Taiwan’s public interest and think tanks jointly held a seminar on the topic of “What to do when crisis strikes? How to build Taiwan’s resilience” on the 18th. Scholars and experts were invited to analyze the issue.
Professor Tan Wei-en of the International Politics Research Institute at National Chung Hsing University, the host of the event, pointed out that the commonality of natural and man-made disasters is their unpredictability, which nobody wishes to encounter. In recent years, Taiwan has been promoting “all people defense” and “total resilience” from top to bottom and bottom to top, aiming to enhance disaster prevention, relief, and response abilities comprehensively. Tan emphasized that resilience can be continuously improved through learning and is a shared responsibility that requires collective effort.
Dong Si-qi, Vice Executive Director of the Taiwan Think Tank and also the convener of Taiwan’s public interest group, highlighted the significance of national identity derived from shared sorrows and glories, such as the collective memory and identity shaped by the 921 earthquake and its aftermath. Traditionally, security threats came from other countries, but in modern times, non-traditional security issues include cyber intrusions, SARS, and the COVID-19 pandemic, necessitating an integrated approach to civil defense, disaster prevention, and national defense. He stressed the importance of a unified understanding of civil defense, disaster prevention, and national defense, urging active participation from the younger generation to strengthen Taiwan’s defense capabilities and crisis response mechanisms.
Dong Si-qi referenced Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung’s viewpoint presented at the Taiwan Think Tank’s “Resilient Taiwan” forum, outlining four major challenges facing Taiwan, including balanced territorial development, energy structure transformation, diversification of innovative capabilities, and agility in disaster prevention systems. Particularly, the agility of disaster prevention systems is crucial, requiring Taiwan to continuously enhance its technological disaster prevention knowledge and engage in international cooperation to address complex disasters.
He also mentioned the Civilian Emergency Response Team (T-CERT) initiative promoted by the National Fire Agency of the Ministry of the Interior for the period 2024 to 2029. This program aims to enhance the “self-rescue” and “mutual assistance” capabilities of the public through online platforms, improving the disaster response abilities of critical infrastructure, businesses, schools, and other institutions. Dong called for Taiwanese society to embrace a holistic understanding of civil defense, disaster prevention, and national defense, with a special emphasis on the active involvement of the youth to fortify Taiwan’s national defense and crisis response capabilities, collectively creating a more resilient society to confront future challenges.
Situ Jia-heng, Chairman of the Taiwan Citizen Corps Association, emphasized that resilience involves utilizing multiple avenues within society and the entire ecosystem to respond to external shocks, facilitating a swift return to stability. The association focuses on promoting “local self-training teams,” with over 20 organizations established nationwide, forming a decentralized mutual aid system that continues to expand and upgrade. He encouraged individuals to apply the disaster preparedness and response skills learned from courses to their daily lives, reconnect with their communities, and practice resilience-building techniques together with neighbors.
Liu Yu-han, Secretary-General of the Taiwan Disaster Medical Development Association and Chief Operating Officer of Taiwan Emergency Integration Services Co., highlighted the critical importance of being prepared for disasters that could strike at any time. It is essential for individuals to have a ‘personal emergency kit’ allocated for each household member in key evacuation areas at home and in vehicles, containing necessary supplies such as food, water, medical and hygiene supplies, and warm clothing, to be updated every six months. Additionally, participation in disaster preparedness and first aid training courses or training as frontline responders in the community can equip individuals with essential survival and emergency skills.
Hong Guo-jun, Chief Operating Officer of g0v, expressed that g0v has been focusing on information warfare and hybrid warfare since 2018, particularly non-military forms of combat. He highlighted that while enemy actions may not meet the threshold for war, they can still jeopardize citizens’ quality of life, national sovereignty, and influence political behavior and identity. Faced with Russia’s hybrid warfare aggression, Baltic countries have begun distributing civil defense manuals, elucidating potential actions by Russia and emphasizing self-reliance. He emphasized that when the population is knowledgeable, equipped, skilled, and mentally prepared, they can protect their homeland in their own unique ways.
Associate Professor Shan Xin-yu from the Department of Civil Engineering at Yang Ming Chiao Tung University pointed out that statistics indicate each Taiwanese might experience three major earthquakes of magnitude 7 or higher in their lifetime. It is essential for individuals to begin by understanding their country and their immediate environment, incorporating publicly available disaster indicators and geographical meteorological information into their preparedness plans. She underscored the need to transition from the current disaster management approach that assigns different disasters to different government agencies towards a more effective “comprehensive disaster management” strategy involving inter-departmental and inter-organizational collaboration.
Lawyer Huang Pin-yu from Jianye Law Firm shared experiences in seeking civil compensation for public engineering projects in the event of disaster-induced damages, highlighting the five elements required for claiming compensation – who, what, when, where, and how were our rights harmed? For example, claiming compensation for earthquake damages involves pinpointing specific individuals or entities, such as builders, contractors, or government regulatory authorities, which are crucial aspects of seeking civil redress.
Assistant Professor Chen Fang-yu from the Department of Political Science at Soochow University candidly stated that civil defense groups in Taiwan often feel the need to distance themselves from causing panic as their activities are seen as “non-military” and lack effective integration of national defense capabilities, a missed opportunity. However, following the Ukraine-Russia conflict, the Taiwanese population is increasingly aware of the imminent threat of war. Research suggests those who see value in military training exhibit higher self-defense determination, indicating the government should enhance the quality of military training. Furthermore, findings indicate lower self-defense willingness among women, emphasizing the necessity for gender-inclusive discussions on national defense and military matters to rally the entire populace.
After the discussions, the host and participants, especially the youth, raised questions regarding the integration of civic groups and local organizations, legislative measures to deter mainland China’s infiltration through neighboring organizations, and differences in self-defense determination among female groups, engaging in in-depth analyses and responses one by one.