The Global Forum on Modern Direct Democracy will be held in Taichung tomorrow (October 3), inviting 200 experts and scholars from 60 countries to explore the application of democratic capitalism in the Islamic world and Europe, as well as Taiwan's experience in democracy. Taichung City Government hosted the welcoming banquet tonight, and Secretariat Chung-tien Huang attended the function on behalf of Mayor Shiow-yen Lu to share Taichung's governance-related experiences as the host, hoping to promote Taiwan's achievements in democracy to the rest of the world.
The Global Forum on Modern Direct Democracy will kick off at the National Chung Hsing University tomorrow (October 5), featuring 3 large symposiums and nearly 40 forums to explore the direct democracy system in various countries worldwide, compare the differences between eastern and western democracy, and conduct a broad, comprehensive analysis by combining global economy and the materialization of democracy. The co-founders of Global Forum on Modern Direct Democracy Bruno Kaufmann and Joe Mathews attended the event in Taichung with 200 experts and scholars from across the globe.
Secretariat Huang first welcomed the guests and went on to comment that Taichung is one of the most important hubs of democracy in Taiwan. For instance, a rally was conducted for the Petition Movement for the Establishment of a Taiwanese Parliament in Taichung. This year, Taichung City Government is vigorously implementing multiple measures on direct democracy, including the forming of Youth Affairs Advisory Committee to incorporate the opinions of the youths into the city hall's decision-making process. Furthermore, it has also launched the "join.gov.tw" to allow citizens to offer their innovative ideas or recommendations via the Internet.
Additionally, in order to introduce more transparency to the city hall, the MOU Section has been augmented on the official website to disclose MOUs, letters of intent, and general agreements signed between the city hall and various parties to guarantee the citizens' right to know. This year, the Global Forum on Modern Direct Democracy will be hosted by Taichung, so besides sharing the democratic experience in Taichung, the city government will also promote festivities such as the 2020 Taiwan Lantern Festival in Taichung and market the city's tourism.
Global Forum on Modern Direct Democracy founder Bruno Kaufmann praised the high degree of democracy in Taiwan, stating that it is truly remarkable to attain such exceptional democratic achievements within just a few years. He also believed that "no democracy is perfect", hence the road to a free, just, and democratic society requires the concerted efforts of the people, and it is hoped that Taichung will forge ahead with other global cities in this endeavor.
"One must constantly seek improvements!" Said the Dean of NCHU College of Law and Politics Tung-chieh Tsai, who also commented that despite Taiwan's extraordinary accomplishments in democracy, there is still room for improvement in regards to the democratic participation process and the design of the democratic system. Total political participation is an irreversible trend, and it will help the government to become more transparent, open and protect the public's rights.
Moreover, Research, Development, and Evaluation Commission Chairperson Huang-sheng Wu also thanked former Mayor Chia-lung Lin as well as co-founders Bruno Kaufmann and Joe Mathews for signing the MOU, so as to allow Taichung to become the host of the grand gathering of democracy. This year, the heavy responsibility of implementing the event has been handed over to the new city hall administration, and it will strive to ensure the absolute success of the forum. Such a "non-partisan, undivided, free, and open" approach to democracy embodies Mayor Lu's philosophies of "Spirit of Democracy" and "Taichung's Values".