We look back on the past year and share our key takeaways and points of reflection. From elections to learning to appreciate comradeship, we talk about what the past year means for us as progressives. --- Like and follow us at facebook.com/SocDemAsia, email us at [email protected] Music: https://www.bensound.com

24 years since the end of the Suharto regime, Indonesia has been able to successfully embrace democratic governance. While social and political challenges remain, the country has largely have had peaceful elections and stable governments. In this episode, with Sondang Tampubolon, an Indonesian legal expert to talk on the successful transformation of Southeast Asia’s largest country from an authoritarian regime into a stable democracy in Asia. --- Like and follow us at...

On this episode we discuss the political terrain in Nepal going into their general elections with Nepali journalist Yubaraj Ghimire. We discuss the political players and actors in the elections as well as the issues and concerns of voters that will play a pivotal role in their choice. We also discuss the prospects of the Nepali Congress in this election. --- Like and follow us at facebook.com/SocDemAsia, email us at [email protected] Music: https://www.bensound.com

Is there a resurgence of progressive politics in Latin America? We talk with Esteban Paulon, Coordinator of the Progressive Alliance of the Americas (APLA) on the recent trend of electoral victories of progressive candidates such as Gabriel Boric in Chile and Gustavo Petro in Colombia, and the first place finish of Luis Inacio Lula da Silva in the first round of the Brazilian presidential elections. We also break down how authoritarian and populist rightwing currents are making headway in the...

We talk with Howard Lee to talk about the ramifications of the conviction of former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak on the country's politics, its effect on the people's trust in government and anti-corruption efforts. We also discuss how this will affect the upcoming Malaysian General Elections. Howard is a member of the Perak State Legislative Assembly for the Democratic Action Party (DAP) and a former President of the International Union of Socialist Youth (IUSY). --- Like and...

We talk with our Akbayan Citizen's Action Party President Rafaela David on the current context of the Philippine elections, what's at stake, the issues that voters will consider heading to the polls, and the grass-roots and volunteer-led campaign of the democratic opposition led by Vice President Leni Robredo and the prospects for the democratic left led by Akbayan in the Lower House of Parliament and by Senator Risa Hontiveros in the upper house. We recorded this episode on the eve of the...

Our guest Prof. Nathan Quimpo, a Filipino activist and academic, discusses with us the challenges that today's social democrats and progressives in Asia face today and the different factors that impede our movement to bring about progressive change in the region. We also talk about the possibilities that the changing political climate can bring about. Prof. Quimpo is an associate professor of political science and international relations at the University of Tsukuba in Japan. He is author of...

We talk with Wan Hamidi Hamid, a veteran of journalism and political communications and media advisor to and has been conducting basic political education on behalf of the Democratic Action Party. In this episode, we talk about the Malaysian politics and the influence of communal groups in its development. We also talk about the DAP's history as a progressive party and its journey in the past decades as the progressive political party and as an opposition to the long dominant United Malays...

On this episode we sit down with Robert Francis Garcia author of the books "To Suffer Thy Comrades" and "Of Maps and Leapfrogs", he is also a peace advocate and transitional justice advocate. He has led organizations such as Popular Education for People's Empowerment and Peace Advocates for Truth, Healing and Justice. We reflect on the legacy of the People Power Revolution in the Philippines that overthrew the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos, Sr. what it means for Philippine society today,...

We speak with Olle Törnquist, author of In Search of New Social Democracy: Insights from the South - Implications for the North and Professor of Political Science and Development Research at the University of Oslo. We talk to him regarding the fundamentals of social democracy especially its manifestation in the Asian region and the challenges it faced in the region, the diversity of groups that fall under the umbrella of social democracy and the experiments that succeeded in Asia. We also...

On this last episode for 2021, we talk with Leena Rikkilä Tamang, Director for the Asia-Pacific of the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) on the current state of Asian democracies and some key observations from the Global State of Democracy Report. We also discuss countries in the region that are able to strengthen democratic institutions and  promote greater citizen’s participation and try to answer the question:  Is there a place for regional...

We will hear from lawyer and transitional  justice advocate Ruben Carranza discuss the functions, scope of the  International Criminal Court or ICC. We will talk about the challenges  that victims and survivors face in relation to availing of the processes  for seeking justice in the ICC as well as the limitations the court  faces in exacting accountability. We will also discuss the various  criticisms of the ICC itself and how the quest transitional justice goes  beyond the framework of the...

After almost two years of a COVID pandemic, Japanese voters headed to the polls to vote for the government post-Shinzo Abe. As expected, the center-right Liberal Democratic Party or LDP once again dominated the polls with Fumio Kishida as the new Prime Minister. Despite the LDP’s electoral victory,  opposition parties maintained a sizable number with the Constitutional Democratic Party (CDP) as the second largest party. Interestingly, the rightwing populist Japan Innovation Party also won...

We are joined by Dr. Sustarum Thammabosadee, Assistant Associate Professor in International Relations, College of Interdisciplinary Studies, Thammasat University. He is also the Director of the University's Welfare State and Justice Studies. We discuss Thailand's turbulent political history and social democracy's role in shaping democratic institutions in the country from the establishment of a constitutional monarchy in the 30s to the current fight to end the military's control over politics...

On the occasion of the 20th Anniversary of the terror attack on the World Trade Center in New York, Afghanistan sees the Taliban now back in power. We are joined by Richard Heydarian, a geopolitical analyst, academic, columnist and author, to  take a look back at the legacy of America's War on Terror and how the policies set by the United States and its allies continues to affect us today. We also discuss how the world, especially Asia Pacific has been shaped and is to be shaped by the...

We talk with Dr. Minendra Rijal, a former Minister of Communication and member of the Central Working Committee of the Nepali Congress (NC) to talk about the legacy of B.P. Koirala and how he was also inspired by Koirala's principles. B.P. Koirala who led the NC, served as the country's first democratically elected Prime Minister after leading the movement to end the authoritarian rule of the Rana regime. His name and memory continues to inspire Nepalis to continue his struggle for social...

We have a talk with Teo Nie Ching, Former Deputy Minister of Education, Member of Parliament and the International Secretary of the Democratic Action Party of Malaysia. We discuss the background leading up to the collapse of the government of former Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and the appointment of his successor, Ismail Sabri Yakob. We talk about the dynamics within the ruling coalition and the Pakatan Harapan as well as the political crisis in the context of an economic crisis and...

We have a talk with Sabina Dewan, Executive Director of Just Jobs Network about the Fourth Industrial Revolution or also known as "Industry 4.0" about what that means for societies, economies and workers in Asia. We also talk about the impacts of advancement in technologies on our education system, governments, workers' rights, and also on issues of privacy. --- To know more about SocDem Asia, you can visit our website: https://socdemasia.com  Like and follow us at...

On this episode we talk with Dr. Chamindra Weerawardhana, a human rights activist, political and international affairs analyst, academic, and educator to discuss issues about transfeminism, gender identity, sexuality, and intersectionality especially from the perspective of communities in the Global South. We also talk about existing issues regarding inclusion and acceptance of transgendered persons especially in the context of the broader feminist movement. --- To know more about SocDem...

We publish a Political Management Training for Young Progressives of Asia (PMT) Podcast episode we created in 2020 for our inaugural online PMT. On this episode, we talk with Yudi Latif, renowned Muslim scholar and former head of the National Agency for the Enculturation of Pancasila (Badan Pembinaan Ideologi Pancasila), formerly on the Presidential Working Unit for the Enculturation of Pancasila (UKP-PIP) in 2017. We talk about the background leading into the creation of Pancasila as a...

We publish a Political Management Training for Young Progressives of Asia (PMT) Podcast episode we created in 2020 for our inaugural online PMT. On this episode, we talk with Kasper Sand Kjær, a Member of Parliament for the Social Democratic Party of Denmark and a longtime member of the party and the progressive movement having started with the youth movement. We discuss the importance of having a strong relationship with mass movement and civil society such as the youth, workers, and women's...

We talk with Lim Yi Wei, state assemblyman for Kampung Tunku in Selangor, Malaysia and an mental health advocate, and Alyannah Lagasca, the National Chairperson of Youth for Mental Health Coalition, Inc, a youth-led, non-government, volunteer organization whose main goal is to fight the stigma on mental health in the Philippines. We discuss issues surrounding Mental Health advocacy and policy, challenges they face from policy-makers and government leaders all in the current context of global...

We talk with Filipina feminist Sabrina Gacad. She is an Assistant Professor at the University of the Philippines Department of Women and Development Studies and co-founder of the Lunas Collective. We talk about issues of women's empowerment and liberation and the intersection of the struggle for women's rights with other struggles such as fighting for economic justice and equality. We also discuss how Patriarchy functions to oppress not just women but also men.  Host: Cassie Deluria --- To...

Since the February 1, when the Myanmar military overthrew the newly elected government and representatives of Parliament, massive street protests have erupted in cities across the country. These protests have taken on a civil disobedience character to force the military out of power. Despite the peaceful nature of the protests, the military has used violence to stop the protests with March 3 being the bloodiest with 38 protesters killed by military forces. We speak with Sai Sam Phon Seng,...