What New Zealand and Taiwan Can Learn From Each Other About Disaster Resilience

Tom Wilson

Civil Society Groups Demonstrate Lack of Progress on Social Housing

Brian Hioe

Ahead of Tiananmen Anniversary, Protest Held to Call for Release of Hong Kong Activists

Brian Hioe

Escape Room Death Should Remind of Need to Improve Workplace Safety

Brian Hioe

Thousands Demonstrate Against KMT Cuts to Defense Spending

Brian Hioe

At Start of May, Counter-Protestor Assaulted at Taiwan Solidarity Party Demonstration Against Migrant Workers

Andy Liu

Social Movements

The Impossibility of Democracy in Hong Kong?

Brian Hioe
Does the possibility exist for Hong Kong to attain democracy? This question has yet to be settled. In the face of China’s refusal to allow non-vetted candidates to run for Hong Kong’s Chief Executive, the highest political position in the Hong Kong government, the stage is set for Occupy Central to once again seize control of Hong Kong’s Central district, the city’s financial and economic heart...
#1EnglishSelf-DeterminationSeptember 2014Social Movements21 min read

松煙護樹的121天

Brian Hioe
松煙護樹在持續了121天後，面臨了極大的挑戰，凌晨兩點多，突然有四十至五十名警力集結開始驅離，原本駐紮的帳篷和器材被拆掉，放到三部卡車上載走，大約兩點半整個營地已經被清空。當時有五個人住在帳篷中，當筆者約莫三點到達現場時，大約已經有二十左右的朋友聚集，大部分是台灣護樹團體聯盟的成員。可能是因為時間很晚了，護樹聯盟也無法即時回應，社群網路上面並沒有太多的消息，所以除了聯盟之外並沒有太多人響應，除了我以外沒有其他記者，包括中文媒體，大部分的中文媒體都是在事發之後透過從社群網站上收集資訊及訪問成員得到資訊。...
August 2014EnvironmentalSocial Movements中文2 min read

The 121st Day of the Songyan Occupation

Brian Hioe
On its 121s day, the longstanding Songyan occupation, protesting the unlawful cutting down of trees in the area outside the site of the future Taipei Dome, near Songshan Cultural and Creative Park, faced its greatest tribulation to date. A police raid upon the occupation encampment was conducted at 2 AM which, according to those present, brought in approximately forty to fifty police officers...
August 2014EnglishEnvironmentalSocial Movements14 min read

From Out of KMT Party Education, Towards the Path of Justice

董立偉
I was once a supporter of the KMT. When I was young I worshipped President Chiang Kai-shek's heroic deeds in the war against Japan, appreciated his opposition to Communism, and was grateful for him founding Taiwan. At that time, I believed the White Terror only harmed those antisocial personalities who didn't listen to the government, and that the government was teaching them how to be good people by arresting them, and that only by going along with the anticommunist policies of the government could one find prosperity...
August 2014EnglishSocial MovementsYouth Movements4 min read

從黨國教育走出，追求轉型正義

董立偉
我曾是一位國民黨死忠支持者，我小時候曾經崇拜　蔣中正總統反共抗日的英勇事蹟、欣賞他為正義反共、感謝他建設臺灣等事蹟。當時我認為白色恐怖受害者都是群不聽政府的反社會人格者，政府是在教育他們好好做人才逮捕他們，唯有跟隨政府反共才能帶來最後的幸福。在學校教育和家庭教育的內外兼修下，塑造出一個「優質青年黨員」，當時我的思想和今日王炳忠一樣，認為中華民國是正統，中國共產黨是群齷齪無恥的反動分子，我對愛國歌曲是如數家珍，不論是《中華民國頌》、《中華之愛》、《鋼鐵的心》、《中國一定強》、《抗敵歌》等我都倒背如流。直到我國二那年「陳為廷立法院備詢事件」轟動杏壇，當時我因為在校園內推動學生權益運動（要求老師不得隨意搜身）也被別人貼上「沒禮貌」的標籤而心有戚戚焉，因此稍微關注一下這個人。透過他我認識很多民主鬥士，我在他臉書上認識了鄭南榕、陳文成、黃信介等人物。我當時很驚訝，對一個受黨國教育的人，我難以相信這是台灣近代民主發展的過程，我以前一直以為我們民主是黃花崗七十二烈士鮮血換來的、是革命先烈奉獻青春建構的、是國父十二次革命創造的，當然他們對今日的貢獻功不可沒，但是近代民主意識能崛起主要是戒嚴時期黨外運動灑下的種子茁壯而成的。...
August 2014Social MovementsYouth Movements中文0 min read

社會運動的國際觀

吳學展
筆者本次到美國，是受福爾摩沙基金會（Formosa Foundation）之邀，以太陽花運動參與者的身分參加該基金會今年的大使計畫（Ambassador Program 2014）。該營隊為期 12 天，第一週的內容是授課，講者從學者、智庫、到商業協會都有，內容包括台美關係發展史、東亞軍事、世界貿易/協議/組織、中國崛起等，第二週則是計畫的重頭戲，分組至國會各辦公室遊說，為期四天，每組一天約拜訪十個辦公室，整個計畫共計拜訪了將近120個議員辦公室（包括參議院與眾議院）。...
July 2014Social MovementsYouth Movements中文0 min read

Civil Revolt in Miaoli County?

Brian Hioe
This past Friday, approximately 200 protestors gathered outside of the former site of Chang Pharmacy in Dapu, Miaoli. One year ago on July 18th, 2013, the family-owned pharmacy was forcibly demolished in order to make way for commercial development. In September, owner Chang Sen-wen (張森文) was found dead under a bridge. The death was ruled a suicide by police, but there are those who remain suspicious, including Chang’s son...
EnglishJuly 2014Social MovementsYouth Movements9 min read