New Naratif's Southeast Asia Dispatches Podcast

New Naratif's Southeast Asia Dispatches

New Naratif
Southeast Asia Dispatches is a fortnightly podcast bringing you reports, interviews and commentary from New Naratif’s network around Southeast Asia.
Will COVID-19 Change The Way We Protest?
The past few months have shown us that not even a pandemic can slow down advocacy or activism. Globally, people from across the world continue to mobilize against injustice. In the United States, activists have taken their grievances to the streets to fight back against police brutality and racism; in Hong Kong, the pandemic has not dampened the anti-government protests, while Thailand had their largest pro-democracy rally in years. These physical protests have been met with criticism or push back from the authorities. Malaysia is no exception.  On today’s episode of Southeast Asia Dispatches, Deborah Augustin speaks to Danaletchumi Langaswaran from the National Union Of Workers in Hospitals Support and Allied Services, and Juana Jaafar, a women’s human rights advocate working in the field of communications. They discuss protesting during a pandemic, the obstacles they face and what this means for advocacy and activism moving forward.
Sep 4, 2020
36 min
Thailand’s Defiant Youth
Amid an ongoing state of emergency to contain COVID-19, young people around Thailand have taken to the streets to call for Prime Minister Prayuth's resignation and for systemic reforms. Protesters have even hinted at their dissatisfaction at the Thai monarchy, a taboo that can have legal consequences. The latest protest held on 16 August 2020 is now known to be the largest demonstration in Thailand since the military coup in 2014.  On this episode of Southeast Asia Dispatches in collaboration with Prachatai, Anna Lawattanatrakul, assistant editor at Prachatai, speaks to Tattep 'Ford' Ruangprapaikitseree, secretary general for the Free People Movement and Nuttaa Mahattana, an activist from the We Vote Movement, about what led to these protests and the implications of a renewed youth movement.
Aug 22, 2020
35 min
Freedom of Expression in Myanmar
After winning the general elections in 2015, the National League for Democracy (NLD) became the first democratically elected, civilian-led government in Myanmar since 1962, which kindled hope that the country would see a significant shift in freedom of expression. Almost five years on, substantive changes have yet to happen. On this week's episode of Southeast Asia Dispatches, Adam Bemma speaks to Thinzar Shunlei Yi, advocacy coordinator at Action Committee for Democracy Development, and Maung Saungkha, executive director of ATHAN about freedom of expression in the country under the NLD government, led by Aung San Suu Kyi.
Aug 9, 2020
26 min
Youth Power in Malaysian Politics
In July 2019, the Malaysian Parliament passed a Constitutional Amendment to lower the voting age from 21 to 18. This amendment means that an estimated 8 million eligible voters will be added to the electoral roll. While many have celebrated the move to lower the voting age, critics have said that Malaysian youth are not ready for the responsibility of voting. On this week’s episode of Southeast Asia Dispatches, Deborah Augustin speaks to Qyira Yusri from Undi18, and Melinda Anne, a representative at Parlimen Digital, about their thoughts on youth political participation in Malaysian politics.
Jul 26, 2020
40 min
Activist Burnout: Fostering Sustainable Activism
During these uncertain and tumultuous times, activists have gone above and beyond to help the most vulnerable groups in our communities. But what happens when activists start to feel burnt out due to the stress, threats and trauma they face daily? On this week’s episode of Southeast Asia Dispatches, Membership Engagement Manager, Deborah Augustin speaks to Katrina Jorene Maliamauv from Malaysia and Veronica Iswinahyu in Indonesia about their experiences and the prevalence of burnout in activism spaces. They discuss how it affects an activist’s psycho-social well-being and the role of self-care in creating sustainable activism.
Jul 12, 2020
38 min
Myanmar's Trailblazing Podcaster
On this week’s episode of Southeast Asia Dispatches, Adam Bemma speaks to Myanmar’s trailblazing podcaster, Nandar. Last year, Nandar started the G-Taw Zagar Wyne podcast along with members of her Purple Feminists Group in Yangon. The name G-Taw Zagar Wyne comes from a nickname Nandar was given growing up in Shan State. It means a woman willing to speak up to share her ideas and begin a dialogue.  
Jun 28, 2020
26 min
Unpacking Urban Poverty
In Southeast Asia, poverty is often associated with rural communities. As a result, conversations around urban poverty have largely taken a backseat in public discourse. On this week's episode of Southeast Asia Dispatches, Deborah Augustin speaks to Prof. Datuk Dr. Denison Jayasooria, chair of the Asian Solidarity Economy Council and Pete Nicoll from Reach Out Malaysia, an organisation that works with the rural and urban poor. We discuss their experiences in working closely with this community and the misconceptions surrounding this multifaceted subject.
Jun 14, 2020
35 min
Teaching Children to Cope With COVID-19
In the age of COVID-19, family dynamics have understandably shifted. As a result, we’ve seen more parents openly talk on social media about their struggles with balancing work, child care and self-care during this time. But children in particular may respond to this stress differently. On this week’s episode of Southeast Asia Dispatches, our Editor-in-Chief Aisyah Llewellyn spoke to Louis, a science teacher based in Medan, Indonesia about how parents can help children cope with the changes brought by this pandemic. This interview was recorded last month and some of the particulars mentioned in this recording might be dated.
May 31, 2020
16 min
Citizen of the Earth: A Refugee Speaks Out
During the COVID-19 pandemic, society’s most vulnerable are at risk in several ways. Refugees and migrants in particular, whether documented or undocumented, face challenges such as having inadequate access to healthcare, reduced income and overall increased precarity. It becomes even more complicated when their host countries do not recognise their rights. On this week’s episode of Southeast Asia Dispatches, membership engagement manager, Deborah Augustin speaks to a journalist, writer and observer about the rise in xenophobia in Malaysia towards migrants and refugees. We’ve kept our guest’s identity anonymous out of concerns for his safety.
May 17, 2020
28 min
The Age of the Journalist
Today is World Press Freedom Day. In Southeast Asia, journalists face both legal and financial challenges when reporting. But now more than ever, quality journalism is important to keep people informed and many journalists across the globe continue to do that despite the threat of the current pandemic. On today’s episode, our Membership Engagement Manager Deborah Augustin speaks to Aisyah Llewellyn, our Editor in Chief about what it’s like to be out in the field when most people are being told to stay home.
May 3, 2020
33 min
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