The Student Activism exhibition (學動運生)‚ organized by the Institute of Sociology (社會學研究所) and the Digital Center (數位文化中心) of the Academia Sinica (中央研究院)‚ has drawn more than 600 visitors since it opened in late April‚ with the great majority coming from local primary schools. The exhibition offers a historical overview of student action against the one-party rule of the Kuomintang‚ the struggle for freedom of speech‚ the Wild Lily Movement and the most recent Sunflower Movement‚ among others. A Civics Lesson in the Making Yellow ribbons‚ much like the banners tied onto barricades during Taiwan's Sunflower Movement of 2014‚ adorn the walls of the exhibit‚ filled with impassioned writing from third‚ fourth and fifth graders. ”Thank you‚ university students for giving us democracy — the power of students is large‚ ” one ribbon proclaims. “Long live democracy‚ ” declares another. Betty Yu-wen Lin (林玉雯)‚ a project assistant from the Digital Center who guides students through the different historical movements‚ said that school teachers were surprised that their students understood the sacrifices made by earlier generations for principles often taken for granted such as free speech. According to the institute's deputy director and exhibition coordinator Hsiau A-chin (蕭阿勤)‚ their original intention was to deepen the ties between the academic body and the public. What organizers did not anticipate was the outpouring of self-initiated participation from area schools. ”Their participation symbolizes that student movements as part of social movements‚ and the struggle for democracy‚ are of value” Hsiau said. In observing the school children's exposure to historical events‚ Lin added that children are more confident in their own individual strength to make greater changes in society due to their grasp of the potential of social networking power. Challenge in Representing History Tang Chih-chieh (湯志傑)‚ a member of the organizing committee and associate researcher at the institute indicated that the criteria for selecting which of Taiwan's myriad of student movements to represent at the exhibit proved challenging. A common denominator‚ however‚ is that the actions of students in each specific time period are a reflection of how their ideals shaped expectations of the society they envisioned‚ he added. Chen Wei-ting (陳威廷)‚ a project assistant‚ said that while former participants of the movements themselves differed in their opinions on a chronological display‚ a key objective of the project was to generate a broader picture of the students' role and participation across time. ”As long as there are a group of people willing to put in an effort to challenge what is out there‚ and to share and participate‚ something new will emerge‚ ” Deputy Director Hsiau observed. Student Movements Gaining Support: Expert In an interview with The China Post‚ Director of the Institute of Sociology Michael Hsin-huang Hsiao‚ (蕭新煌) stated that unlike Hong Kong‚ recent student-led movements in Taiwan have broader support from society and are better articulated and integrated than in decades past. ”The youth are universal‚ international and intergenerational‚ ” said Hsiao who urged the international community to “listen to Taiwan and the words expressed by its youth.” The original article was published in the " China Post " on 5 may 2015 Extended reading | 
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