International Experts Share Views on World Human Rights Day Seminar

In response to the 2021 World Human Rights Day, scholars, legal professionals, and members of international organizations at home and abroad exchanged their thoughts at a conference co-hosted by SU’s Chang Fo-Chuan Center for the Study of Human Rights and Program of Human Rights and the Judicial Reform Foundation, on the theme of “Civil Society under Authoritarian Rule: Activism, Dialogues, and Strategies” on December 11^th, 2021.

In her opening remarks, Sandra Oudkirk, Director of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), stated that resilient and collective civil action is often the primary way a society defends human rights, the rule of law, and opposes authoritarian oppression. Yi-Chun Cho, Director of the Program of Human Rights and Joseph Lin, Director of Judicial Reform Foundation, also emphasized the importance of connection, support and cooperation between citizens in improving human rights.

As a guest speaker online, Larry Diamond, a renowned professor by courtesy of Political Science and Sociology at Stanford University, shed light on how authoritarianism challenged the international order. The conference also featured experts from Taiwan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Burma and Vietnam to give voice to human rights issues.