Tune in to dive into hot topics that we think deserve your attention. From social issues to popular culture, we’ll be keeping you up to date on relevant and unique Taiwan-related content, every Tuesday.
Abuse and exploitation: the harsh reality for Taiwan's migrant workers ft. Julia Mariano
Migrant workers are an integral part of the workforce in Taiwan, so why are they met with discrimination, exploitation, and even abuse? In today's episode, I am joined again by Filipino youth activist Julia Mariano, who is the spokesperson for Migrante International – Taiwan Chapter, a rights organization for Filipino migrant workers. In this episode, Julia sheds light on the appalling working conditions migrant workers often endure, including some of the more shocking cases of abuse that they have encountered. Julia also addresses how Taiwan, as a supposed proponent of human rights, needs to do better in its treatment of migrant workers.
In the latter part of this interview, Julia delves into another important part of their activism work - supporting the struggle of the Palestinian people. Julia highlights how Palestinian and Filipino struggles for national liberation are interconnected, and why it is important to emphasize this in the resistance effort.
You can read more about the Da Wang incident here (https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2022/04/22/2003777029).
Recommended resources:
https://filipinos4palestine.org/ (https://filipinos4palestine.org/)
https://migranteinternational.org/ (https://migranteinternational.org/)
13 Feb 2024
The youth activist championing for migrant workers' rights ft. Julia Mariano
According to the American think tank, the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (https://www.csis.org/blogs/new-perspectives-asia/southeast-asian-migrant-workers-taiwan-human-rights-and-soft-power), there are currently around 700,000 migrant laborers in Taiwan, making up about 80 percent of the foreign residents in Taiwan. Approximately a quarter million are in domestic care roles, and the remainder work in industries such as agriculture, fishing, and semiconductor factories. Many are at risk of discrimination, exploitation, and abuse.
Today’s guest on Hot Stuff is Filipino youth activist Julia Mariano. Julia is the spokesperson for Migrante International – Taiwan Chapter, a rights organization for Filipino migrant workers. Their engagement in activism started when they were a high school student in the Philippines, despite the dangers and social ostracization that came with it. Julia, who came to Taiwan to attend university, has now been here for four years and has been active in defending and promoting the rights of Filipino migrant workers through workers’ rights campaigns and union building.
In this episode, we discuss how Julia first got involved in activism, the detrimental aftermath of the US colonization of the Philippines, and why there are so many Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs). Julia will also share their own father’s experience of being a migrant worker in Taiwan, and how migrant workers here are at risk of exploitation and abuse.
6 Feb 2024
The future of the metaverse: virtual harassment and the neglection of social connections? ft. Sebastien Borget
On today's episode of Hot Stuff, I am joined again by The Sandbox (https://www.sandbox.game/en/) COO and Co-founder, Sebastien Borget. If you missed part one, and aren't too sure what The Sandbox is all about, go and check that out now! For our second part today, we're going to be getting into some of the concerns and moral debates surrounding crypto, gaming, and the metaverse. Can humans really make connections and forge relationships in virtual worlds that are comparable to those in real life? How do you prevent virtual harassment? Why should people still want to use The Sandbox given the instability of crypto? Sebastien will give his thoughts on all these topics and more.
Sebastien was recently in Taipei for The Sandbox Creator Meet-up which was part of Taipei’s Blockchain Week in mid-December 2023. This interview was recorded then.
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