Asia Centre's Big Ideas: Competence, Culture, and Competition: The Operational Code of Asia CentreWhat does it take to build a "bubble of competence in a sea of incompetence"? For Dr James Gomez, founder and Regional Director of Asia Centre, the answer led to expanding across four countries and multiple hubs — while holding the line against shrinking civic space, aid collapse, and an information ecosystem increasingly flooded by AI-generated disinformation. He returns to the show to unpack the operational reality of running a multinational CSO in Asia: the talent challenges, the cross-border fault lines, and the high-stakes question of whether AI can be trusted to support — rather than distort — civil society research. Hosted by Kelvin Param.

Asia Centre's Big Ideas: Freedom from Academia ─ How Unencumbered Research Empowers Civic ActionWhat happens when academic conventions get in the way of speaking truth to power? Dr James Gomez walked away from the ivory tower to build something more agile — founding Asia Centre on the principle of "freedom from academia." By replacing the strictures of academic institutions with collective expertise and real stakeholder input, he's created a model that's faster, sharper, and that can be harnessed for advocacy and capacity-building bringing the research closer to the ground — and one that's actively equipping civil society leaders in Asia to challenge power on their own terms. Hosted by Kelvin Param.

Asia Centre's Big Ideas: The Donut Model ─ A Self-Funding Architecture for Civil Society in the Trump 2.0 EraThe return of the Trump administration in 2025 triggered a $60 billion reduction in U.S. foreign aid, dismantling the USAID structure and leaving a 'seismic disruption' in its wake. So when the grants stop, how does the work continue? As legacy INGOs retreat, local organisations are stepping up with a new, adaptive financial model. Dr James Gomez, founder of the Asia Centre, explains how his organisation bypassed the donor mentality through self-funding infrastructure and diversifying into a range of revenue-generating activities to overcome the funding crunch. Hosted by Kelvin Param

What happens to democracy when the funding stops? In this session, we explore the crucial role U.S. foreign aid has played in promoting democratic values and human rights across Asia, and what’s happened since that aid was suspended. Discover which local organisations once received U.S. support, the challenges they now face, and how they’re adapting. We’ll also assess the shifting landscape of democracy in the region, and what this means for the future of democracy in Asia.

In this episode of the Asia Centre Podcast, recorded on 2 October 2024, host Fatin Arwaeputeh explores the critical role of youth in shaping democratic developments across South Asia, with a special focus on Sri Lanka’s 2024 Presidential Election. Joined by guest speaker Saritha Irugalbandara, they discuss how young voters are emerging as a driving force in the region’s political landscape, with their participation playing a crucial role in influencing electoral outcomes and shaping governance.This episode examines the challenges young people face in engaging with the electoral process—from low voter registration in India to Sri Lanka’s relatively high youth turnout. We explore the barriers limiting youth participation, the impact of their involvement in elections, and strategies to strengthen their role in democratic processes.Join us as we analyse youth engagement trends, discuss policy solutions, and highlight the power of young voices in shaping South Asia’s evolving democracy.

In this episode of the Asia Centre podcast, host Fatin Arwaeputeh examines the vital role of youth in shaping democratic developments across East Asia as part of #ThankYouDemocracy campaign by Global Democracy Coalition. As the region undergoes rapid change, young voices are increasingly influencing legislative and political spaces, driving a shift towards more inclusive governance. This episode explores how youth activists and leaders are challenging traditional norms, advocating for progressive policies, and reshaping political futures.Joining us is Chaehyun Kim from the Korean Democracy Foundation, who shares insights into the successes and challenges of youth-led initiatives in Korea and across East Asia. Together, we discuss the barriers young people face in political participation, including economic inequality and the rise of autocratic tendencies, while also considering their impact on key contemporary issues such as democracy, climate change, and social justice.

Emergency measures imposed by governments across Southeast Asia during the COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted human rights and democracy in the region. This resulted in civic spaces shrinking across the region, which challenged the advocacy and activities of human rights activists, CSOs, and journalists, among others. Although these measures were implemented to keep the spread of the virus at bay and ensure public health, many governments also used them to curb civic freedoms. Some examples include laws that were used to criminalise people's calls for public accountability, decrease electoral integrity, and allow for increased state surveillance. In this podcast episode, Asia Centre’s Marc Piñol Rovira and Ekmongkhon Puridej explore how governments used different tactics to derogate civil rights during and beyond the pandemic. This episode is based on Asia Centre's report "Moving Beyond COVID-19 Restrictions in Southeast Asia: Pushing Back Against Authoritarian Pandemic Governance”, supported by International Center for Not-for-Profit Law.

This podcast episode is part of the report “State-Sponsored Online Disinformation in Thailand: Impact on Electoral Integrity in Thailand”. The report examines government-backed disinformation campaigns, known as information operations, and assesses their impact on the integrity of elections. The report identifies key actions domestic and international state actors contribute to false information campaigns. Based on the evidence of information operations in Thailand and the absence of effective legal and non-legal measures to address them, the 2023 Thai General Election is expected to experience its share of state-sponsored disinformation over social media platforms. So what happened? This episode examines these issues.  Our discussant for this episode is Akarachai Chaimaneekarakate, a Harvard Law School graduate. Akarachai is a Legal Fellow at Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR). The main focus of his work is to explore ways in which international human rights law can be used to promote and advance the protection of human rights in Thailand. Before TLHR, Akarachai worked as a legal advocate for refugees in Bangkok. He also worked with the Office of the Co-Prosecutors at the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia, focusing on prosecuting senior military officers in Cambodia accused of crimes against humanity, war crimes, and genocide. 

เมื่อวันที่ 28 เมษายน 2563 สองอาทิตย์ก่อนหน้าการเลือกตั้งทั่วไป สถาบันวิจัยเอเชีย เซ็นเตอร์ ได้เปิดตัวรายงานเรื่อง "ข้อมูลบิดเบือนออนไลน์โดยรัฐ: ผลกระทบต่อความสุจริตและสมบูรณ์ของการเลือกตั้งในประเทศไทย" ที่ศึกษาการเผยแพร่ข้อมูลบิดเบือนออนไลน์โดยรัฐและประเมินผลกระทบต่อความสุจริตและเที่ยงธรรมของการเลือกตั้ง รายงานฉบับนี้พบว่า การเผยแพร่ข้อมูลบิดเบือนโดยรัฐและผลกระทบต่อความสุจริตและเที่ยงธรรมของการเลือกตั้ง ประกอบด้วย หนึ่ง การใช้ทรัพยากรรัฐเพื่อสร้างและเผยแพร่เนื้อหาสนับสนุนผู้อยู่ในอำนาจ เพื่อสร้างภาพลักษณ์เชิงบวกแก่รัฐบาล กองทัพ และสถาบันกษัตริย์  สอง การใช้ข้อมูลบิดเบือนเป็นอาวุธเพื่อคุกคามนักการเมือง และนักกิจกรรมที่เป็นคนชายขอบ ไม่ว่าจะเป็นผู้หญิง กลุ่มผู้มีความหลากหลายทางเพศ หรือชนกลุ่มน้อยทางชาติพันธุ์-ศาสนา นี่ถือเป็นการขัดขวางการมีส่วนร่วมทางการเมืองที่สามารถนำความเปลี่ยนแปลงให้พวกเขา  สาม การบิดเบือนข้อมูลเกี่ยวกับกระบวนการเลือกตั้งและการทำลายความน่าเชื่อถือของนักการเมือง พรรคการเมือง และนโยบายของพรรค นี่ถือเป็นการริดรอนสิทธิของผู้มีสิทธิเลือกตั้งที่จะเข้าถึงข้อมูลหลากหลายเพื่อช่วยการตัดสินใจ  สี่ การสร้างความเกลียดชังและขยายความแตกแยกทางอุดมการณ์ในสังคม อันนำไปสู่การแบ่งขั้วการเมืองแบบสุดโต่ง  ในพอดแคสตอนนี้ เอเชีย เซ็นเตอร์ได้รับเกียตริจากคุณพรเพ็ญ คงขจรเกียรติ ที่จะมาพูดคุยในประเด็นข้อมูลบิดเบือนและผลกระทบต่อการเลือกตั้งในไทยที่พึ่งผ่านพ้นไป คุณพรเพ็ญ คงขจรเกียรติ เป็นผู้อำนวยการมูลนิธิผสานวัฒนธรรม ซึ่งเป็นองค์กรที่ทำหน้าที่เฝ้าระวังและบันทึกเรื่องราวกรณีการทรมานและการปฏิบัติอันโหดร้ายในประเทศไทย คุณพรเพ็ญเป็นหนึ่งในแนวหน้าของผู้ที่ต่อสู้ด้านสิทธิมนุษยชนในประเทศไทย นอกจากนั้นแล้วคุณพรเพ็ญยังทำหน้าที่เป็นทนายความฝ่ายโจทก์ร่วมในคดีการหายตัวไปของ บิลลี่ พอละจี รักจงเจริญ นักปกป้องสิทธิมนุษยชนชาวกะเหรี่ยงบ้านโป่งลึก-บางกลอย On 28 April 2023, about 2 weeks before the Thai general elections, Asia Centre launched its report on Thailand. “State-Sponsored Online Disinformation: Impact on Election Integrity in Thailand” which examines four types of government-backed disinformation campaigns and assesses their impact on the integrity of elections which include: First, the use of state resources to create and disseminate pro-establishment content which promotes a positive image of the government, army and monarchy;  Second, weaponising disinformation to harass politicians and activists from marginalised groups such as women, LGBT+ and ethno-religious minorities, obstructing their meaningful electoral participation;  Third, distorting information related to the electoral process and discrediting selected political parties and their policies, thereby depriving voters of alternative information for their decision-making; Finally, stirring hatred and exacerbating existing ideological divisions within society leading to extreme political polarisation. In this podcast episode, Asia Centre talks with Pornpen Khongkachonkiet about state-sponsored disinformation and its impacts on the integrity of Thailand’s latest election.  Pornpen is the Executive Director of CrossCultural Foundation, an NGO that monitors and documents torture and inhumane treatments by the state in Thailand. She frontlines in fighting for human rights in the country and is currently the joint plaintiff’s attorney for the case of the disappearance of Billy Polaji, a Karen human rights defender from Ban Pong Luk-Bang Kroy.

In the Philippines context, red-tagging refers to individuals and organisations that are black-listed because they do not fully support the views or actions of the government. Red-tagging consequences may include vilification, surveillance, harassment, unlawful arrests, enforced disappearance, and even killings. Often, the red-tagging rhetoric incorporates the idea of foreign interference and civil society organisations are accused of subverting Filipino society for the benefit of foreign agents. This way, the Philippines government uses national security as the argument to red-tag members of CSOs, journalists, and activists. In this podcast episode, Jonathan De Santos discusses how the Philippines government incorporates the rhetoric of foreign interference to red-tag CSOs. Jonathan De Santos is the chairperson of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines. This podcast episode is part of the Foreign Interference Laws in Southeast Asia series, in partnership with the Japan NGO Centre for International Cooperation.