The JUSTYouth Programme, an initiative designed by Asia Centre with support from the ASEAN Foundation in partnership with Maybank Foundation, brought together nine passionate young volunteers from across Southeast Asia between July and October 2024. These volunteers collaborated with community-based organisations in Chiang Mai, Thailand, addressing critical social issues such as gender inequality in education and child rights. The programme provides an experiential learning platform that empowers youth to engage in social volunteerism, build leadership skills, and foster cross-cultural collaboration. In the programme’s fourth cohort, nine volunteers from nine ASEAN countries each contributed to local development and social change in…

Spanning a day and a half, the End-of-Programme Meeting for the “Digital Rights Programme for Civil Society Organisations” was held from 25 to 26 October 2024 in Johor Bahru, Malaysia. It marked the culmination of a year-long initiative focused on enhancing the understanding and advocacy of digital rights among Civil Society Organisations (CSO)s. The meeting brought together over 60 participants and included CSO representatives from European Values Center for Security Policy, Japan NGO Center for International Cooperation (JANIC), Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats (CALD), Hashtag Generation, Digital Rights Nepal, Southeast Asia Freedom of Expression Network(SAFEnet), Cambodian Centre for Independent Media…

On 17 October 2024, Dr Marc Pinol Rovira, Research Manager at the Asia Centre, and Somaly Kum, Research Associate at the Asia Centre, participated in the Phnom Penh Internet Forum (PPIF), held in Phnom Penh spanning from 17-18 October 2024. The forum sought to address digitalisation in Cambodia, the regulatory frameworks on cybercrime and data protection, and opportunities for Cambodia in the digital world. More than 100 participants joined the event with representatives from government agencies like the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and the Ministry of Social Affairs Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation, INGOs, civil society organisations, the media sector,…

Structural challenges to civic spaces caused by laws, policies and other hindrances, particularly the critical role of media in fostering information integrity, must be examined to ensure civic spaces in Asia remain well-functioning. Towards that end, the civil society sector must build and sustain a cross-sector coalition to support one another. This was the main message across the two panel discussions hosted by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) during Asia Centre’s 9th Annual International Conference, held in Bangkok from 21 to 23 August 2024 under the theme “Shrinking Civic Space in Asia: Stories of Resistance and Pushback.”  In her opening…

Radio Taiwan International (Rti) served as a new title partner for Asia Centre’s 9th Annual International Conference, “Shrinking Civic Space in Asia: Stories of Resistance and Pushback,” held in Bangkok, Thailand, from 21 to 23 August 2024. Through its participation in the conference, Rti underscored the importance of fostering global collaboration in a unified effort to defend democracy; they also stressed that indigenous voices must be heard and represented to protect and expand civic spaces across Asia. On 21 August 2024, the evening before the main conference days, Rti hosted the opening panel of the conference titled “Borders and Ethnicities…

Learning how governments managed the COVID-19 is crucial for protecting civic spaces and enhancing resilience and preparedness for future emergencies in Asia. This central theme emerged from all three-panel discussions hosted by the International Center for Not-for-profit Law (ICNL) - a Tier 1 title partner - during Asia Centre’s 9th International Conference, “Shrinking Civic Space in Asia: Stories of Resistance and Pushback,” held from 21 to 23 August 202 in Bangkok, Thailand. During her opening remarks on 22 August 2024, Julie Hunter, ICNL’s Senior Legal Advisor for Asia & the Pacific, outlined how ICNL’s contribution to the conference is aimed…

Counterpart International (CI) was a new title partner in Asia Centre’s 9th International Conference, held from 21 to 23 August 2024 in Bangkok, Thailand, under the theme “Shrinking Civic Space in Asia: Stories of Resistance and Pushback”. CI’s contributions throughout the Conference centred on the need to develop a comprehensive blueprint to guide the reopening of civic spaces and safeguard democratic values. This message emphasised the importance of strategic planning and actionable approaches to counteract the restrictions on civic freedoms and to promote resilience within the region’s civil society. Through its involvement, CI underscored the critical need for coordinated efforts and…

Indigenous communities across Asia are denied equal treatment and face significant challenges related to rights, representation and safety. Despite official legal recognition, these communities often feel powerless as the civic space to advocate for their rights and needs is diminishing. This was the core message delivered via the panel titled “The Vanguards of Change and Opportunities for Indigenous Youth and Women" held by the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) during Asia Centre’s 9th Conference “Shrinking Civic Space in Asia: Stories of Resistance and Pushback” in Bangkok from 21 to 23 August 2024. The panel served as a…

From 21 to 23 August 2024, Asia Centre convened its 9th International Conference on "Shrinking Civic Space in Asia: Stories of Resistance and Pushback". Held on-site at the Pullman G Hotel in Bangkok, Thailand, the event brought together 120 participants from 27 countries, including members of INGOs, civil society organisations (CSOs), policymakers, and academics. The conference provided a platform for these stakeholders to discuss the challenges to civic space across the region, focusing not only on the difficulties that many actors currently face but also on their stories of resilience and resistance. Against the backdrop of increasing restrictions on freedom…

Asia Centre hosted the 2024 Oxfam Young Leader Fellowship Programme from 1st to the 5th of July 2024 in Bangkok, Thailand. This is the second cohort (read about the first cohort here), in which the fellowship aims to equip eight youths from eight different countries in Asia with the tools, skills, knowledge and networks to drive positive change in their communities. Apart from a week of onsite induction, close mentorship and hands-on practice will be other ways in which the fellows will be supported throughout the fellowship.The eight fellows chosen for the 2024 cohort are Seena Kimhoihching from India, Achmad…