Monday's Forum was organized by the World League of Freedom and Democracy (WLFD), with more than 40 representatives from around the globe, and comprised two separate sessions. The first related to the challenges facing democracy in the modern world and the second to Taiwan's New Southbound Policy and the development of democracy in the Asia Pacific region.
In his opening remarks, President of the WLFD R.O.C. Chapter Tseng Yung-chuan (曾永權) cited American NGO Freedom House's global freedom report, released in January, in which Taiwan scored 91 points on a scale of 100, France 90, and the U.S. 89. He said that Taiwan had become one of the countries with the highest degrees of freedom on the planet.
Despite this, Tseng said that populism and autocracy are two things standing in the way of Taiwan's continued democratic development. Both were contributing to social conflict, he added.
"The current atmosphere in society is incited by competition between political parties, and must be cleared to promote better freedom and democracy."
On behalf of the Taiwanese government, Deputy Foreign Minister Javier Hou (侯清山) and the Control Yuan Minister Chang Po-ya (張博雅) attended the forum's open ceremony.
Hou said that Taiwanese citizens' interest in public affairs has been a critical factor in pushing Taiwan's democracy forward.
UN Representative Urges Equality
The United Nation's NGO/DPI Executive Committee's Chair Bruce Knotts, another important figure at the forum, addressed the importance of equality, inclusion and diversity in achieving world peace, warning that "democracy and freedom are in danger."
Knotts made his views known on the issue of same-sex marriage, one of the main disputes in Taiwan's society over the past six months, saying that "where sexual orientation and gender expression are protected, everyone benefits."
He also expressed support for banning nuclear weapons, while urging more care for and acceptance of minorities and refugees.
During the afternoon's panel, Professor Stefano Pelaggi from the University of Rome encouraged President Tsai Ing-wen's shift in focus from mainland China to ASEAN countries, while reminding the audience that as long as the "New Southbound Policy" remains humancentric, "it could actually work, because it works on the only level where Beijing is failing."
Echoing that remark, Fabrizio Bozzato, associate researcher from the Taiwan Strategy Research Association said that many thought the "New Southbound Policy" was "doomed from the beginning, but that is not the case."
Given that one in 10 children in Taiwan's elementary schools have a parent from Southeast Asia, "it is evidence that the time is ripe" for the "New Southbound Policy," Bozzato said.
[China Post, 2017-04-18]
