The Global Taiwan Institute (GTI) is pleased to announce the publication of a new occasional report titled Taiwan’s Civil Society Ecosystem for Countering China’s Authoritarian Influence. This report, written by GTI Research Fellow Benjamin Sando, examines the underlying systems and institutions that have allowed Taiwan’s modern democracy-focused NGOs to flourish. Sando retraces the history of Taiwan’s civil society movements, and identifies a key organization that has cultivated the careers of many Taiwanese activists: g0v (“gov zero”). The civic tech community organization g0v forms the grassroots tier of a “pyramid of professionalism,” allowing software engineers and data scientists to gain exposure to activism opportunities before pursuing full-time NGO careers. Participation in g0v activities has steered many of Taiwan’s leading NGO leaders towards work aimed at countering China’s authoritarian influence on the island.
Through interviews with Taiwan’s activist leaders, Sando discovered that the primary motivation for NGOs to counter China’s authoritarian influence is not to “oppose an enemy,” but rather to advance a domestic agenda of Taiwan’s continued democratic development. Sando advises foreign societies seeking to recreate Taiwan’s civil society vibrancy to therefore focus on civic tech communities (like g0v), and center the objective of democratization—rather than geopolitical competition with China.
Contributor: Benjamin Sando
Download the report here.
