In a democratic country like Taiwan, civic participation generally takes place everywhere and every day in various forms, such as petitioning, community building, and protesting, and it is too mundane to be noted. Not until the moment of crisis could the energy it has harbored be seen. COVID-19 undoubtedly is a challenge for all humans in the world. Misfortune as it was, this state of exception presented people with resilience and creativity to assist one another. Starting from an incident of “veg boxes” during the pandemic, this article tries to connect the optimistic view toward social changes with its possible model. By linking Homemakers United Foundation, a local organization closely related to food and environmental issues, and its development to the history of nation-building, this article also discusses what kind of civic imagination has been deployed and its connection with history.
Articles by Kris Chi
Kris Chi is an independent researcher, non-school-based experimental educator, and translator, who has benefited greatly from the Interasia network and training of cultural studies. She received her MA from the National Central University Department of English. In her thesis, she formed the politics of the domestic by examining the identity building of Taiwan as a country and the development of family-related knowledge and institutions. Her research interest focuses on (migrant or domestic) labour, domesticity whose intertwined relationship with political economy, knowledge production and cold war politics especially in Asia.