2008 Asia Studies

2008 Taiwan Referendum on U.N. membership (March 22, 2008): In this study, an FDA evaluation committee did a detailed evaluation of whether or not, the people of Taiwan should agree to the Taiwan government applying for U.N. membership under the name of "Taiwan." To do the evaluation, the FDA committee established the basic priority of the Taiwan people, and used that priority to evaluate choices of either applying for U.N. membership or not applying for U.N. membership. Synopsis: Based on the preservation of the Taiwan identity/existence, the evaluation results favor 71.6% to 35% Taiwan becoming a formal independent State versus Taiwan becoming part of China. However, based solely on the risk to world peace, the evaluation results favor 65% to 20% Taiwan becoming part of China versus Taiwan becoming a formal independent State. This is the Taiwan dilemma. (Independence versus world peace.) The FDA concludes that Taiwan should press ahead with independence, because of its right to self-determination, and the onus should be on the world, not Taiwan, to deal with China’s intimidation and isolationist policy towards Taiwan. For Taiwan to put off independence because world powers are unwilling to act decisively against China, even though they are capable of acting decisively, would be contrary to the very existence of being Taiwanese. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY (pdf file) of the FDA Evaluation of the Taiwan referendum on U.N. membership. FULL EVALUATION AND RANKING DOCUMENT (pdf file) by the FDA evaluation committee. Comparative Evaluation of the FDA Evaluation and Referendum Results VIDEOs of committee working on the issues of self-determination national security trade culture global security

The Issue of Whether or Not Democratic Countries Should Participate in the 2008 China Beijing Olympics: On May 22 2008, a five person FDA citizen evaluation committee from the Kootenays evaluated whether or not democratic countries should participate in the China Beijing Olympics. In addition to providing a detailed evaluation and determination of the China Beijing Olympic issue, the evaluation represents an example of public decision-making (and government decision-making in terms of methodology) in Evaluative Democracy. The FDA evaluation was guided by establishing a basic priority for democratic countries and applying that priority to the various issues surrounding the Beijing Olympics and Chinese human rights issues. The evaluation encompassed discussion on relations between the Chinese government and Taiwan, Mongolia (i.e. Uighur Mulsims), Tibet, Burma, and Sudan, Chinese civil liberties, Chinese legal system, and Chinese legislation such as the One-Child policy and Capital punishment. Synopsis: Based on the right to freedom expression, religion, culture, self-determination, and self-preservation, the FDA evaluation committee determined 70% to 40% that China is unworthy of hosting the 2008 Olympics. Moreover, the evaluation committee determined 64% to 36% that democratic countries had a right to interfere in China's internal affairs, and 92% to 8% that the Olympics is not devoid of politics. However, the evaluation committee determined 66% to 34% that athlete rights precede human rights in the context of the Olympic games. In terms of action by democratic countries, the evaluation committee determined that a Chinese pardon of human rights prisoners and full participation in the Olympics (92%) would be the best action, followed by boycott of the opening ceremony (84%), and full partipation in the Olympics (76%). Participation (in the Olympics) was valued over non-participation, due to the benefits of intercultural understanding and dialogue. The key question raised in conclusion and in consideration of the unworthiness of China to host the Olympics, is why China in the first instance won the IOC Olympic bid? FULL EVALUATION AND RANKING DOCUMENT (pdf file) by the FDA evaluation committee. VIDEO of committee working on the issue of whether or not China is unworthy to host the Olympics: unworthy to host? (Two other video parts on youtube as well.) VIDEO of committee working on the issue of whether or not foreign countries have right to interfere in China's internal matters: right to interfere?