10th International Conference (2025) AI and Governance in Asia: Civil Society, Democracy and Media
The discourse on AI governance has been dominated by governments and the private sector, leaving civil society sidelined. To build genuine AI Public–Private–People Partnerships, civil society organisations need to be accorded a seat at the table. But to do this, they need meaningful cross-sector support to develop the capacities and resources necessary to safeguard democracy and human rights in the era of AI. This was the main message from Asia Centre’s 10th International Conference, “AI and Governance in Asia: Civil Society, Democracy and Media”, held 21 to 22 August 2025 at the VIE Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand. The Conference convened 50 participants from 16 countries, comprising representatives from international non-governmental organisations (INGOs), civil society organisations (CSOs), diplomatic missions, policymakers, legal professionals, academia, and the broader private sector – the majority of whom were from the technology industry. Over two days, a total of seven panels and one “fireside chat” session were convened, featuring 38 speakers, with a gender balance of 50% men and 50% women. It fostered cross-sectoral dialogue on the opportunities and risks AI presents, highlighting the need for inclusive governance that empowers civil society and safeguards democratic values. Together, the stakeholders examined how artificial intelligence is reshaping civic engagement and its implications for democratic and human rights. This year’s conference was supported by three (3) title partners: Taiwan Foundation for Democracy (TFD) International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) The Asia Foundation (TAF) The Conference also featured two (2) partners: Eugene Thuraisingam LLP Global Democracy Coalition Day 1 | 21 August 2025 The programme opened with a pre-recorded message from Pita Limjaroenrat, former Prime Minister-designate of Thailand, who underscored the importance of ensuring that AI serves as an “equaliser” for society rather than a technology that fosters “exclusion”. View the message here. Dr James Gomez, Regional Director of Asia Centre, opened the Conference by framing it as a space to confront the pressing exclusion of civil society groups from discussions on AI. He highlighted how AI governance remains dominated by governments and the private sector, expressing concern that local civil society groups are being sidelined, which leaves them disadvantaged and limits their ability to contribute meaningfully to AI debates and ensure that AI can serve to promote democracy and human rights in the region. Dr Gomez also announced the launch of the AI Hub for Democracy and Human Rights to sustain these efforts beyond the Conference. The Hub will focus on three core areas: researching the ways AI has already – and will continue to – impact democracy and human rights; strengthening the capacity of civil society organisations through AI literacy and practical AI tool adoption; and advocating for democracy and human rights compliance with technology companies, governments and other stakeholders in an era of AI. Read more about the AI Hub here. This was followed by statements from Leena Rikkilä Tamang, Director for the Asia and the Pacific region at International IDEA and Thomas Parks, Vice President, The Asia Foundation. Three panels were convened on the first day, addressing a diverse range of topics, including the implications of AI for democracy in Asia, the future of tech-enabled governance in Southeast Asia, and strategies for building accountable AI through cross-sector collaboration. The panels were as follows: Panel 1: “AI and Democracy in Asia: Opportunities and Challenges”, hosted by International IDEA Panel 2: “Governance 4.0: What is the Future of Tech-Enabled Governance in Southeast Asia?”, hosted by The Asia Foundation Panel 3: “Public–Private–People Partnerships in AI: What Makes Cross-Collaboration for Accountable Technology Work?” A fireside chat entitled “A Dialogue for the Future: Technology, AI, Democracy and Peace”, was also held with Abhisit Vejjajiva, the 27th Prime Minister of Thailand and Dr. James Gomez, Regional Director, Asia Centre. Khun Abhisit shared his perspectives on the rapid advancement of technology and its far-reaching implications. The discussion also explored the role of technology in democracy and peace. Day 2 – 22 August 2025 The second day featured four additional panels on safeguarding media integrity in the age of AI, adapting AI technologies to regional contexts, developing trusted AI through innovation and regulation, and exploring the broader societal impacts of AI: Panel 4: “AI and Media Integrity, Resilience and Sustainability” Panel 5: “AI Adaptation in Asia and the Pacific” Panel 6: “Towards Trusted AI: Innovation Landscape and Regulatory Frameworks in Thailand ” Panel 7: “Rethinking Technology for Collective Impact: AI in Society and the Path Ahead” Dr Gomez officially closed the Conference by expressing Asia Centre’s appreciation to all speakers and participants. He also announced Asia Centre’s 11th International Conference, titled “Religious Freedom in Asia: Representation, Restrictions, Rights”, which will be held from 19 to 21 August 2026 The Conference concluded with a celebration to mark Asia Centre’s 10th anniversary. Speakers and participants congratulated the Asia Centre team for a successful first decade, expressing their confidence that Asia Centre will continue to do well in the coming years. Watch TikTok highlights of the event here. Several participants and organisations also wrote about Asia Centre’s 10th International Conference. On August 22, TaiwanICDF highlighted on its official website about AI-powered development initiatives in partner countries, emphasizing the importance of human-centered AI tailored to local conditions. On August 26, Fundasaun Hadomi Timor (FHT) shared on Hadomi Timor website, his reflections on the conference, outlining Timor-Leste’s digital challenges and aspirations for AI integration. On August 28, International IDEA published an article at its official website, by Billie Phillips, Communication and Outreach Officer, IDEA, discussing how AI is transforming democratic processes and advocating for ethical, inclusive electoral governance, highlighting the launch of Asia Centre’s new AI Hub for Civil Society Organisations to build capacity and strengthen engagement. Finally, on September 4, Aliran published an op-ed by Tan Wah Piow, critiquing AI discourse for sidelining the economic rights of the world’s poorest communities and calling for a broader, justice-oriented approach to human rights. These publications by participants and partnering organisations underscore the conference’s importance and reach across Asia and beyond. Asia Centre’s International Conference is its flagship
Climate Disinformation Brought Into Focus In Cambodia
Initial findings from “Climate Disinformation in Cambodia: Undermining Indigenous Peoples’ Agency”, the first of seven reports, was discussed on 8 August 2025, with approximately 40 representatives from civil society organisations (CSOs), INGOs and the media sector. The event was held a day before the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples. The discussion underscored the urgency of the findings and the need for a collaborative approach to protecting Indigenous rights ahead of this important day. Asia Centre, in partnership with the International Media Support (IMS), convened a national meeting where the key finding shows that in Cambodia, climate disinformation hinders Indigenous Peoples (IPs)’ agency to meaningfully take action against climate change and deforestation. Dr. James Gomez, Regional Director of the Asia Centre, delivered the opening remarks, highlighting the importance of jointly addressing disinformation, particularly climate disinformation from being normalised in Cambodian society. Miss Vanessa Chong, Programme Manager from International Media Support, in her remarks said the media’s role in safeguarding the circulation of accurate information can help mitigate climate disinformation. Following the opening remarks, the draft report’s key findings were presented by the Asia Centre’s Researcher, Miss Wen-Ling (Amy) Lai for the audience’s feedback and validation. First, she outlined the background information, centring Indigenous communities and the assessment of climate change and deforestation in Cambodia. She then outlined how the nation’s rapid digital transformation has fuelled the circulation of general disinformation, -which in turn has led to the specific dissemination of climate disinformation. Second, Miss Lai detailed the four forms of climate disinformation in Cambodia, which include state-aligned one-sided climate discourses, false climate solutions, corporate greenwashing stances and denial of deforestation narratives. Collectively, the climate disinformation reflects broader dynamics in which official messaging obscures the environmental and social consequences of development projects, suppresses critical debate and sidelines Indigenous and local community voices. Third, she made an assessment of the impacts of climate disinformation on IPs in Cambodia, including exclusion from climate discussions, forced displacements from ancestral lands, intimidation and criminalisation of environmental defenders. Jointly, these impacts deprive Indigenous voices and contribution within meaningful climate dialogue. Lastly, she presented the report’s key recommendations, which are aimed at a wide range of stakeholders including UN bodies, INGOs, government ministries, CSOs, media, technology companies and Indigenous communities. She particularly stressed the importance of tailoring these recommendations to the specific needs of each IP community. Following the presentation, the audience provided a range of feedback, centreing around methodology, definition, Indigenous communities’ input and tailoring some of the recommendations. Following the presentation, a roundtable discussion with six discussants was moderated by IMS’s Mr. Paco Pangalangan. Drawing from the report as well as their own experiences, all discussants engaged with the intersectionality between disinformation, IPs, and the media. Sao Phal Niseiy, Editor-in-Chief from Cambodianess, emphasised on the importance of empowering media professionals in reporting climate disinformation. He stressed that aside from sharing accurate information to the IPs, we also need to encourage IPs to proactively share Indigenous ecological knowledge to the general public. Seoung Nimol, Journalist from CamboJA News, saw climate disinformation as a tactic deployed against journalists to deter them from reporting on Indigenous issues. Hence, as journalists, she said it was crucial to ensure accurate information reaches vulnerable communities, including recognising IPs’ role in climate change mitigation efforts and in tackling deforestation. Yatt Malai, Journalist from Kiri Post, validated the observations made in the report by sharing with the audience her own reporting experience where she witnessed firsthand the attempts to only portray one-sided information. In her visits to the provincial areas, there were often efforts by company owners and local-level authorities who prevented her access to the other side of the story. Carlos Gallardo, Regional Representative from Cord, recommended the report also consider private sector accountability, the issue of building social cohesion among IPs and community-led environmental initiatives. He said the report has the potential to serve as the starting point for future conversations surrounding climate disinformation. Kuy Suyheang, Executive Director from Women Peace Makers (WPM), referring to the report’s title, said that climate disinformation not only undermines the agency of IPs from climate mitigation, but also takes away the agency of the Cambodian public to act on this issue. Vinh Socheata, Media Training Coordinator from Cambodia Center Independent Media (CCIM), said the report reflected the reality of Indigenous communities and their struggles in the face of climate disinformation. She said her organisation has organised training sessions for journalists to strengthen their capacity on climate reporting. Overall, the draft report was complimented as having captured the key issues, being well structured and bringing into focus the issue of climate disinformation. Asia Centre’s Dr. Gomez concluded the event by thanking IMS, all panellists and participants for their feedback. He said the feedback was well received and suggestions, where relevant, will be incorporated when finalising the report.
Asia Centre AI Hub: Supporting CSOs’ Digital Transformation
Unlike their prominent role in leveraging social media for advocacy in the early 2000s, human rights-based civil society organisations (CSOs) are now sidelined in discussions dominated by governments and technology companies. This exclusion limits their ability to ensure that Artificial Intelligence (AI) serves public interests, especially in areas related to democracy and human rights. To close this gap, Asia Centre has established the AI Hub for CSOs. Since 2024, Asia Centre has actively contributed to AI-related discourse across the region by engaging in collaborations with UN agencies, international NGOs and technology companies. These efforts include participating in high-level events and hosting discussions on AI literacy in electoral management, gender-sensitive AI policies and digital democracy. Through these activities, Asia Centre has built strong networks and developed expertise at the intersection of AI, governance and civil society. These experiences have directly informed the creation of the AI Hub, equipping the Centre with the insight and partnerships necessary to lead regional efforts that place CSOs at the heart of AI governance. The Asia Centre AI Hub for CSOs will officially launch on 1 September 2025 in Bangkok, Thailand, to address the lack of AI literacy among human rights-based civil society organisations. Strategically located in Phayathai Plaza Building in central Bangkok, the Hub offers a fully equipped, collaborative workspace that supports CSOs in adopting AI tools aligned with their missions. The facility includes a welcoming reception area with a pantry and lounge, a main workspace with modern workstations, a large meeting room, a discussion room and an administrative office, providing the environment needed to build digital capacity and foster innovation. Beyond physical infrastructure, the AI Hub is designed to ensure that human rights-based CSOs are meaningfully included in AI policy discussions and ethical frameworks. It will serve as a platform for inclusive dialogue by connecting tech experts, policymakers and civil society actors, enabling them to exchange ideas and co-develop rights-respecting AI solutions. The Hub also promotes responsible AI use that upholds human rights principles and democratic values. By empowering CSOs to lead in AI-driven advocacy and governance, the AI Hub strengthens their role in shaping a digital future that is inclusive, ethical and just. Its central location in Bangkok, with easy access to public transport and regional networks, makes it an ideal base for collaboration and outreach across the Asia-Pacific region. AI is transforming societies across the Asia Pacific, but this progress remains uneven. Despite AI’s increasing influence on governance, the voices of CSOs are notably absent from policy and development processes. Asia Centre is pleased to step in to help bridge this gap. The Asia Centre AI Hub is one of four specialised hubs that comprise the wider Asia Centre network in the region. There is the Research Hub in Bangkok, Thailand, the Media Hub in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, and the Training Hub in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Together, the Asia Centre Hubs each serve a distinct function to advance the Centre’s mission to support CSOs across Asia and beyond. If you are interested in collaborating with Asia Centre, please send us an email query at contact@asiacentre.org or make an appointment to visit us at our office. You can also reach us through Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn. Asia Centre is a civil society research institute in Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council. It serves as a knowledge partner and undertakes evidence-based research as well as provides capacity-building training for end beneficiaries. If you would like to collaborate with the Centre on AI Hub for CSOs, please send an expression of interest to.ai@asiacentre.org Follow Asia Centre’s social media channels for more information.
Asia Centre Research Hub: Advancing Evidence-Based Civil Society Research
In April 2022, Asia Centre launched its Research Hub in Bangkok to consolidate its role as a civil society research institute and publisher of all the Centre’s knowledge products in the Asia-Pacific region. The establishment of the Hub reflects the Centre’s commitment to strengthening its role as a producer of evidence-based knowledge, particularly in the areas of democracy and human rights. The Research Hub focuses on delivering a range of knowledge outputs, including baseline studies, policy briefs, needs assessments, strategic plans, perception studies, programme evaluations and submissions to UN human rights mechanisms, among others. The Research Hub undertakes one-off research projects as well as engages in multi-year, multi-country studies with regional overviews. Often, research outputs are re-packaged into smaller content capsules such as op-eds, podcasts, short videos, infographics, and disseminated via the Asia Centre’s social media channels. The Centre’s research team members also write commentaries and provide expert interviews to established media outlets in the region, such as ABC Australia, Bangkok Post, Jakarta Post, Nikkei Asia, The Rappler, to name a few. Due to the Research Hub’s strategic location in Bangkok, Thailand, the Asia Centre is well-positioned to coordinate and implement projects beyond Southeast Asia. In recent years, the Centre has implemented projects in South Asia, including India, Sri Lanka and Nepal, as well as in East Asia, including Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea. Located just 200 metres from Bangkok’s Rama 9 MRT Station, the Research Hub is designed to foster productivity, collaboration, and innovation. The Hub features an open plan work area with eight desks, a 5-seater meeting and 2 x 2 seater discussion rooms, and an administration and finance room, all enhanced by natural lighting, modern furniture and electronic equipment. The meeting and discussion rooms are all equipped with a whiteboard, a TV console and video conference systems for presentations as well as cross-border team and partner meetings. There are ample built-in cabinets and shelves throughout the Research Hub that offer organised storage for office supplies and research materials. The Asia Centre Research Hub is one of four specialised Hubs that make up the Asia Centre group of offices in the region. There is the Media Hub in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, and the Training Hub in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. In August 2025, AI Hub will be the second Hub in Bangkok, Thailand. Together, the Asia Centre Hubs each serve a distinct function and together serve to advance the Centre’s mission across Asia and beyond. If you are interested in collaborating with Asia Centre, please send us an email query at contact@asiacentre.org or make an appointment to visit us at our office. You can also reach us through Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn. Asia Centre is a civil society research institute in Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council. It serves as a knowledge partner and undertakes evidence-based research as well as provides capacity-building training for end beneficiaries. If you would like to collaborate with the Centre please send an expression of interest to. contact@asiacentre.org Follow Asia Centre’s social media channels for more information.
Asia Centre Launches Report on Digital Security For High-Risk Users in the Asia-Pacific
On 10 December 2024, the Asia Centre hosted the online launch of its latest report, Digital Security for High-Risk Users in the Asia-Pacific: Needs Assessment Report. The event attracted about 50 participants and featured insights from experts in digital security, citizen participation, and technology. Dr James Gomez, Regional Director of the Asia Centre, delivered the opening remarks, highlighting the crucial importance of digital security for rights defenders. He also addressed the growing role of artificial intelligence (AI) in human rights advocacy, noting its potential to enhance the digital knowledge and operations of civil society organisations (CSOs). To this end, he announced the theme for the Asia Centre’s annual conference, “AI and Governance in Asia: Civil Society, Democracy and Media” scheduled for 20-22 August 2025 in Bangkok, Thailand. The conference aims to bring together key stakeholders from the region and beyond, including international non-governmental organisations (INGOs), local civil society organisations (CSOs), technology companies, development agencies, and other relevant actors, to engage in discussions around AI’s impact on democracy and human rights sectors and CSOs response to it. Additionally, Dr Gomez introduced Asia Centre’s newly established AI Hub for Civil Society Organisations, located in Bangkok, Thailand. The AI Hub is designed to serve as a resource and focal point for CSOs both in Asia and beyond to provide support for their digital transformation by incorporating AI as a central tool in their operations. Through its research, capacity-building initiatives, and advocacy efforts, the Hub will also support CSOs in understanding and leveraging AI in ways that align with their mission and contribute positively to democracy and human rights. Following the opening remarks, the report overview and its key findings were presented by the Asia Centre’s Research Manager, Dr Marc Pinol Rovira. He identified three critical elements affecting digital security in the Asia-Pacific region. First, while digital transformation has provided significant benefits to actors such as rights defenders and journalists in promoting public accountability, emerging threats—including government misuse of legal frameworks, online surveillance, and information operations—undermine the potential of these internet-based tools. These challenges are further exacerbated by limited digital literacy and a relative lack of skills and resources necessary to effectively counter these threats. Second, Dr Pinol Rovira highlighted the diversity and sheer volume of threat sources as a key challenge, adding complexity to the development of effective solutions against digital security threats. He noted that many high-risk users tend to adopt a reactive approach to digital security threats rather than a proactive one. Although awareness of the importance of digital security is increasing, limited resources and rapidly evolving technologies often hinder the implementation of proactive measures. Third, he emphasised key recommendations from the report. He stressed the importance of creating tailored digital security training programmes for specific contexts, underscoring the need for comprehensive, evidence-based research to inform curriculum development. For such initiatives to succeed, he called on government agencies, organisations, and individual high-risk users to prioritise digital security in their strategies, advocating for increased training opportunities and resources. Following the report presentation, a discussion on the key findings ensued, featuring four commentators who provided additional insights into the report while drawing from their own experiences in the digital security sector. Micheline Rama, Social Behavior Change Advisor at The Asia Foundation, emphasised the importance of inclusive digital security mechanisms, advocating for security measures tailored to local contexts. She stressed that such measures should be affordable and accessible to local organisations, adding that effective security measures require collaboration between digital experts and local organisations to ensure relevance and practicality. Marc Howard, Founding Engineer of Project Shied at Google highlighted the shared responsibilities between platform owners and users in ensuring digital security. He noted that users should adopt protective measures such as VPNs and two-factor authentication. Meanwhile, platform owners must ensure the safety of their platforms, taking proactive measures to prevent potential data breaches that could compromise users’ data. Nenden S. Arum, Executive Director at SAFEnet focused on the psychological impact of digital threats on users and their overall well-being. She suggested that training modules should address these aspects and reiterated Micheline’s recommendation for localised and tailored training. She also advocated for using simpler language in the modules to enhance accessibility and comprehension. Lastly, Takaya Terakawa, CEO of Technica Zen Ltd., emphasised the critical role of the private sector and corporate entities in advancing digital security. He advocated for businesses to assume responsibility by organising training programmes aimed at equipping users with the essential skills and knowledge needed to navigate the digital landscape securely. The event concluded with a Q&A session that addressed pressing topics, including the lack of specific data on digital security attacks targeting different groups, the limitations of existing security tools, and strategies to counter government restrictions on social media access. Participants provided several key suggestions to tackle these challenges. They highlighted the importance of using services like AccessNow to provide specific support for high-risk users. Additionally, they emphasised the need for tailored tools and solutions to address the unique risks faced by various groups. Furthermore, the panelists agreed on the value of a multistakeholder approach, involving governments, civil society organisations, and the private sector, to enhance digital security training. This event underscores the Asia Centre’s commitment to exploring how the opportunities presented by internet-based digital technologies can be harnessed for the greater good, benefiting all sectors of society. The Centre is dedicated to ensuring that this process remains inclusive and multi-stakeholder-focused, fostering collaboration among various groups. Looking ahead to 2025, with the Asia Centre’s annual conference on AI and Governance and the operations of the AI Hub for Civil Society Organisations, the Centre aims to strengthen existing partnerships while establishing new ones. This strategic direction seeks to ensure that internet-based tools, particularly those involving AI, are used responsibly and for the benefit of society as a whole. The International Conference is Asia Centre’s annual event where it brings together its partners to share the outcomes of their programmes and network for future collaborations. Over the years, the conference has become
Asia Centre Media Hub: Driving Civil Society Organisation (CSO) Advocacy in the Region
Launched in 2018, the Asia Centre Media Hub was established to enhance the visibility of the Centre and its partners’ work by producing and disseminating digital content that highlights their activities and research outputs. As a dedicated media unit, the Media Hub plays a vital role in amplifying the voices of civil society, particularly amid limited mainstream media coverage and an increasingly crowded digital landscape. The Media Hub’s wide range of digital content includes podcasts, videos, infographics, and written commentaries, as well as tools that not only support the Asia Centre’s advocacy work but also empower CSOs to promote their issues effectively. Over time, the Hub has become a vital resource for coordinating multimedia campaigns that bring sustained attention to key civil society issues. Campaign-based content development is a core function of the Media Hub. By producing and strategically disseminating curated content over media platforms that target specific audiences during a set time frame, the Hub raises awareness and reinforces the importance of key democracy and human rights issues. These campaigns are tailored to highlight ongoing challenges faced by youth, women, indigenous people, sexual minorities, ethnic and religious groups, and encourage policy reforms that will empower these communities. The Asia Centre Media Hub operates from a dedicated three-storey building, with each level serving a specific function. The first floor houses a gallery that showcases the Centre’s history since 2015 and also serves as a venue for exhibitions, launches, and public dialogues; it includes a pantry and a space used for meetings and training sessions. The second floor functions as the main workspace, featuring open workstations, two meeting rooms, and an administrative room to support daily operations. The third floor is a fully equipped media studio with professional-grade equipment, such as cameras, microphones, tripods, teleprompters, and lighting systems, enabling comprehensive media production for both internal projects and partner collaborations. Situated in the Iskandar Puteri region of Johor Bahru, Malaysia, the Media Hub also serves as Asia Centre’s base for outreach across the Malay-speaking region of Nusantara, including Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Timor-Leste. This strategic location supports the Centre’s efforts to strengthen partnerships and expand programming within the subregion. The Asia Centre Media Hub is one of four specialised offices that comprise the wider Asia Centre network. There is the Research Hub in Bangkok, Thailand, and the Training Hub in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. In August 2025, AI Hub will be the second Hub in Bangkok, Thailand. Together, the Asia Centre Hubs each serve a distinct function to advance the Centre’s mission across Asia and beyond. If you are interested in collaborating with Asia Centre, please send us an email query at contact@asiacentre.org or make an appointment to visit us at our office. You can also reach us through Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn. Asia Centre is a civil society research institute in Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council. It serves as a knowledge partner and undertakes evidence-based research as well as provides capacity-building training for end beneficiaries. Follow Asia Centre’s social media channels for more information.
Call for Partnership: Asia Centre Digital Security Training Programme 2025 Kicks Off
From June 2025 to May 2026, Asia Centre, with the support of Google, will begin its Digital Security Training (DST) programme aimed at mitigating the negative impact of misinformation, digital threats and cybersecurity risks within the Asia-Pacific region. This training programme is designed for high-risk users and digitally vulnerable communities in the Asia Pacific region. The training is targeted at youths, women, government officials, people with disabilities, marginalised communities and community leaders. Under this project, Asia Centre offers two types of training activities: 1. End Beneficiaries Training Interested organisations that agree to partner with Asia Centre will need to jointly identify a tentative date and recruit a minimum of 30-40 participants for a 90 to 180-minute session. long training session. Partners provide the venue and facilitate venue management. 2. Training of Trainers (Master Trainers) Interested organisations that agree to partner with Asia Centre will need to jointly identify a tentative date and recruit a minimum 30-40 participants for a 180 minutes long training session. Partners provide the venue and facilitate venue management. Identified trainers agree to meet all post-Training of Trainers (TOT) requirements to become digital security Master Trainers and receive their trainer certification. Asia Centre will undertake curriculum development, provide trainer(s) and cover the trainers’ travel and logistical costs to deliver the above training. At the end of the training sessions, end beneficiaries will learn about different types of cybersecurity attacks, scams and frauds and how to protect themselves against them. The digital security trainers will be equipped with knowledge and materials to conduct their own peer-to-peer end-beneficiary (P2PEB) training within their network and improve community awareness on digital security. Together, both trainers and end beneficiaries will be able to build resilience and curb disinformation, spam, online fraud and other types of digital security threats in their respective countries. This training will build upon Asia Centre’s partnership with Google to deliver digital security training to high-risk users in 2024 to 2025. During this period, Asia Centre successfully conducted 42 training sessions in 15 Asia-Pacific countries, engaging 1,225 people with diverse gender and professional backgrounds as direct beneficiaries. If you are interested in partnering on either the End Beneficiaries or Training of Trainers (Master Trainers) programme, please email training@asiacentre.org to set up a call OR register your interest directly in the “form” for us to contact you. Visit our social media posts from previous training cycles: Nepal: Child Safe Net, Digital Rights Nepal Sri Lanka: Hashtag Generation India: Association for Democratic Reform (ADR), Association for Democratic Socialism Thailand: National Human Rights Council South (NHRC South), Phue Thai Party, Democrat Party Thailand Indonesia: Indika Foundation, Social Movement Institute Malaysia: Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM) Taiwan: European Values Centre for Security Policy (EVC) Cambodia: KiriPost
Unfiltered Voices, Unstoppable Change: Oxfam Youth Assembly 2025 #Nofilter
Introduction Under the theme “#NoFilter: The Asian Youth and Emerging Realities of the 21st Century,” the Assembly provided a platform for young leaders to discuss and strategise around pressing social issues, including intersectional inequalities, climate change, civic space restrictions, and digital justice. The 2025 Oxfam Asia Youth Assembly, held on 6-7 March, 2025, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, brought together 47 in-person youth participants from Sri Lanka and 30 virtual attendees from across Asia. Co-organised by Oxfam, Asia Centre, and DevPro, the event marked the culmination of the 2024 Oxfam Asia Young Leaders Fellowship Programme. The event was structured over two days: Day 1 was a hybrid event, featuring an opening ceremony, three talk shows, and the drafting of a Youth Statement—a collective call to action reflecting participants’ concerns, aspirations, and policy recommendations for social development in Asia. Day 2 was an onsite workshop, bringing together the eight Oxfam Fellows and 25 in-person youth participants. The workshop focused on equipping youth with practical tools and techniques for effective advocacy and social change. Day One Opening Ceremony The first day of the Assembly, 6 of March, opened with a vibrant welcome ceremony, featuring a performance by the Sri Lanka Youth Performers Group. John Samuel, Oxfam Asia Regional Director, then welcomed participants, setting the stage for the discussions ahead. This was followed by a welcoming message from Dr. James Gomez, Asia Centre’s Regional Director, who congratulated the Oxfam Fellows on their amazing accomplishments while cautioning of the challenges that youth programmes may face in the future, especially with the halting of USAID. Tilak Karunaratne, Executive Director of DevPro, reflected on the longstanding partnership between DevPro and Oxfam, emphasising their shared commitment to fighting poverty and inequality. The highlight of the ceremony was a keynote address by the Guest of Honor, Hon. Dr. Kaushalya Ariyarathne, Member of Parliament, introduced by Vishnu Padmanabhan. As both a university lecturer and policymaker, she delivered a compelling speech on the crucial role of youth in leadership and decision-making. She emphasised the dangers of an apolitical mindset among young people, urging them to stay informed, engaged, and passionate about driving change. The opening also introduced the Oxfam Young Leaders Fellowship Programme, showcasing the journey of the eight Oxfam Young Leaders and unveiling a Youth Exhibit, where participants could engage with advocacy materials and projects. Talkshow Sessions: Engaging Dialogues on Key Youth Challenges- Day 1 The first talk show, “Intersectional Inequalities,” featured five regional speakers who discussed various forms of oppression, their complexities, and the crucial role of youth engagement in addressing these issues across different realms. Alanna Inserra, a Senior Social Development Specialist from the Asian Development Bank in the Philippines, kicked off the talkshow by emphasising the importance of youth engagement, and highlighting the need for skills development, mentorship, and financial support to strengthen youth programmes. Lance Dublin, a student from Mindanao State University, Philippines, reflected on what intersectionality means and the pathway to transformative change through the development of policies and programmes that recognise intersecting identities. Bhawana Ghimire, an Oxfam Fellow from Nepal, discussed the concept of gender as a social construct and highlighted the harmful implications of these norms and societal expectations, specifically on young women. Minh Ha Nguyen, an Oxfam Fellow from Vietnam, discussed the widespread issue of gender-based violence in the country, highlighting how the existing punitive system focuses on punishment rather than rehabilitation and fails to address the root causes of the problem. Achmad Zulfikar Luthfi, an Oxfam Fellow from Indonesia, stressed the importance of inclusive and responsible business practices in bridging not only economic inequality but other forms of inequality as well. This session reinforced the urgent need for institutional and financial support to empower young people in overcoming systemic barriers. Talkshow 2: Climate Change and Constrained Civic Space- Day 1 The second talkshow, “Challenges on Climate Change and Constrained Civic Space” featured five speakers who examined the impacts of climate change and shrinking civic space on youth activism. Dr. Thusitha Sugathapala, a Senior Technical Expert on Climate Change and Sustainable Development at SLYCAN Trust in Sri Lanka, emphasised climate change as a pressing issue, particularly for youth, who will bear the brunt of its impacts. He also highlighted the increasing inaction by governments and the challenges young people face in addressing climate change due to conventional top-down, government-centered approaches. Tan Darien, Co-Founder of a youth organisation that supports women and LGBT+ rights in Vietnam called Savour, spoke on his own experience as a youth leader. He noted three challenges for youth-led organisations: lack of funding, lack of mentorship and expertise, and administrative barriers. He advocated for increased funding, expanded capacity-building programmes to equip youth with essential skills, and greater networking opportunities to enhance youth leadership and engagement. Isaura Barros, an Oxfam Fellow from Timor-Leste, highlighted the country’s extreme vulnerability to climate change and that many young people remain unaware of its impacts, despite experiencing them daily. She emphasised the importance of youth-led initiatives—such as educational seminars, mangrove reforestation, and waste management projects—in raising awareness and fostering active engagement among young people. Seena Kimhohiching, an Oxfam Fellow from Manipur, India, shared her personal journey of resilience as a religious and ethnic minority. She delivered a powerful call for international action against the ongoing violence in Manipur, urging global attention and accountability for government officials. Jonathan Gelogo, an Oxfam Fellow from the Philippines, began his session with an interactive activity where participants had stickers placed on their foreheads and had to find their respective groups without speaking. Despite the lack of verbal communication, participants successfully identified their groups, demonstrating the power of nonverbal understanding. Jonathan linked this exercise to peacebuilding efforts, emphasising the importance of active listening, community engagement, and collaboration in fostering meaningful change. The session highlighted the critical role of youth in climate advocacy and the need for more inclusive civic spaces where young people can participate in advocacy and decision-making. Talkshow 3: Digital Security and Data Justice – Day 1 The final talkshow, “Digital Security, Data Justice, and Digital
Bolstering Youth Engagement in Politics, Governance and Civil Society Needs Concrete Short-to-Long-term Action Plan
Strengthening youth engagement in politics, governance, and civil society requires a concrete action plan spanning short-, mid-, and long-term goals. This was the central message of the “Asia Global Democracy Coalition Regional Forum 2025: Youths, Democracy & Electoral Legitimacy in Asia”, co-hosted by Asia Centre and the Global Democracy Coalition. Held on 4 April 2025 in Bangkok, Thailand, the hybrid forum brought together 33 on-site participants and 62 online attendees, aged 18 to 65, from across Asia representing students, academics, CSOs, diplomatic representatives and research institutes. Sanjay Gathia, Programme Manager at Asia Centre, opened the event by reflecting on key insights from the Asia Centre-GDC forum held on 28 November 2024. He emphasised the importance of regional collaboration to strengthen democracy in the Asia-Pacific, highlighting the need for youth involvement and support systems to combat systemic corruption, address economic inequalities, and foster youth participation in democratic processes. Elisenda Balleste Buxo, Project Coordinator of the Global Democracy Coalition at International IDEA, followed with a recorded speech. She acknowledged the challenges of shrinking civic space and the disillusionment of younger generations. She stressed the importance of placing youth at the forefront of the Global Democracy Coalition, urging the event to serve as a catalyst for collective action. The first panel, “Youth, Democracy & Elections in Asia: Issues & Challenges”, explored barriers to youth engagement in politics across South Korea, India, Indonesia and Thailand. Chaehyun Kim of the Korea Democracy Foundation highlighted concerns stemming from South Korea’s December 2024 Martial Law declaration and subsequent protests seeing a high presence of women and younger generations. Her speech stressed how the South Korean political environment has been experiencing a long-time absence of youth participation due to generational hierarchy, party dominance, and lack of transparency as obstacles for young policymakers. Shelly Mahajan from the Association for Democratic Reforms (India) discussed the disillusionment of Indian youth with politics and advocated for reforms, including youth quotas. Chikita Edrini Marpaung of the Legal Aid Organization for the Press (Indonesia) examined the role of youth movements on social media, referencing the #GagalkanOmnibusLaw hashtag as an example of digital activism. Yosathorn Niamsaing of the Thai Lawyers for Human Rights addressed challenges faced by pro-democracy movements in Thailand, including the overuse of the Thai Criminal Code and concerns about the draft Law on Associations and Foundations. The second panel, “Breaking Barriers for Youth Participation in Politics”, focused on strategies to enhance youth participation, drawing on experiences from Malaysia, Myanmar, Taiwan, Thailand, and the Czech Republic. Jernell Tan of Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM) highlighted the history of student activism and its role in bridging social divides and driving social change, which the young generation in the current age can learn from and adapt. Liliane of Politics for Women, Myanmar, shared examples from the 2021 Spring Revolution, showcasing the lesson learnt from the changing role of women and youth in Myanmar society, including being more active in ongoing resistance movements and applying an intersectional lens to address socio-political issues. Dr. Alan H. Yang of the Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation (TAEF) emphasised the learning from Taiwan’s youth activism, which was able to move beyond campus, leading to reforms and the election of young legislators. He also advocated for more comprehensive cross-regional cooperation between youth activists in Taiwan and their counterparts in Southeast Asia. Chompunut Chalieobun of the Westminster Foundation advocated for political parties to adopt affirmative actions to foster empowerment and inclusive policy development for young women MPs. Nadiia Ivanova of People in Need called for safe mechanisms to support, cross-regionally, youth engagement and safeguard activists from repression. In the afternoon, on-site participants formed three groups – those discussing the topic of Youth & Politics, Youth & Governance and Youth & Civil Society – to discuss challenges and propose solutions for enhancing youth engagement. Each group developed short-, mid-, and long-term action plans. The Youth & Politics group identified key issues such as access to education and resources, representation barriers, and political apathy. Their plans included leveraging social media and education reforms in the short term, forming youth groups within political parties in the medium term, and advocating for proportional representation in the long term. The Youth & Governance group highlighted restrictive legal structures, the need for leadership opportunities, and financial constraints. Their plans ranged from training programs for activists in the short term to policy reforms and international alliances in the long term. The Youth & Civil Society group focused on financial constraints, skill development and safety guarantees. Their plans included fundraising activities for self-sustainability in the short term, fostering youth-inclusive community environments in the medium term, and developing self-reliant social enterprises in the long term. During the plenary and future planning sessions, participants shared their action plans, aiming to create a roadmap for sustained youth engagement and democratic participation. The event concluded with a call for collaboration, resource-sharing and consistent efforts to overcome challenges and improve youth participation. View the video recording of the panel discussions here. Asia Centre is a civil society research institute in Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council. It serves as a knowledge partner and undertakes evidence-based research as well as provides capacity-building training for end beneficiaries. If you would like to collaborate with the Centre, please send an expression of interest to contact@asiacentre.org. Follow Asia Centre’s social media channels for more information.
Asia Centre Signs MoU with Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation
On 18th March 2025, during the 8th Yushan Forum, Asia Centre signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation (TAEF) in Taipei, Taiwan. The signatories were, for the Asia Centre, its Regional Director, Dr. James Gomez and for the Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation, its Chairman, Dr. Michael Hsiao Hsin-Huang. During the MoU signing, Prof Michael Hsiao announced that the Asia Centre, in collaboration with TAEF and the Advanced Research Center for Humanities and Social Sciences at National Chung Hsing University are jointly planning a conference entitled “The Evolving Crisis of Democracy in Asia: Challenges and Resolutions”. The planned conference will be held at National Chung Hsing University (NCHU) in Taichung, and is scheduled to take place on 28th-29th August 2025. The agreement represents a significant step between Asia Centre and TAEF to collaborate on the Think-Tank and NGO fronts. It also reflects a shared commitment to advancing research and dialogue for democratic solutions in Asia. Following the signing, Dr. Gomez spoke at the session entitled the Think Tank Forum—Building an NSP+ Think Tank Corridor. During this panel Dr. Gomez made two recommendations for TAEF to consider – which involves taking a non-statist approach. First, to engage with think-tanks, Dr. Gomez recommended that TAEF engage with independent entities with diverse sources of funding which tend to be progressive in outlook and are likely to share the same democratic values. Second, he recommended engagement with NGOs that work on democracy and human rights issues as there will be once again more values alignment with Taiwan. During the Yushan Forum, Asia Centre also circulated a Position Paper in which it pledged support for the move by Taiwan to establish an INGO Hub in the country. To that end, Asia Centre’s Dr. Gomez announced the Centre is willing to explore plans for a liaison office to assist the Taiwan government, INGOs, local Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to connect to relevant networks in the Asia-Pacific region. At the end of session 8 – “NGO Forum—Creating an NSP+ INGO Hub”, Dr. Gomez was invited up for a group photo with other NGOs representing the 2025 Yushan Initiative for INGO Cooperation. The signing of the MoU, participation in the 8th Yushan Forum, and future collaborative activities are key examples of the Asia Centre’s engagement with Taiwan. If you are interested in partnering with the Asia Centre, please contact us at info@asiacentre.org.