Regional Dialogue on Climate Disinformation and Indigenous Peoples in Asia

Regional Dialogue on Climate Disinformation and Indigenous Peoples in Asia

Climate disinformation in Asia is not only shaping public debate around climate policies and environmental accountability, but it is also creating an urgent need for stronger, more inclusive responses that place Indigenous Peoples (IPs) at the centre of climate action, policy and governance. In addressing this, a multi-stakeholder partnership is required to strengthen information integrity while safeguarding Indigenous rights.This was the key message of the regional dialogue “Climate Disinformation and its Impacts on Indigenous Peoples in Asia” convened by Asia Centre in partnership with International Media Support (IMS) on 20 May 2026 in Bangkok, Thailand. The dialogue brought together 43…

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Establishing A Southern Region CSO Network

Establishing A Southern Region CSO Network

Fragmentation in collaboration and uneven access to digital knowledge continue to shape how civil society organisations (CSOs) in the Southern Region engage with issues of digital democracy and civic space. Despite a diverse ecosystem of grassroots organisations, indigenous groups, independent media, and youth initiatives, limited coordination and knowledge-sharing mechanisms have constrained sustained and collective engagement. These dynamics were explored during the convening “Establishing a Southern Region CSO Network’, held on 23 May 2026 at the Asia Centre Media Hub in Iskandar Puteri, Johor, Malaysia. The convening brought together approximately 40 participants from civil society organisations, community-based groups, independent media, advocacy…

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Asia Centre Delivers Digital Security Training in East Asia

Asia Centre Delivers Digital Security Training in East Asia

Asia Centre has played an active role in advancing digital security and online resilience across East Asia for 91 participants, working in close collaboration with a diverse range of partners, including democracy foundations, universities, media institutions, and regional learning platforms. The aim of the digital security initiative was to strengthen the capacity of activists, youth leaders, journalists, and emerging advocates to navigate digital spaces safely. At the end, all participants were able to enhance their awareness of online risks including those linked to artificial intelligence, and promote secure and informed digital participation across diverse communities.Digital Security Training (DST) sessions were…

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CIVICUS-Asia Centre: Building Pro-Civic Space Narratives Through Collective Action

CIVICUS-Asia Centre: Building Pro-Civic Space Narratives Through Collective Action

Building and sustaining civic space requires more than advocacy, it depends on how civil society tells its stories. In an era shaped by information overload, misinformation, digital risk, and shrinking freedoms, narratives play a critical role in shaping public understanding and strengthening collective action. These ideas were explored during the CIVICUS-Asia Centre’s co-convening of  Building Pro-Civic Space Narratives: Communicators for Civic Action, held from 21 to 24 April 2026 in Ibis Riverside Hotel Bangkok, Thailand. The convening brought together 14 representatives from the Asian civil society organisations, communicators, and activists to strengthen their narrative strategies and amplify grassroots voices, drawn from…

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Religious Fundamentalism in Myanmar: Post-Coup Repression of Gender Rights

Religious Fundamentalism in Myanmar: Post-Coup Repression of Gender Rights

Download Full Report In Myanmar, the 2021 coup d’état led to the collapse of civic space and a rise in authoritarian control. At the same time – and less discussed – the authoritarian environment that followed saw the re-emergence of Buddhist fundamentalism, which uses military violence and a centralised Buddhist-Bamar national identity to suppress alternative voices. A key target of Buddhist fundamentalist groups has been defenders of women, gender and sexual minority (WGSM) rights, whose advocacy is framed as a threat to “traditional” morality. Religious Fundamentalism in Myanmar: Post-Coup Repression of Gender Rights shows the coordinated nature of the repression…

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Dr. James Gomez: Civil Society-Political Party Partnership Will Strengthen Democratic Resilience

Dr. James Gomez: Civil Society-Political Party Partnership Will Strengthen Democratic Resilience

In his remarks on “Sources of Democratic Resilience in Asia,” Asia Centre’s Regional Director, Dr. James Gomez, underscored the role of civil society as a key pillar in sustaining democratic systems and said this is best done in partnership with democracy supporting political parties. He made this point during the Policy Roundtable on Democratic Resilience in Southeast and East Asia, as a speaker in Panel I: “Analyzing Democratic Resilience: Sources and Challenges,” on 27 March 2026. From 26 to 28 March 2026 in Manila, Philippines, Dr. Gomez participated in a multi-day programme convened by the Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats…

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Climate Disinformation in Asia: Trends and Challenges

Climate Disinformation in Asia: Trends and Challenges

Coming Soon In Asia, climate disinformation is a tactic that deliberately reinforces existing power imbalances between dominant actors and Indigenous Peoples (IPs). Drawing from country studies on Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippines and Thailand, this regional brief outlines how these disparities reinforce extractive development policies that consolidate state control over land and resources. This effectively sidelines IPs’ participation in climate governance, despite being forest-dwelling minority groups most vulnerable to climate change and deforestation. Within the recent context of media digitalisation, IPs are disproportionately impacted by the dissemination of climate disinformation narratives, including one-sided reporting, greenwashing, false climate solutions…

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Climate Disinformation in the Philippines: Legitimising Attacks on Indigenous Peoples

Climate Disinformation in the Philippines: Legitimising Attacks on Indigenous Peoples

Download Full Report In the Philippines, climate disinformation is being used by state and corporate actors to legitimise attacks on Indigenous Peoples (IPs).  By labelling those in opposition, such as IPs, as “terrorists”, some of the most vulnerable in these communities are subjected to extractive and ecologically destructive mining, the building of energy and infrastructure projects in ancestral lands among others. As a result, climate disinformation creates an information environment in which state violence towards IPs, in the form of militarisation in IP land, forced evictions, harassment such as “red-tagging” and extra-judicial killings, is justified. Altogether, these threats disproportionately endanger…

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Asia Centre’s Dr. Gomez Explains “Civic Power” at 2026 Yushan Forum

Asia Centre’s Dr. Gomez Explains “Civic Power” at 2026 Yushan Forum

On 17 March at the 2026 Yushan Forum, Asia Centre’s Regional Director, Dr. James Gomez expounded on the concept of “civic power” (view the TikTok video) as the critical voice of civil society that speaks out when democratic processes are challenged during Session VII: NGO Corridor-Mobilizing Civic Power to Connect Free Societies.He further elaborated that civil society has a central role as the “heartbeat of democracy” and serves as an important barometer of democratic resilience. Hence, from the Asia Centre’s perspective, there is a need to strengthen regional networks and support civil society organisations (CSOs) as key actors in advancing…

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Asia Centre Delivers Digital Security Training’s in Indonesia

Asia Centre Delivers Digital Security Training’s in Indonesia

Asia Centre has played an active role in advancing digital security and online resilience in Indonesia, working in close collaboration with a diverse range of partners, including civil society organisations, non-governmental organisations, learning centres, community-based platforms, and underrepresented groups. Its initiatives seek to empower youth advocates, women’s groups, and other stakeholders to navigate digital spaces safely, promote online safety, and counter cyber threats, thereby fostering inclusive and secure digital participation across communities.These activities, initiated in 2024 in partnership with Google Asia and the Pacific and sustained throughout 2025 into early 2026, have received encouraging feedback from partners and participants. Key…

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