Talking Taiwan

Related Links: To view all related links for this article, click link below: https://talkingtaiwan.com/courtney-donovan-smith-of-taiwan-report-shares-his-analysis-on-taiwans-2022-nine-in-one-local-elections-ep-227/   With Taiwan’s next presidential election set for early 2024, what are the implications of Taiwan’s 2022 “Nine-in-One” Local Elections that took place back in November? We’ve invited Courtney Donovan Smith co-founder of Taiwan Report, ICRT’s Central Taiwan correspondent, and contributing columnist to Taiwan News to share his insights on the recent elections in Taiwan.   The topic of plagiarism also came up since plagarism scandals have plagued political candidates from all three political parties, the DPP, KMT and TPP. Donovan also shared his analysis on how each of the major political parties in Taiwan fared in the November elections.   While it might be a bit too early to discuss the 2024 presidential candidates, we’ll definitely have Donovan back at a later date to discuss Taiwan’s 2024 Presidential Race.   This episode of Talking Taiwan has been sponsored by NATWA, the North America Taiwanese Women's Association.   NATWA was founded in 1988, and its mission is:   1. to evoke a sense of self-esteem and enhance women's dignity, 2. to oppose gender discrimination and promote gender equality, 3. to fully develop women's potential and encourage their participation in public affairs, 4. to contribute to the advancement of human rights and democratic development in Taiwan, 5. to reach out and work with women's organizations worldwide to promote peace for all.   To learn more about NATWA visit their website: www.natwa.com   Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:   ·      Taiwan’s local elections (aka the 9-in-1 elections) that were held in November 2022 ·      What positions were up for election ·      22 positions were up for election ·      The results of the November 2022 elections in Taiwan ·      How the DPP, KMT and TPP fared in the elections ·      What implications the November elections might have for Taiwan’s presidential elections in 2024 ·      Why President Tsai Ing-wen stepped down as the DPP party chair ·      The DPP and KMT’s strategies during the November 2022 local elections ·      The DPP’s missteps during the November 2022 local elections ·      The plagiarism scandals that have affected Taiwan’s 3 major political parties: the DPP, KMT & TPP ·      The increasing numbers of women being elected as legislators and to other positions in Taiwan ·      The referendum to lower voting age in Taiwan from 20 to 18 years old ·      How Donovan got into writing and reporting about Taiwan’s politics ·      Those who write and comment on Taiwan’s politics: Michael Turton, Nathan Batto ·      How Donovan created an RPG (role playing game) ·      Who will be the KMT presidential candidate for Taiwan’s presidential election in 2024   Related Links: To view all related links for this article, click link below: https://talkingtaiwan.com/courtney-donovan-smith-of-taiwan-report-shares-his-analysis-on-taiwans-2022-nine-in-one-local-elections-ep-227/  

Related Links: To view all related links for this article, click link below: https://talkingtaiwan.com/ed-hill-talks-about-his-off-broadway-debut-and-comedy-special-candy-and-smiley-ep-226/   Ed Hill is a Vancouver based Taiwanese comedian on his first national North American tour. We spoke about his early years in Canada, his connection to TAIWANfest and how his overachieving Asian tendencies came out when he first started doing comedy.   In 2021, Ed became the first comedian of Taiwanese-Canadian descent to release a full one-hour comedy special titled “Candy & Smiley.” The special was named “Top 15 Comedy Specials of 2021” by Paste Magazine and “Best of 2021” by NPR Radio. The special is currently streaming worldwide on Amazon Prime and Apple TV.   From March 30-April 2 Ed will be doing an off-Broadway show, “Stupid Ed” at the Tank in New York City.     Ed's tweets have also been featured on "The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon", Buzzfeed, and The Huffington Post.   This episode of Talking Taiwan has been sponsored by NATWA, the North America Taiwanese Women's Association.   NATWA was founded in 1988, and its mission is:   1. to evoke a sense of self-esteem and enhance women's dignity, 2. to oppose gender discrimination and promote gender equality, 3. to fully develop women's potential and encourage their participation in public affairs, 4. to contribute to the advancement of human rights and democratic development in Taiwan, 5. to reach out and work with women's organizations worldwide to promote peace for all.   To learn more about NATWA visit their website: www.natwa.com   Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:   ·      Ed’s connection to TAIWANfest ·      Ed’s connection to Taiwan ·      The discrimination he’s experienced and how it became a part of his standup routine ·      How he got into doing standup comedy ·      How he handles it when he bombs as a comedian in front of an audience ·      How Ed’s training as a therapist informs his comedy ·      Ed’s comedic influences ·      Ed’s mentor the late comedian Louie Anderson ·      Ed’s tweets that have ended up on the Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and how he comes up with them ·      Ed’s first comedy special Candy and Smiley ·      How Ed’s first comedy special Candy and Smiley was affected by the pandemic ·      How Ed’s parents have reacted to his doing comedy ·      Ed’s upcoming off-Broadway show, Stupid Ed ·      Through his show Stupid Ed, Ed will be reflecting on his relationships with the female figures in his life ·      What Ed wants to do with his comedy ·      Ed’s story podcast, the Guide to Quarantine ·      Ed’s advice to others interested in doing standup comedy ·      What Ed gets out of doing standup comedy   Related Links: To view all related links for this article, click link below: https://talkingtaiwan.com/ed-hill-talks-about-his-off-broadway-debut-and-comedy-special-candy-and-smiley-ep-226/

Related Links: To view all related links for this article, click link below: https://talkingtaiwan.com/spark-accel-a-virtual-accelerator-for-taiwanese-american-entrepreneurs-ep-225/   SPARK Accel is a personalized 4-week virtual accelerator for Taiwanese American entrepreneurs. At the end of the program there will be a virtual pitch competition and a chance for participants to win up to $15,000. SPARK Accel is an initiative under the Taiwanese American Citizens League (TACL). TACL is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to improving the lives of Taiwanese Americans.   Stacey Pai, one of the founding team members of SPARK Accel, spoke with me about how SPARK Accel supports entrepreneurs, and what stage of entrepreneurs are eligible to participate in its accelerator program. As SPARK Accel grows, it is looking to recruit a volunteer program manager, fundraising manager, community manager, marketing manager, and startup mentors. This is a great opportunity for budding Taiwanese entrepreneurs. This episode of Talking Taiwan has been sponsored by NATWA, the North America Taiwanese Women's Association.   NATWA was founded in 1988, and its mission is:   to evoke a sense of self-esteem and enhance women's dignity, to oppose gender discrimination and promote gender equality, to fully develop women's potential and encourage their participation in public affairs, to contribute to the advancement of human rights and democratic development in Taiwan, to reach out and work with women's organizations worldwide to promote peace for all.   To learn more about NATWA visit their website: www.natwa.com   Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:   What is Spark Accel? What stage of entrepreneur Spark Accel serves When Spark Accel launched The first cohort in the summer of 2021 had 6 startup participants and 10 ppl on the leadership team, and over 30 mentors Spark Accel plans to launch 2 cohorts in 2023, one in April/May, and the other in Sep/Oct. How to apply and qualify for the Spark Accelerator program What will happen during the 4-week program and what participants will learn Spark Accel’s in-person mixers San Francisco, New York, Boston, and Taipei Future locations that will host Spark Accel in-person mixers How Spark Accel is run by volunteers and supported by fundraising and donations How many participants there are in each accelerator cohort At the end of the 4-week program there will be a pitch contest in order to win a cash prize of up to $15,000 The “audience component” at the end of the program, which involves a video recording of pitches that will be shared online and via social media, and friends and family will be invited to vote The startups and mentors associated with Spark Accel Spark Accel is looking for volunteer mentors Spark Accel is recruiting for a volunteer program manager, fundraising manager, community manager, and marketing manager   Related Links: To view all related links for this article, click link below: https://talkingtaiwan.com/spark-accel-a-virtual-accelerator-for-taiwanese-american-entrepreneurs-ep-225/

Related Links: To view all related links for this article, click link below: https://talkingtaiwan.com/andrew-klerck-blindness-later-in-life-could-not-stop-this-thriving-entrepreneur-ep-224/   Andrew Klerck is the founder of Taiwan Impact Entrepreneurs, a group that serves foreigners who want to start a business in Taiwan. He spoke with me about how much you need to start a business in Taiwan, and why Taiwan is a great place to do so.   Andrew also talked about how he got started on his own journey as an entrepreneur and lost his eyesight over 15 years ago while running an export company. Today he is a thriving entrepreneur, thanks to the assistive technology of smartphones, screen readers, and smart glasses.   He shared from a foreigner’s perspective, good reasons to do business in Taiwan and some of the challenges of doing business in Taiwan.   This episode of Talking Taiwan has been sponsored by NATWA, the North America Taiwanese Women's Association.     NATWA was founded in 1988, and its mission is:   1. to evoke a sense of self-esteem and enhance women's dignity, 2. to oppose gender discrimination and promote gender equality, 3. to fully develop women's potential and encourage their participation in public affairs, 4. to contribute to the advancement of human rights and democratic development in Taiwan, 5. to reach out and work with women's organizations worldwide to promote peace for all.   To learn more about NATWA visit their website: www.natwa.com   Talking Taiwan has a donor who is willing to make a $5,000 matching donation!   Help us double what we raise to $10,000 by MAKING A CONTRIBUTION to Talking Taiwan at:   http://gofundme.com/building-talking-taiwans-legacy   https://www.patreon.com/talkingtaiwan   PayPal using: talkingtaiwanpodcast@gmail.com   Zelle using: talkingtaiwanpodcast@gmail.com   Checks or money orders made payable to Talking Taiwan can be sent to:   Talking Taiwan  PO Box 1049 New York, NY 10113   https://talkingtaiwan.com/support/   Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:   ·      What brought Andrew to Taiwan ·      Why Andrew started the Taiwan Impact Entrepreneurs(TIE) group ·      What the Taiwan Impact Entrepreneurs group does and who they serve ·      The Taiwan Impact Entrepreneurs mastermind group ·      The difference between the Taiwan Impact Entrepreneurs Facebook group and the Taiwan Impact Entrepreneurs mastermind group ·      How the TIE mastermind group is run ·      Why Taiwan is a good place for foreigners to live ·      Why Taiwan is a good place for foreigners to start a business ·      The advantage of doing business in Taiwan ·      The difficulties and tradeoffs of doing business in Taiwan for foreigners ·      How to build good credit and get offered credit from banks in Taiwan ·      How it’s difficult for foreigners to get funding in Taiwan ·      The Taipei Entrepreneur Hub ·      Abled Minds Taiwan ·      What prevents disabled people in Taiwan from pursuing entrepreneurship ·      How Andrew lost his eyesight ·      How Andrew managed to run a business as he was loosing his eyesight ·      The technology that helps Andrew as a blind person with his daily life and to do business ·      Andrew’s upbringing in South Africa under apartheid ·      The entrepreneurial and business mindset of Andrew’s parents ·      How Andrew has run a company that had operations in nearly 60 different countries ·      Andrew’s TIE partner Jamie Rufe was an executive assistant to Foxconn CEO, Terry Gou ·      Andrew’s advice for people who want to start a business in Taiwan but don’t have a lot of cash ·      The importance of street hustling and selling   Related Links: To view all related links for this article, click link below: https://talkingtaiwan.com/andrew-klerck-blindness-later-in-life-could-not-stop-this-thriving-entrepreneur-ep-224/

Related Links: To view all related links for this article, click link below: https://talkingtaiwan.com/graci-kim-from-new-zealand-diplomat-to-new-york-times-best-selling-author-ep-223/   Graci Kim is a New York Times Bestselling author of the Gifted Clans series. In 2012, she was interviewed for Talking Taiwan about her cooking show called Graci in the Kitchen. We’ve invited her back to give us an update on what she’s up do these days.   She’s been a New Zealand diplomat, once ran a business that turned children’s drawings into cuddly toys, and given a TED Talk in 2018 that still resonates today.   She spoke with us about her Korean roots, how she decided to become a writer, what it was like when her book, The Last Fallen Star hit the New York Times Bestseller list, and her writing process.   This episode of Talking Taiwan has been sponsored by NATWA, the North America Taiwanese Women's Association.   NATWA was founded in 1988, and its mission is:   to evoke a sense of self-esteem and enhance women's dignity, to oppose gender discrimination and promote gender equality, to fully develop women's potential and encourage their participation in public affairs, to contribute to the advancement of human rights and democratic development in Taiwan, to reach out and work with women's organizations worldwide to promote peace for all.   To learn more about NATWA visit their website: www.natwa.com   Talking Taiwan has a donor who is willing to make a $5,000 matching donation!   Help us double what we raise to $10,000 by MAKING A CONTRIBUTION to Talking Taiwan at:   http://gofundme.com/building-talking-taiwans-legacy   https://www.patreon.com/talkingtaiwan   PayPal using: talkingtaiwanpodcast@gmail.com   Zelle using: talkingtaiwanpodcast@gmail.com   Checks or money orders made payable to Talking Taiwan can be sent to:   Talking Taiwan  PO Box 1049 New York, NY 10113   https://talkingtaiwan.com/support/   Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode: What happened to Graci’s cooking show, Graci in the Kitchen Graci’s TED Talk in 2018 and how what she talked about in the talk still resonates today Korea’s occupation by Japan and how that impacted Graci’s family Graci’s Korean roots Graci’s Gifted Clanstrilogy and the inspiration behind it The connection between the Percy Jackson and the Olympiansbook series and Graci’s Gifted Clans trilogy Graci’s writing process and routine How Graci had a career as a diplomat and decided to try being a writer Writers who have influenced Graci What it was like when Graci’s book Last Fallen Starhit the New York Times Best Seller List Graci’s advice for first time writers Graci’s sources of inspiration and ideas for her writing   Related Links: To view all related links for this article, click link below: https://talkingtaiwan.com/graci-kim-from-new-zealand-diplomat-to-new-york-times-best-selling-author-ep-223/  

Related Links: To view all related links for this article, click link below: https://talkingtaiwan.com/ep-222-lost-episodes-graci-in-the-kitchen/   Here’s a Lost Episode of Talking Taiwan from 2012 featuring Graci Kim. At the time she had a YouTube show called Graci in the Kitchen, and she talked about some of the episodes that were in the works. Next week we’ll be sharing our follow up interview with Graci to find out what she’s been up to since then.   This episode of Talking Taiwan has been sponsored by NATWA, the North America Taiwanese Women's Association.   NATWA was founded in 1988, and its mission is:   to evoke a sense of self-esteem and enhance women's dignity, to oppose gender discrimination and promote gender equality, to fully develop women's potential and encourage their participation in public affairs, to contribute to the advancement of human rights and democratic development in Taiwan, to reach out and work with women's organizations worldwide to promote peace for all.   To learn more about NATWA visit their website: www.natwa.com   Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:   How and when Graci first learned to cook Graci in the Kitchen is show on YouTube that’s going to be shot in Taiwan How Graci’s show Graci in the Kitchen is about the power of food Graci’s philosophy of feeding the body, mind and soul How each episode focuses on a mood Graci’s episode featuring kimchi pancakes The good bacteria and health benefits of kimchi pancakes The difference between kimchi in Korea and Taiwan How popular kimchi is in Korea Why kimchi pancakes is a dish that most people would enjoy Graci’s tips for making kimchi pancakes  

Related Links: To view all related links for this article, click link below: https://talkingtaiwan.com/talking-taiwan-2022-top-5-award-winner-end-of-year-review-ep-221/   A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:   It’s that time of year again… time to reveal the top 5 Talking Taiwan episodes of the year.   As we were preparing for this last episode of the year I reflected on this past year and, I realize that there is a lot to be grateful for. Talking Taiwan has had 3 different sponsors throughout the year: The Taiwan Elite Alliance, The Taiwanese United Fund, and NATWA the North America Taiwanese Women's Association. We are grateful for our many individual donors and the generosity of Guy Gilchrist who donated 10 of his drawings that helped to raise money for Talking Taiwan.   And we’re also grateful to all of our amazing guests and want to thank each and every one of you for being a part of the Talking Taiwan podcast.   Our New Year’s wish is for there to be more peace, love and happiness in the world.   We’re really excited about the guests we’ve lined up to interview and topics to cover. We look forward to continuing to break new ground in the new year. For links to the top 5 episodes of 2022 visit our website TalkingTaiwan.com. Wishing you a wonderful rest of 2022 and a Happy New Year!   Related Links: To view all related links for this article, click link below: https://talkingtaiwan.com/talking-taiwan-2022-top-5-award-winner-end-of-year-review-ep-221/

Related Links: To view all related links for this article, click link below: https://talkingtaiwan.com/what-caused-the-cancellation-of-worldpride-taiwan-2025-our-discussion-with-david-yu-ep-220/   A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:   In August the news broke that WorldPride 2025 was no longer going to be hosted by Taiwan.   Less than a year ago, InterPride and Taiwan had celebrated the selection of Kaohsiung Pride’s bid over the Capital Pride Alliance of Washington D.C. to host WorldPride 2025 in Taiwan. The announcement about WorldPride Taiwan 2025 was hugely significant since Taiwan was the first country in Asia to legalize same sex marriage in 2019 and It would be the first ever WorldPride event to be held in East Asia.   My listeners will recall that we did an episode about this news last December with Darien Chen in episode 162.   What had happened to make Kaohsiung Pride and the Taiwan Preparation Committee decide to withdraw from hosting WorldPride Taiwan 2025?   In August I came across a tweet about the cancellation by Bi-Khim Hsiao, Taiwan's Representative to the United States. She had tweeted an article written by David Yu, Don’t Sacrifice Taiwan in the Fight for LGBT Rights. The article had been published in Foreign Policy.   I reached out David and I invited him to come onto Talking Taiwan as a guest to discuss and reflect on what happened. David is Contractor CTO of an LA-based life sciences startup.   I also reached out to the Kaohsiung Pride committee, and InterPride for comment but have not received any responses to date.   This episode of Talking Taiwan has been sponsored by NATWA, the North America Taiwanese Women’s Association. NATWA was founded in 1988, and its mission is: to evoke a sense of self-esteem and enhance women’s dignity, to oppose gender discrimination and promote gender equality, to fully develop women’s potential and encourage their participation in public affairs, to contribute to the advancement of human rights and democratic development in Taiwan, to reach out and work with women’s organizations worldwide to promote peace for all. To learn more about NATWA visit their website: www.natwa.com   Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:   David’s involvement with ITASA The article that David wrote for Foreign Policy about the cancellation of WorldPride Taiwan 2025, which was tweeted by Bi-khim Hsiao How Taiwan won the bid to host WorldPride 2025 in November of 2021 How on August 12, 2022, the WorldPride Taiwan 2025 Facebook page posted an announcement stating that they would be terminating hosting WorldPride 2025 What’s been reported in the media regarding the cancellation of WorldPride Taiwan 2025 The statement posted on the WorldPride Taiwan 2025 Facebook page regarding their termination of hosting WorldPride 2025 InterPride’s request that the event name be changed from WorldPride Taiwan 2025 to WorldPride Kaohsiung 2025, and the offer to use WorldPride Kaohsiung, Taiwan How InterPride’s application for consultative status at the United Nations and China may have influenced to request to change the WorldPride event name Should Kaohsiung Pride and the Taiwan Preparation Committee found a way to still host WorldPride 2025 in Taiwan What is the loss of not hosting WorldPride 2025 in Taiwan LGBTQIA rights in Europe Europe’s views and dealings with China How Guzzler Leong, Standing Director of Kaohsiung Pride (originally from Macau) was able to have his same sex marriage recognized in Taiwan, however his case does not change the precedent of Taiwan only recognizing transnational same sex marriages to citizens of countries where same sex marriage is legal The parallels between Taiwan’s situation in the global arena and LGBTQIA rights within mainstream society How China interferes with Taiwan’s representation internationally How Taiwan has to compete under the name Chinese Taipei in the Olympics David’s personal experiences at sporting events where Taiwan was not accurately represented and how he handled it An inspiring quote about coming out, by Harvey Milk, a gay activist and member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors How the Gay Games 2023 is being co-hosted by Guadalajara and Hong Kong and Dennis Philipse the founder and co-organizer of Gay Games Hong Kong has resigned How to move forward from the cancellation of WorldPride Taiwan 2025   Related Links: To view all related links for this article, click link below: https://talkingtaiwan.com/what-caused-the-cancellation-of-worldpride-taiwan-2025-our-discussion-with-david-yu-ep-220/

Related Links: To view all related links for this article, click link below: https://talkingtaiwan.com/dr-karen-chung-shares-secrets-of-language-learning-and-challenges-taiwanese-students-face-learning-english-ep-219/   A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:   Dr. Karen Chung is an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures of National Taiwan University. She talked about something called the echo method when she was previously interviewed for Talking Taiwan in 2012 and we’ve invited her back to give us an update.   In this interview she shared some additional tips on how to use the echo method and her thoughts on the challenges that Taiwanese students face in learning English. We also spoke about Taiwan’s Bilingual 2030 Plan.   Professor Chung has a TEDx talk with over 1.5 million views and an online Open Course Ware course in phonetics on the Taiwan University site which has received over 1.3 million views.   A lifelong learner herself, she talked about when she first started learning Chinese, and how to this day, she continues improving her Chinese.   This episode of Talking Taiwan has been sponsored by NATWA, the North America Taiwanese Women’s Association. NATWA was founded in 1988, and its mission is: to evoke a sense of self-esteem and enhance women’s dignity, to oppose gender discrimination and promote gender equality, to fully develop women’s potential and encourage their participation in public affairs, to contribute to the advancement of human rights and democratic development in Taiwan, to reach out and work with women’s organizations worldwide to promote peace for all. To learn more about NATWA visit their website: www.natwa.com   Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:   Where Professor Chung’s interest in language came from How she started teaching German in the 11thgrade How she got interested in learning Chinese Her love of the Chinese language Her resonance with Confucian values What brought Professor Chung to Taiwan How the Echo Method can be used to learn any language and can help to improve your native language Where the Echo Method came from What echoic memory is How to use echoic memory to learn a language Professor Chung’s tips for learning and practicing language How listening and seeking feedback by reading the reactions of those you are speaking to can help you to improve your speaking abilities Whether or not it is harder to learn a language the older people get If it is necessary to be in an environment where you can be fully immersed in a language, in order to acquire a near native accent How to most effectively use the echo method Taiwan’s Bilingual 2030 Plan and increase English translation of signs, websites, government and banking documents How the U.S.’s Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) has increased the burden of paper reporting for banks Karen’s Facebook page, Karen on Ivy League Analytical English Her collaboration with her former student Melissa on creating an English teaching app Karen’s interview on I’m Learning Mandarin podcast and morning routine What she enjoys about reading classical Chinese works   Related Links: To view all related links for this article, click link below: https://talkingtaiwan.com/dr-karen-chung-shares-secrets-of-language-learning-and-challenges-taiwanese-students-face-learning-english-ep-219/

Related Links: To view all related links for this article, click link below: https://talkingtaiwan.com/dr-mark-chen-talks-about-his-years-of-service-in-taiwan-ep-217/   A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:   In part one of my interview with Dr. Mark Chen (episode 212) we talked about his advocacy work for Taiwan in the U.S. and the impact of the Kaohsiung Incident on Taiwan’s democratization. Several of the people who were tried and sentenced in connection with the Kaohsiung Incident later became prominent leaders in Taiwan’s first opposition party, the Democratic Progressive Party. The incident happened 43 years ago in 1979 on December 10th, which just passed, making it a good time to share part two of my interview with Dr. Chen.   In the second half of my interview with Dr. Mark Chen, we talked about his work in Taiwan as an elected official and public servant. He became a member of the Legislative Yuan in 1992; that year was the first time that elections were held for all 161 seats of the Legislative Yuan in Taiwan. Dr. Chen has also been elected Magistrate of Tainan County, and served in that position from 1993-2001. He was the Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2004-2006, the Secretary General in the Office of the President from 2006-2007, the Secretary General of the National Security Council from 2007-2008 and a Legislator in Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan from 2001-2004 and 2012-2016. Currently he is the chairman of the Prospect Foundation.   This episode of Talking Taiwan has been sponsored by NATWA, the North America Taiwanese Women's Association.     NATWA was founded in 1988, and its mission is:   to evoke a sense of self-esteem and enhance women's dignity, to oppose gender discrimination and promote gender equality, to fully develop women's potential and encourage their participation in public affairs, to contribute to the advancement of human rights and democratic development in Taiwan, to reach out and work with women's organizations worldwide to promote peace for all.   To learn more about NATWA visit their website: www.natwa.com     Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:   1992 was the first time that elections were held for all 161 seats of the Legislative Yuan in Taiwan Dr. Chen was born in Tainan, Taiwan In 1992 Dr. Chen resigned from his job at the Department of Commerce to return to Taiwan and served as a congressman at large Dr. Chen ran for County Governor of Tainan in 1992, and he made history as first Democratic Progressive Party candidate (and non-Kuomintang candidate) County Governor of Tainan ever elected to the position He was rated the top County Governor in Taiwan and served as Country Governor of Tainan for two terms (eight years in total) Dr. Chen was a member of the Legislative Yuan but gave up his position when President Chen Shui-bian invited him to serve as the Minister of Foreign Affairs How Taiwan’s transition to democracy has been relatively peaceful The importance of Taiwan having the support of like-minded democratic nations Challenges that Dr. Chen had to deal with as the Minister of Foreign Affairs for Taiwan Dr. Chen’s work as a legislator in Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan ECFA (Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement) and the Sunflower Movement What happened during the 2014 occupation of the Legislative Yuan by activists and students during the Sunflower Movement Dr. Chen’s thoughts on his work as an elected official vs. a public servant at the highest levels of the government in Taiwan How Dr. Chen was inspired by the words of Former U.S. President John F. Kennedy The work of the Prospect Foundation, of which Dr. Chen is the chairman Dr. Chen’s thoughts on Robert Tsao, founder of UMC’s (United Microelectronics Corp) pledge of 100 million U.S. dollars to help Taiwan defend itself What overseas Taiwanese can do to advocate for Taiwan   Related Links: To view all related links for this article, click link below: https://talkingtaiwan.com/dr-mark-chen-talks-about-his-years-of-service-in-taiwan-ep-217/