Many land-related stories in Taiwan have been hidden in the waves of urbanization amidst the rapid social development over the past few decades. With the aim of enabling the young generation to gain a deeper understanding of the complex interplay between the history of this land, cultures of different ethnic groups, and their underlying relationships, the Youth Development Administration, Ministry of Education, and Learning Youth Hubs, which have been working on land issues for many years, have planned a series of lessons and workshops on issues such as land acquisition, community transformation, and the traditional domains of the indigenous peoples, in order to lead young people to build a consensus and envision future solutions through in-depth discussions and explorations.
“The Land & Community” a Youth Hub located in the Zhoumei Community of Taipei City, is built on the experience of land acquisition in the Shezi Island, Taoyuan Aerotropolis, and Zhoumei Community. Through video, sound collection, and game-based experience design, the Youth Hub leads young people to deeply observe and experience these sites, and collects the emotional connection between the residents and the place, guiding young people to reflect on the far-reaching impacts of land development on the culture and society of the locality. “Daduway CCI Ltd,” formed by a group of young people from Puyuma Tribe in Taitung County who have returned to their hometowns and those who have been displaced to the Eastern part of Taiwan, leads young people to go deeper into the tribes and share the changes in traditional areas and tribal historical spaces, as well as the impacts that tribal lands have faced under different sovereignty, with the aim of fostering young people's independent perspectives and interpretive abilities, and attempting to design a way of land zoning that takes into account both public interests and social justice.
“Mountculture” in Nanzhuang Township, Miaoli County, relocates the teaching site to mountains and forests. By visiting the defense lines of frontier guards in Jiali Mountain, the project aims at deepening the understanding of the history and culture of the land left behind by foreign regimes. It is hoped that young people will deepen their understanding of the history and culture of the land in the process of exploring the ruins of the old coal mines. “YouthBanana” in Qishan District, Kaohsiung, integrates creativity with local industries, using agricultural waste to produce acoustic instruments that express rural life, and combining field sound collection and local cultural exploration to create a rich musical composition that culminates in a complete musical piece, allowing participants to feel the rhythm and vitality of the land.
Through image and sound collection, site visits, and music creation, the Youth Development Administration hopes to inspire curiosity, creativity, and a sense of mission to take care of the land, to appreciate the heritage of the past, and to open up diverse imaginations about the future. Youths who are interested in related issues are welcome to visit the Youth Community Participation and Action 2.0 - Changemaker Project website at https://changemaker.yda.gov.tw/Lesson. Here, they can enjoy a special experience of exploring their connections with the land.
"The Land & Community”: A walk-through of the boarded-up houses in Taoyuan Aerotropolis.
”Daduway CCI Ltd”: Restoring houses through traditional building techniques that utilize natural materials from the land.
“YouthBanana”: Trimming the leaves of banana trees in banana plantations and putting them in bags
“Mountculture”: Exploring the Atayal culinary culture and community environment