Over the past decade, since 2016, Asia Centre’s annual conferences have evolved from a modest gathering of researchers and civil society actors into one of the region’s regular convening platforms on democracy and human rights. Ten years on, the Conference remains guided by its consistent objective: to provide a credible forum to discuss Asia’s complex and intersecting challenges, while facilitating meaningful engagement among international non-governmental organisations (INGOs), civil society organisations (CSOs), the diplomatic community, parliamentarians and other key stakeholders. To date, the Asia Centre has convened 754 participants and speakers from INGOs, civil society organisations, political parties and parliaments, media and…

Indigenous Peoples’ (IPs) vulnerabilities in Indonesia are being exacerbated by climate disinformation that prioritises national development narratives over Indigenous rights and knowledge systems. This was the central finding presented at a national convening reviewing the preliminary outcomes of Asia Centre’s forthcoming report, “Climate Disinformation in Indonesia: Prioritising Development Over Indigenous Peoples’ Vulnerability”. Attended by nearly 40 people, the event took place on 21 January 2026 at Aloft Jakarta Wahid Hasyim Hotel, Jakarta. The convening was organised by Asia Centre in partnership with International Media Support (IMS) and brought together journalists, civil society actors, Indigenous rights advocates, and policy experts. The…

Misleading climate narratives that support the appropriation of Indigenous Peoples entitlements and distort public understanding of land rights have become a growing concern in Malaysia. These dynamics are captured in the initial findings of “Climate Disinformation in Malaysia: Appropriating Indigenous Peoples’ Rights”, which were shared during a national convening held on 7 January 2026 in Asia Centre Media Hub, Iskandar Puteri.  The convening brought together approximately 30 Indigenous representatives, civil society groups, journalists, and academics to unpack how climate disinformation is affecting Indigenous communities in Malaysia and to explore collective strategies for addressing its impact. The event began with opening remarks…

When Asia Centre announced its opening in 2015, M Ravi was one of the very first people from Singapore to reach out. He said the Centre’s human rights mission aligned with his own, and wanted to engage with the Asia Centre’s regional approach to democracy and human rights.At the time, Ravi was facing intense legal pressure, negative media publicity, internal tensions within the local death penalty movement and challenges to his law practice – all contributing to mixed public opinion on the death penalty in Singapore.      In Asia Centre, he sought a respite, an opportunity to extend his networks to the…

With the 9th Southeast Asia Freedom of Religion or Belief (SEAFORB) Conference, which took place from 27 - 28 November 2025 in Jakarta, Indonesia, the Network continues to serve as a key regional mechanism for coordination, knowledge-sharing and joint advocacy. Guided by its 2024–2026 Strategic Plan, the SEAFORB Conference brought together 48 members and partners from across the Southeast Asian region and also from certain countries beyond the region to examine emerging FoRB challenges, develop collective strategies, and reinforce solidarity in an increasingly restrictive environment.The SEAFORB Conference is the annual regional gathering of the SEAFORB Network, a civil society–led platform…

Indigenous Peoples’ (IPs) rights in India are being subverted and this is aided by climate disinformation. This was the thrust of the findings communicated at the national convening that reviewed the preliminary outcomes of Asia Centre’s forthcoming report, “Climate Disinformation in India: Subverting Indigenous Peoples’ Rights”. The meeting, organised in partnership with International Media Support (IMS) and School of Communication, Fine Arts and Design, Sister Nivedita University (SNU), took place on 9 December 2025 at the SNU Auditorium, Kolkata.The convening brought together journalism students, media academics and journalism professionals to discuss how climate disinformation intersects with national development narratives and the…

From 10 to 16 November 2025, Asia Centre, in collaboration with educational institutes, civil society organisations and media groups, conducted a series of Digital Security Trainings for End Beneficiaries (DST-EB) and Training-of-Trainer (DST-TOT) in Dhaka. The series of 14 training sessions were attended by a total of 570 participants where a total of 148 participants took part in the Train of Trainer (DST-TOT) sessions and 422 participants attended the DST-EB sessions. Of these, 8 sessions were conducted as End Beneficiary (EB) training and 6 sessions were held as Train of Trainer (TOT) training, all designed to equip participants with the…

From 23 to 28 October 2025, Asia Centre delivered a series of training sessions in Timor-Leste aimed at strengthening digital security and raising awareness on online safety. Supported by Google in Asia and the Pacific, together with national and local partners, the programme offered Timorese partners and participants a valuable opportunity to engage with experts, exchange experiences, and acquire practical digital protection skills. Many attendees emphasised the significance of the initiative, noting that such insightful, interactive, multi-stakeholder engagements are rare in Timor-Leste and play a crucial role in strengthening the country’s digital resilience. The programme commenced on 23 October with…

Between October and November 2025, Dr. James Gomez led Asia Centre’s engagements in Denmark to solidify existing partnerships and forge new ones. The focus was on building collaboration around human rights issues and positioning the Centre as a regional implementing partner. During this period, Dr. Gomez participated in three major conferences. The first was held on 28 October 2025, where Dr. Gomez attended the Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) in Practice conference in Copenhagen, organised by the Center for Church-Based Development (CKU) and Digni. The conference brought together Danish and Norwegian grantholders, international partners, and FoRB stakeholders to share…

On 8 October 2025, Kartini Sunityo, Partnership Manager at Asia Centre, represented the Centre at the inaugural New Southbound Policy+ (NSP+) Think Tank Summit on “Prospects for a Resilient Indo-Pacific Policy” in Taipei, Taiwan. Hosted by the Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation (TAEF) in partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the event marked a significant step forward for regional policy dialogue and civic diplomacy. The NSP+ Think Tank Summit serves as a platform for prominent institutions across the Indo-Pacific to engage in policy-focused dialogue and explore avenues for collaboration. Key themes included security resilience, democratic resilience, and the development of supply…