Report – “Cross-Regional Forum: Promoting Rights of People on the Move in East and Southeast Asia”
BEBESEA is pleased to share a narrative report outlining key activities and discussions held during the “Cross-Regional Forum: Promoting Rights of People on the Move in East and Southeast Asia” that took place in Taipei on 23 and 24 October 2024.
Attended by over 50 participants, this forum played an important role in facilitating and building solidarity among relevant actors, mainly those working on migrants’ rights and intersectional human rights and labour rights advocacy in East and Southeast Asia. The forum emphasised the vulnerability of migrants, including those who are displaced, (at the risk of being) stateless, and refugees. We learnt the geopolitical dynamics, trends, and their impact on migrant communities. Thus, the forum becomes a co-learning space for participants to share and advance their advocacy.
Behind this forum, there are political environments that continue to bring challenges in defending rights and welfare of migrants or people on the move. The year 2024, as the largest election year in world political history, became a turning point for the direction of democracy and the promotion of human rights globally. The world is increasingly facing political, economic, and social instabilities due to wars and conflicts, climate change, and natural disasters, resulting in many people becoming displaced or choosing to migrate (or re-migrate). As democratic and civic space is felt to be continuously shrinking globally and regionally, civil society actors who defend peace, democracy, human rights, and justice are increasingly facing threats, fears, hopelessness, and divisive narratives.
In this context, BEBESEA, in partnership with Human Rights Working Group Indonesia (HRWG), Serve the People Association (SPA), and Indonesia Ocean Justice Initiative (IOJI), held the “Cross-Regional Forum: Promoting Rights of People on the Move in East and Southeast Asia” intending to be an open and safe space for civil society and affected communities. In initiating this forum, we believe that it is crucial that cross-border and intersectional solidarity is fostered and creates a safe space to engage with various stakeholders, as issues in our society are intersectional and increasingly becoming interconnected.
To know more about the forum and its relevant activities, access to the report here; Report_CrossRegionalForum_Taipei_Oct2024.pdf