Invisible Nation: Connecting Democracies Globally. Democracies flourish when they work together. This event will examine how international relationships—parliamentary alliances, civic networks, and cross-border collaborations—can strengthen democratic practices. Using Taiwan’s partnerships as a focal point, participants will discuss opportunities for deeper connections between legislatures, NGOs, and grassroots movements across continents. Democracies must urgently build their own global alliances of activists, governments, businesses, and citizens, around transparency, accountability, and solidarity.

Watch the film in advance (12/3-12/14) and join us for a live panel on 12/7, 7pm ET.

About Invisible Nation: Unprecedented access to Taiwan’s first female president, Tsai Ing-wen, centers this portrait of the constantly colonized island, as it struggles to preserve its hard-won democracy, autonomy, and freedom from fear of authoritarian aggression. Thorough, incisive, and bristling with tension, Invisible Nation is a living account of Tsai’s tightrope walk as she balances the hopes and dreams of her nation between the colossal geopolitical forces of the U.S. and China. Invisible Nation captures Tsai at work in her country’s vibrant democracy, while seeking full international recognition of Taiwan’s right to exist. At a time when Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has demonstrated the ever-present threat of authoritarian aggression around the world, Invisible Nation brings a punctual focus to the struggles of Taiwan.

Speakers:

Vanessa Hope (Moderator) is an award-winning producer and director who has produced multiple acclaimed films in China including Berlin International Film Festival selection, Wang Quanan's The Story Of Ermei and Cannes Film Festival selection, Chantal Akerman's Tombee De Nuit Sur Shanghai, part of an omnibus of films, The State Of The World. She has also directed and produced several doc shorts, including China In Three Words, an official selection at DOC NYC. Hope made her directorial feature debut with the documentary All Eyes and Ears, an exploration of the complex links between the U.S. and China featuring former President Obama’s US Ambassador to China and premiering at the Tribeca Film Festival. She is the Director of Invisible Nation.

Enoch Wu is a prominent figure in Taiwanese politics and civil society, currently serving as the executive director of Forward Alliance, a nonprofit organization he founded in 2020. The alliance strives to bolster Taiwanese societal resilience through initiatives on civilian emergency preparedness and volunteerism. His work with local communities has earned him international recognition, including a spot on the TIME Next Generation Leaders list in 2022. Before his career in public service, Wu spent a decade in the finance industry, working primarily at Goldman Sachs in the Asian Special Situations Group. He returned to Taiwan in 2013 and completed his military service with the Army Airborne Special Operations Command. From 2017 to 2019, Wu served in the Premier’s Office and on the National Security Council, where his portfolio included homeland security and critical infrastructure protection. From 2021 to 2022, he took on the role of chair of the Democratic Progressive Party's Taipei Chapter, where he drove initiatives on youth engagement and party reform. His career spans international finance, national security, civil society, and politics.

Alyse Nelson is president and CEO of Vital Voices Global Partnership. A cofounder of Vital Voices, Alyse has worked for the organization for more than 28 years, serving as vice president and senior director of programs before assuming her current role in 2009. Under her leadership, Vital Voices has directly served over 47,000 women leaders across 188 countries. Previously, Alyse served as deputy director of the State Department’s Vital Voices Global Democracy Initiative and worked with the President’s Interagency Council on Women at the White House. Alyse is a regular speaker on leadership and global women’s issues. She has spoken before the United Nations General Assembly, the Clinton Global Initiative, Fortune Most Powerful Women, Oxford Student Union, Forbes 30/50 and Women in the World, among others. She has conducted leadership training with women at the Central Intelligence Agency, DFID, the UK Development Agency, Fortune 1000 companies and at numerous conferences. Alyse is a Member of the Council on Foreign Relations and served as an official Observer for the World Bank’s We-fi Initiative for Women Entrepreneurs. She serves on advisory boards of Chime for Change and Global Citizen. Fortune Magazine named Alyse one of the 55 Most Influential Women on Twitter and she was featured as one of Newsweek’s 150 Women Shaking the World. Alyse was also honored in 2015 with a Tribeca Disruptive Innovation Award and in 2018 Apolitical named her one of the most influential people in global gender policy. She is a recipient of the 2022 David Rockefeller Bridging Leadership Award. Alyse is the author of the best-selling book Vital Voices: The Power of Women Leading Change Around the World and the editor of Vital Voices: 100 Women Using Their Power to Empower. She has been featured in various international and national media. She holds a BA from Emerson College and an MA from The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.

Alysa Chiu currently serves as Deputy Director of the Department of International Affairs at the DPP, overseeing Track II Diplomacy and international participation. Prior to her current role, she served as an Advisor in the Presidential Office, managing international engagement projects under President Tsai Ing-wen. Alysa's experience spans across diverse organizations and countries, including the Formosa Association for Public Affairs in Washington D.C., the Parliamentary Forum for Democracy in Vilnius, Lithuania, Taiwan's Legislative Yuan where she worked for Legislator Hsiao Bi-khim ( now Taiwan’s Vice President), and the Permanent Mission of Saint Lucia to the United Nations in New York City. Alysa remains a dedicated advocate for Taiwan's international recognition, both in her current role and through her involvement with NGOs. She holds a Master's degree in International Politics and International Business from New York University.