Taiwanese Civic Society Preparedness Workshop for War Threats Jointly Held by Frontline Democracy and Black Bear Institute on August 30 concluded that while there is a high willingness among the civic society to engage in social preparedness work during crisis moments, the information currently released by the government is still insufficient to enable effective civic participation.
The organizers announced in a press release today that the “Taiwanese Civic Society Preparedness Workshop for War Threats” convened around 30 citizens or civil organizations and experts from various fields such as information technology, fact-checking, human rights, law, energy, and civil defense to collectively simulate and practice responses to potential crisis situations Taiwan may face in 2027.
The workshop designed scenarios centered around “the fourth day of Taiwan under a total blockade” and the first day of a PLA invasion, incorporating escalating unforeseen events over time to simulate challenges and responses Taiwanese civic society may encounter during wartime.
Discussions focused on three core aspects: information communication and verification, establishment of backup mechanisms, and response to wartime emergencies. Experts from different fields engaged in in-depth discussions and testing of wartime response strategies within their respective areas of expertise such as information technology, digital and fact-checking domains, focusing on backup information mechanisms in unstable or interrupted communication and combating misinformation threats, along with discussions on establishing information exchange platforms.
The information exchange platform, in collaborative form during the initial phase of a blockade, is aimed at reducing panic, sharing information, assisting the government in issuing authoritative information, while during wartime operations, the collection, independent verification, clarification, and integration of information are crucial, assisting in PLA intelligence gathering, reporting of war damages or environmental losses, exchange and sharing of rescue information and material supplies.
Legal and human rights organizations focused on issues such as humanitarian relief before and during war, civil, political, economic rights, civilian rights protection, treatment of Chinese spouses, and treatment of prisoners of war, while also delving into the situation and status of migrant workers during wartime. Energy and civil defense groups contemplated on vulnerabilities and diversity within the energy system in advocating for civil society, and simulation of establishing temporary shelters, as well as material distribution stations to ensure stable supply of basic needs.
Frontline Democracy noted that in the past, civic society was less familiar with war-related topics, and the primary objective of this workshop was to fill this gap, aiming to establish a cross-disciplinary civilian collaboration network and examine the limitations of existing government and civil contingency plans, further developing new cooperative relationships to address threats. Through practical workshop exercises in war simulations, civil groups can more concretely consider their roles and actions in emergency situations, as well as their core functions or missions during wartime, thus constructing a more resilient civic society preparedness system.
Frontline Democracy also emphasized that this workshop is just a beginning and will continue to organize exercises connecting various NGOs and professionals from different fields; at the same time, they hope to declare internationally that Taiwanese civic society is not afraid to discuss war and, in strengthening the social resilience during wartime, demonstrate another source of motivation. The outcomes of this workshop will be summarized and compiled into a report to be provided to relevant government units and civic society organizations for reference, aiming to collectively strengthen Taiwan’s overall defense resilience.