ACSC/APF: Quo Vadis? Article Since 2005, the ACSC/APF remains a valuable platform for civil society organizations in Southeast Asia fostering regional advocacy and solidarity. Over the years, it has attracted diverse organisations such as the members of the LGBTQI+. As the 2024 forum was recently held in Timor-Leste in September, this article looks back, reflects on the particular issues and concerns observed through the years and how these could be addressed to provide safe spaces for CSOs, particularly to countries with restrictive regimes. By Soe Min Than
The ASEAN Civil Society Conference/ASEAN People's Forum (ACSC/APF) in Promoting Exchange and Dialogue for Southeast Asia Article Now in its 20th year, the ASEAN Civil Society Conference/ASEAN People’s Forum (ACSC/APF, the largest gathering of civil society organizations (CSOs) in Southeast Asia, has held a vital role as a platform for CSOs in voicing various concerns. By Teerachai S.
New Perspectives on Civil Society Engagement with ASEAN The eleven-year experience of engagement with the official ASEAN process has taught civil society movements in Southeast Asia valuable lessons that should guide its future trajectories. Disappointment, rejection, and disillusionment should now be a thing of the past and chalked up to experience. The real challenge facing ACSC/APF today lies from outside and beyond the established ASEAN process. By Eduardo C. Tadem
ASEAN Governance: Is there a Role for Civil Society? On 12 October 2016, SEA Junction organized a panel discussion titled “ASEAN Governance: Is There a Role for Civil Society?" in partnership with the Heinrich Böll Stiftung Southeast Asia. More than 70 participants, many of them from Southeast Asia, filled SEA Junction premises at the Bangkok Art and Cultural Centre (BACC) in Bangkok, Thailand to eagerly listen to the speakers and exchange views on the challenge of establishing a more representative governance system for ASEAN as a "people-centered" inter-governmental institution. By Farid Khan and Rosalia Sciortino
