TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Social Enterprise World Forum (SEWF, 社會企業世界論壇) concluded Thursday (Oct. 30) at Songshan Cultural and Creative Park (松山文創園區) in Taipei with Taiwan's Cyber Ambassador Audrey Tang (唐鳳) delivering closing remarks. The two-day forum marked a significant milestone in Taiwan's global engagement in social innovation and sustainable development. Taiwan successfully hosted the major international event after a decade-long effort to bring SEWF to Taipei.
Audrey Tang, born in 1981, served as the first Minister of Digital Affairs. Tang is a renowned free software programmer and politician whose leadership has been pivotal in advancing Taiwan's digital development. The minister has represented Taiwan at numerous international conferences showcasing the island's technological innovation.
Tang co-founded the g0v zero government initiative in 2012 and served as the vTaiwan platform consultant from 2014 to 2015. Then-Premier Lin Chuan (林全) of the Executive Yuan, Taiwan's cabinet, appointed Tang as minister without portfolio in August 2016 to spearhead digital economy initiatives. Tang's appointment as the first Minister of Digital Affairs on Aug. 5, 2022, solidified Taiwan's digital innovation commitment.
Tang has represented Taiwan at major international conferences, including the United Nations Internet Governance Forum and Paris AI Summit. The former minister also participated in a Vatican seminar on artificial intelligence, showcasing Taiwan's active global presence. At SEWF 2019 in Ethiopia, Tang led Taiwan's delegation and delivered a speech at the youth innovation session.
Tang addressed Taiwan's challenges as a super-aged society, noting the innovative potential of young people through first-principles thinking. "Many innovative ideas that can solve the issue that was caused by the maximizing operation system that is capitalism in the previous generations, thanks to the out-of-the-box first principle thinking of young people," Tang stated. The former minister emphasized the importance of youth innovation in addressing societal challenges related to capitalism.
SEWF, a major international non-governmental forum, aims to advance global social enterprise development and address issues of wealth disparity and environmental sustainability. Since its 2008 inception in Edinburgh, SEWF has rotated annually across five continents. Taiwan's decade-long diplomatic effort to host the forum succeeded, with Taipei finally hosting the prestigious international event. ◼