three children at the time.

Macron's wife Brigitte -- once his high school teacher -- has been highly visible during his campaign.

Since 2015, the previously very private couple have been spending more time with the media, appearing in several French glossy magazines.
The marriage took center-stage earlier this year when Macron was accused of having an affair with a man. He dismissed the allegations and criticized the rumormongers, saying: "For those who want to spread the rumor that I am deceitful... not only is it unpleasant for Brigitte, but I promise that from morning until night, she shares my whole life with me. She's wondering how I could physically do it."

From minister to candidate
Born in the northern French city of Amiens where he went to school and first met Trogneux, Macron studied at Paris's prestigious Lycée Henry IV before entering the Ecole National d'Administration, long a training ground for France's political elite.
Appointed to President Francois Hollande's staff in 2012 after a successful career in the banking sector, Macron moved into the role of economy minister two years later, replacing the more left-wing Arnaud Montebourg.

But his time in office was not without controversy. His determination to push through business-friendly, liberal reforms made him unpopular on the government's own benches.
With a backbench rebellion and government defeat looming, the so-called "Macron Law," which aimed to shake up the economy through labor reform, had to be forced through the National Assembly with the help of a controversial parliamentary measure.
It led to several days of protest, but also to Macron's realization that it was not just the economy that needed to change, but the system itself.
Announcing his resignation in August, he explained that he had "touched with his own finger, the limits of the system," before catapulting himself into the presidential race by launching his own party, En Marche!

What he's pledged
Macron's election manifesto promises to reform France's welfare and pensions systems.
He has been vocal about the fight against terror and law and order, announcing proposals to increase defense spending, hire 10,000 more police officers and create a task force that would work around the clock to fight ISIS.
Macron's policies had been aimed at wooing conservative voters, but he has also unveiled proposals to please the left too, such as his call for better pay for teachers working in poor, socially diverse areas.
He is staunchly pro-European and has promised to put France back at the heart of the EU and defend the bloc's single market.
He has also struck a diplomatic tone seeking constructive dialogue with US President Donald Trump, while expressing interest in working with Russia, Iran, Turkey and Saudi Arabia towards lasting political solutions in Syria and elsewhere.

And he's managed to pull in support from across the political spectrum in France.
In March, former Socialist Prime Minister Manuel Valls announced he would be voting for Macron rather than his own party's candidate, and since the results of the first round were announced, defeated Socialist candidate Benoit Hamon and Republicans Francois Fillon and Alain Juppe pledged their support and asked their voters to do the same.
Crucially, Macron managed to attract a number of first-time voters of all ages.
En Marche!, which was only created in September, now has more than 200,000 members and his meetings have attracted vast crowds.
With his strong support base boosted by Republicans and Socialists, Macron was propelled into the Élysée Palace.
The campaign may be over, but the real work is only just beginning. As Macron himself said: "A new page of our history" has been turned.


related article:
The frightening similarities between the US and French elections
http://edition.cnn.com/2017/04/13/opini ... index.html
Emmanuel Macron is 39 and his wife is 64. French women say it’s about time.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/eu ... b1e5ee4e8c


session one:

1. what kind of news interests you more? why? besides news information, inspiring stories are deemed better and welcome, whereas negative ones are often overlooked. can negative ones become positive lessons? what's your opinion about it?
2. what do you think of international news, such as the new president of France? why is it anything to do with us? by the way, how many current leaders of countries in the world can you name? what makes a story newsworthy anyway?
3. have you ever heard of open marriage? recently there are some controversial issues being discussed, such as decriminalization of adultery, same-sex people's right to marry, surrogacy, and we have also talked about IVF, genetic modification, AI, etc in our meetings before. can you come up with some things that we think are right or good today, but might be deemed stupid, wrong, harmful or what in the future, let say 100, 200 or 1000 years later? or vice versa?

session two:

1. what do you think of "the frightening similarities between the US and French elections"? why do you think French people voted for Macron? is it because they think he is really capable of doing his job, fulfilling his promises, or it's kind of a trend that people are tired of traditional politicians like Americans?
2. it's said French politics has long been dominated by men with younger lovers. is it possible people, especially women, vote for Macron because of his unconventional marriage? what's your opinion? the article mentions he is a centrist. what does left-wing, right-wing and center-wing generally mean in politics?
3. how do you feel about his marriage? can you accept May-December romance? please share your opinions about it.

pleas note that the meeting will be held earlier than usual at 16:00 because it's a holiday on 5/30.


************************************************************************************************************************
Agenda:
3:45 ~ 4:00pm Greetings & Free Talk / Ordering Beverage or Meal / Getting Newcomer’s Information
4:00 ~ 4:10pm Opening Remarks / Newcomer’s Self-introduction / Grouping
(Session I)
4:10 ~ 4:50pm Discussion Session (40 mins)
4:50 ~ 5:10pm Summarization (20 mins)
5:10 ~ 5:15pm Regrouping / Instruction Giving / Taking a 10 Minutes Break (Intermission)
(Session II)
5:15 ~ 5:55pm Discussion Session (40 mins)
6:00 ~ 6:20pm Summarization (20 mins)
6:20 ~ 6:30pm Concluding Remarks / Announcements
************************************************************************************************************************
聚會日期:列於該貼文主題內
聚會時間:請準時 4:00 pm 到 ~ 約 6:30 pm 左右結束
星期六聚會地點:丹堤濟南店
地址、電話:台北市濟南路三段25號 地圖 (02) 2740-2350
捷運站:板南線 忠孝新生站 3 號出口
走法:出忠孝新生站 3 號出口後,沿著巷子(忠孝東路三段10巷)走約 2 分鐘,到了濟南路口,左轉走約 2 分鐘即可看到。
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注意事項:
1. 文章是否需要列印請自行斟酌,但與會者請務必自行列印 Questions for discussion。
2. 與會者請先閱讀過文章,並仔細想過所有的問題,謝謝合作!

給新朋友的話:
1. 請事先準備2~3分鐘的英語自我介紹;會議結束前可能會請你發表1~2分鐘的感想。
2. 請事先閱讀文章以及主持人所提的討論問題,並事先寫下自己所欲發表意見的英文。
3. 全程以英語進行,參加者應具備中等英語會話能力,對任一討論問題,能夠以5到10句英文表達個人見解。
4. 在正式加入之前,可以先來觀摩三次,觀摩者亦須參與討論。會員資格為邀請制。獲邀參加會員者,可於繳交終身會費 NT$1,000後取得會員資格。
最後由 Luis Ko 於 週二 5月 30, 2017 10:13 pm 編輯,總共編輯了 9 次。
i might be a cynic and, a sceptic as well but, i'm definitely not a bad person!!
Iris Wu
YOYO member
文章: 894
註冊時間: 週二 5月 20, 2014 4:33 pm

Re: 5/30(Tue.) the new president of France(Host: Luis)

文章 Iris Wu »

Nice topic!
But don't just focus on his marriage, I think he has much to offer to France, EU and the free world, of course, with immense challenges! His vision on fixing the "half preganacy" of Europe's single currency, his proposal of a fresh start of "central bank" (not exactly how he calls it) and his promises to do their own "housecleaning" (tackle problems at home) first (and so not to become Germany's burden, like the PIGS) are all refreshing in today's European world.
I wish I can join, but it's right before my trip... So much is happening in the world now, next time I'd like to talk about China's Belt and Road or Trumponomics!!! But it is probably going to drive people away! :roll:
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Rock
YOYO member
文章: 2161
註冊時間: 週三 10月 31, 2007 9:03 am

Re: 5/30(Tue.) the new president of France(Host: Luis)

文章 Rock »

Hello, everyone. This Tuesday meeting, being also a holiday meeting, is moved to the afternoon starting from 4 pm.. Please join us if you have time.
In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock.
Luis Ko
YOYO member
文章: 970
註冊時間: 週三 6月 06, 2007 10:18 pm

Re: 5/30(Tue.) the new president of France(Host: Luis)

文章 Luis Ko »

originally i just wanted to focus on the president's marriage, but now i need to have something more to talk about lo~ XD

no problem, Iris~ just focus on the preparing of your trip lo~ and enjoy the trip!! :D
i might be a cynic and, a sceptic as well but, i'm definitely not a bad person!!
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Rock
YOYO member
文章: 2161
註冊時間: 週三 10月 31, 2007 9:03 am

Re: 5/30(Tue.) the new president of France(Host: Luis)

文章 Rock »

Why do we ever care about "the President of France" if it's not for his weird marriage? And I wonder how many other Presidents we know in the world? Maybe we can have a trivial quiz as a warm-up?
In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock.
Luis Ko
YOYO member
文章: 970
註冊時間: 週三 6月 06, 2007 10:18 pm

Re: 5/30(Tue.) the new president of France(Host: Luis)

文章 Luis Ko »

the "trivial question" has been included in my questions and, i will definitely add a question or two related to his marriage haaa~ 8)
i might be a cynic and, a sceptic as well but, i'm definitely not a bad person!!
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Rock
YOYO member
文章: 2161
註冊時間: 週三 10月 31, 2007 9:03 am

Re: 5/30(Tue.) news & the new president of France(Host: Luis

文章 Rock »

There's too much negative information these days. Gotta find a way to make it happier. 8)
In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock.
Luis Ko
YOYO member
文章: 970
註冊時間: 週三 6月 06, 2007 10:18 pm

Re: 5/30(Tue.) news & the new president of France(Host: Luis

文章 Luis Ko »

attendees: Cindy, Danny, Janice, Michael, Rock, Sabrina, Tom

though we only formed a small group, i did enjoy this seminar kind of discussion. hope you guys also share the same feeling haa.. anyway, thank you for coming lo~ ^++++^
i might be a cynic and, a sceptic as well but, i'm definitely not a bad person!!
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Rock
YOYO member
文章: 2161
註冊時間: 週三 10月 31, 2007 9:03 am

Re: 5/30(Tue.) news & the new president of France(Host: Luis

文章 Rock »

Yes, we always know that small a group also have its benefits, especially when the host is one of the most experienced one who can make people think differently.
In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock.
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