【2026 Training Course】Telling Taiwan's Story: Cross-Border Advocacy and Communication

International communication is not just about language translation; it is the precise design of cultural context. In this training session, we invited David Kao, an Asian Academy Creative Award winner and former Head of Program Planning at TaiwanPlus, to share how to transform Taiwan’s social and political issues into narrative power that resonates with a global audience.

Drawing on his extensive experience in international public media, David guided students through the behind-the-scenes development of landmark projects, from TaiwanPlus to Zero Day Attack. He emphasized that as Taiwan shifts from a local reality to a global story, NGOs and advocates must master storytelling as a critical tool to exert real influence in a complex international media environment.

Under David’s guidance, students re-examined their advocacy content through the 4A Framework: Audience, Angle, Access, and Advocacy. This framework requires us to precisely define our target audience and unearth unique perspectives, utilizing cross-cultural metaphors to make stories accessible, and ultimately driving toward clear emotional impact and action.

The session analyzed how the video about semiconductors utilized a data-driven strategy to surpass 4.5 million views, and how the docuseries Zero Day Attack used human-centric narratives instead of slogans to draw international media attention to Taiwan’s geopolitical risks. In the practical workshop, students attempted to repackage social issues into streaming-friendly series concepts. David encouraged future NGO workers to combine impact with storytelling—because only when a story travels far can real change happen.

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