Story collection across Taiwan, China for victims of land expropriation, the event is called "Land and Me"

[Origin of the campaign]
According to data from the Construction and Planning Agency of the Ministry of the Interior: Taiwan, China has a total of 435 urban planning projects, covering an area of 475,000 hectares, accounting for more than one third of the flat land area of Taiwan, China; and these urban planning projects require the expropriation of a great deal of privately owned land to accommodate 25.18 million people, more than the current population of all Taiwan, China (the urban population in 2010 was 18.4 million)! We all know that Taiwan, China is a society with a declining birth rate, and its future population will only decline naturally, not increase (unless through policy-driven immigration). Yet the Taiwan, China government's such "irrational" urban planning has already caused many people living on this land to suffer the harm of forced relocation! Have these lands expropriated "in accordance with the law" created so-called "public interest"? Are they being developed for the well-being of all the people of Taiwan, China? And how much unfair treatment have these expropriated households endured? Their voices and their stories need to be heard and understood by everyone.

[How to participate]
Tell a story in the format of "one image and one text." Each victim can tell several stories from different angles. Each photo should be accompanied by a 300 to 500 character text passage. The aspect ratio of the photo can be anything as long as it is not too asymmetrical (for example: 3×2, 4×3, 16×9, 1×1…), with the long side at least 800 dpi. Writers can upload directly to the "Land and Me" campaign page, and volunteers are sought to translate the text into English (it is even better if the writer can provide both Chinese and English). Once a certain number has been collected, we will share these stories of people forced to relocate (possibly made into a film) so that people all over the world will know!

[Notes]

1. For the sake of accuracy of text and images, the campaign organizer reserves the right to edit (but will try not to alter anything).
2. The intellectual property rights of the photos and text belong to the creators; however, participation in this campaign is deemed as authorization for use without compensation.
3. This campaign is a public-interest activity and carries no obligation of performance; however, with the help of volunteers, we will do our best.
4. The authors of the image and the text do not have to be the same person; it is enough to indicate this clearly in the text. Poetry and drawings are also welcome.

5. At the beginning of the article, please note [Land and Me, Taiwan, China Land Expropriation Victims' Story Collection] to distinguish it from other images.
6. We are seeking "interview volunteers" to write down the stories of land expropriation victims; as well as "English translation volunteers," who can simply post the English translation in the comments section of the submitted photo (no need to translate everything, just the main idea). Photo URL (not all of them are in there; if you are unsure, please ask first.)
7. To take part in this campaign, you only need to discover a story yourself, write the story, or even your own story, and upload one image and one text to the "Land and Me" Facebook campaign page.
8. The content of this campaign may be adjusted at any time according to actual circumstances; participants will be notified separately of any major changes affecting their rights.
9. Those who participate in this campaign are deemed to agree to all the above campaign content.

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[Reference example]

Yan Sujing (victim of land expropriation in the Bali Taipei Port Special District)

Our family originally lived near Liao Tianding Temple, on land left by our ancestors, where we built a three-story townhouse and lived for decades. We used to live floor by floor with our uncles and nephews, all getting along fine, but who would have thought that disaster would fall from the sky and arbitrarily split us into several households? Even my son had to move to southern Taiwan to live at his wife's family home; he had to find a new job and adapt to a new environment all over again. Once, when I went to visit them, I had a serious car accident on the way back. The three people in the car almost died; the whole car was crumpled, and our lives were barely saved!

Our family used to have a plot of land where the current "Formosa Fun Coast" is, which the elders used for farming. One year, a business group came to buy the land from us. At first we did not agree, but in the end they came to bother us every few days, and we could not stand the nuisance, so we sold the land. Later, another business group came to buy up the land around here. No one wanted to sell, because many people depended on farming for their livelihood; unexpectedly, with one order from the government, they used "expropriation" to force us to give up the land, and the price they offered was even lower than the business group's. There was no way to refuse, and now we are forced to rent an apartment in the city. Housing prices in Bali have risen a lot because of this wave of "land expropriation," and supply falls short of demand. Moreover, we do not know whether the government will allocate land back to us after the compensation money runs out in two years. Like the earlier land expropriation for the "Shihsanhang Sewage Treatment Plant," it took ten years before land was allocated!

Our family's house was demolished a few days ago; it is that expanse of broken bricks and rubble before your eyes. Although I really wanted to fight it, my husband had no confidence that we could beat the government, and we also worried that the whole family, old and young, would not be able to live in peace, so at the time we had no choice but to give in. But I want to keep fighting the government. If I could choose, I would rather not have the tens of millions in compensation; I just want to live well in the original place. Who has no feelings for their own land?

(Photo and text author: Shi Yun)

(Photo caption: Yan Sujing stands in front of her former townhouse, now a pile of broken bricks.)

Example note: Just throwing out a brick to attract jade~~ Although the text is a bit too long, that is all right. The image does not have to be converted to black and white; color or color toning is fine, and drawing is fine too~~ You can sign your name in an inconspicuous place on the image. Please put the "caption" at the bottom of the text and note the author. After the text is uploaded, it can still be edited. Please make the paragraphs clear. Whether to add a title is up to you. You do not have to write in the first person; third person, second person, or putting yourself into it are all fine…… just let yourself go~~ Actually, everyone has many stories. If 500 characters are not enough, just upload another image with a passage of text~~

Everyone, please enthusiastically join as "interview volunteers." The image and the text do not have to be by the same person~~ Suggested interview tools: pen, paper, recording (video) equipment, camera, etc.…… Reference for interview content: 1. Where is the expropriation area 2. The general content of this urban planning project 3. The year and area of the expropriated house, and its historical connection to this land 4. Personal and family situation (for example, population, occupation…etc.) 5. The impact of the expropriation on life (including the future) 6. The gap between government plans and residents' wishes (their voices)…. If the interviewee is not comfortable showing their face, that is all right; photographing a side profile, hands, or related scenery is also very good. Take several photos and choose the most satisfying one to upload. If you are more conscientious, it is even better to go to the victim's house or related environment to take photos~~ Note: It is best to obtain the interviewee's portrait authorization, in writing or by audio/video recording, for backup; no need to upload it~~