Student Movement Generation: From Wild Lilies to Sunflowers (New and Revised Edition)

Two movements that opened the eyes of Taiwanese people to democracy: reflections, collaborations, and reflections from two generations of student activists.


The new and revised edition of "Student Movement Generation" includes a complete interview with Chen Weiting, the founder of the Sunflower Student Movement, and features thirteen articles by Fan Yun, the leader of the Wild Lily Student Movement, as well as Lin Jialong, Luo Wenjia, Chen Xinxing, Duan Yikang, and Gu Yuling.

The "student movement generation" does not need a fixed tone, but rather a heterogeneous and diverse spiritual connotation.
Twenty-four years later, after two large-scale student movements in 1990 and 2014,
The two generations each endure the anxiety of growing up and strive to find an outlet for life.
Now, they are speaking out from all corners, forming a "clamor of voices"...

This is a "life history" of Taiwan's student movement generation, not a theory or history of the student movement; it's a book about the post-graduation journey of this group of "people" who made it. It not only reviews the historical context and positioning of the student movement from the 1980s to the Wild Lily Movement, but the newly revised "Student Movement Generation: From Wild Lilies to Sunflowers" also includes interviews with members of the Sunflower Generation. From Wild Lilies to Sunflowers, whether they are reflecting, connecting, alternating, or collaborating, they have radiated an increasingly blazing light on Taiwanese society.

This book chronicles the clamor, energy, growth, transformation, diversity, anxieties, and life experiences of two generations of student activists. Each generation possesses its own spiritual symbols. The "Wild Lily" sculpture, erected in the plaza of Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, remains a totem for Taiwanese society's understanding of the Wild Lily Student Movement. Twenty-four years later, the "Sunflowers" blossoming everywhere have yielded entirely different results and emotions. How does the Wild Lily Generation reflect on the past twenty-four years? And how does it view the rise of the Sunflower Generation? Perhaps a human perspective can better understand the past, present, and future of these two generations of student activists.

Resonant recommendation

Writers of Pinglu, Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Psychology at Ho Tung Hung Fu Jen University; Wu Jiemin, Associate Research Fellow at the Institute of Sociology, Academia Sinica; Liu Linweiwo, Founding Co-founder; Chen Weiting, Founder of the Sunflower Student Movement; Zhang Tiezhi, Editor-in-Chief of "Haowai" magazine and Chief Writer of the Chinese Edition of "Bloomberg Businessweek"; Huang Kuo-chang, Associate Research Fellow at the Institute of Law, Academia Sinica.

Every generation has its own opportunities. History generously opens its doors for them. But once they enter, history's face becomes harsh, using its sieve to select and eliminate. Whether a generation can create an era is beyond chance.

I'm mostly familiar with what's now known as the "student movement generation." They grew up during a turning point in Taiwan's history, when the political and social restructuring afforded them an unparalleled opportunity. Now, more than a decade has passed, and they've reached the awkward stage of late youth and early middle age. This awkwardness stems not only from age but also from the new conditions created by this historical shift. In this moment of clamor, when the former opposition has become the new government, and ideals have become untenable after the reversal of leadership, it's not just them who are feeling the pinch; aren't we all feeling the same?

I won't sing the praises of the student movement generation, nor will I denigrate them with the harsh phrase "each generation is worse than the last." They are on their own unfinished journey. They must prove themselves before the curtain falls. This isn't about who holds the highest position, but whether they can elevate Taiwan further. And I believe that some will live a life worthy of their lives. -- Nan Fangshuo

The 1980s was a golden decade in Taiwan, marking the beginning of democratization and the rise of various social movements. During that decade, we witnessed the emergence of a group of reformist university students, known as the "student movement generation." They were both products of Taiwan's democratic movement and the young pioneers of that movement. The times will not forget them, and they will not forget that era either.

After reading the short stories of the forty-two figures of that generation in the book, I became more certain of my observations and analysis of them back then, as well as my support for their collective ideals and actions for change.

I was fortunate to have walked through the years of democratic struggle alongside many young people from the student movement generation. Now, seeing Taiwan's nascent democracy flourishing, I can't help but feel comforted. Knowing that they have now gone their separate ways, I feel even more blessed. -- Xiao Xinhuang

2014-07-21

時報出版

328

9789571360188