Diterbitkan pada | Kamis, 05 Desember 2024
Press Release
2nd ASIA PACIFIC PEOPLE’S CONVENTION
Jakarta, 2-4 Desember 2024
The dynamic and changing global context brings with it current issues and challenges that need to be addressed by a collective citizen response. Today, more than 80 representatives of grassroots communities, citizens and civil society from 14 countries gathered to identify opportunities and potential collaborations to promote human rights, peace, democracy, green transitions and equitable futures in the Asia and Pacific Region, at the 2nd Asia Pacific People's Convention in Depok, West Java, Indonesia, which was held from 2 to 4 December 2024.
The platform, initiated by ActionAid India Association and YAPPIKA Indonesia, is a shared learning space at the Asia Pacific level in the form of a people's convention. The first Asia Pacific People's Convention was held in Kathmandu, Nepal in December 2023. This platform believes that in an increasingly uncertain and unconducive situation, a collective movement, coordinated action, which has a common goal and agenda, and is able to become the praxis of various ideas and actors to rebalance the position of the people in the sustainable development agenda is needed. A series of collective actions that are interrelated with each other become a chain to fortify the participation and rights of citizens in the region.
In opening the convention, Fransisca Fitri, Executive Director of YAPPIKA, hoped that “this convention can be a safe space for citizens and grassroots communities to share experiences about struggles, strategies and strengthen each other's movements”. Mr Sandeep Chachra, ActionAid India Association, noted that “with the challenges of the second wave of imperialism and neo-colonialism, this is also a right moment to discuss and develop a joint action plan to respond to it”. Also, present Mr Makarim Wibisono (former UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of Palestine), Mrs Anis Hidayah from the National Commission on Human Rights (KOMNAS-HAM RI) and Mr Walden Bello former member of the Representatives of the Philippines who gave the Keynote at the opening of the convention.
The three-day convention also discuss issues of peace and conflict, climate justice, agrarian issues, AI and the world of work, the role of human rights defenders, and more, including:
1. Social Movements Solidarity, Palestine, Peace and Sovereignty:
Social movements play an important role in expressing solidarity with the people ofvarious regions plagued by violence and conflict, including Palestine. Representatives ofgrassroots communities and citizens discussed lessons learnt to promote peace,sovereignty and justice in Asia and the Pacific, with a particular emphasis on anti-Zionistand pro-peace activism. With a human rights perspective, participants strengthened civilsociety's collective response in advocating for the rights of citizens, including Palestinians, and reflected on strategies of non-violent resistance and solidarity actionsthat challenge ongoing occupation and seek lasting peace. The action plan that emergedfrom the session also strengthened solidarity and collective action for the liberation ofPalestine and other areas experiencing oppression and conflict.
2. Campaign and Asia Charter for Protection of HRDs:
With increasing threats faced by HRDs across Asia and the Pacific, this initiative seeks tobuild a collective framework that protects the rights of citizens and grassroots
communities, promotes holistic security, and strengthens people's voices. The session also brought together various representatives of citizens and grassroots communities to discuss key elements of protecting HRDs, strategies to mobilise support, and ways to hold states accountable for protecting HRDs. The outcome of the discussions will be packaged in a joint call for stronger regional protection and advocacy mechanisms to ensure the safety and freedom of HRDs in the Asia-Pacific region.
3. Asia Climate Justice Movements and COP29 outcome briefing
With a comprehensive discussion of policies at local, national, regional and global levels,participants discussed their implications for the climate justice agenda in Asia, andcritically examined how people-based climate justice efforts can align with, challenge oradvance regional and global agreements, and hold governments accountable to ClimateJustice and relevant commitments. In addition, participants also explored how climate justice intersects with broader struggles for Justice, Human Rights and SustainableDevelopment in the Asia-Pacific region. Representatives from Central Sulawesi,Indonesia, also emphasised the importance of the climate justice agenda without beinghaunted by debt, therefore encouraging commitments from developed countries is oneof the strategies that must continue.
4. World of Workers in the 21st Century – Workers Response and Technology for People
Technological advances, including automation, artificial intelligence (AI), digitalcapitalism, and the platform economy, are significantly changing the nature of work andraising critical concerns about workers' rights and leaving workers in a vulnerableposition, especially those who lack the skills for new roles. In addition, there is a growinggap between high-skilled, high-paying jobs and low-skilled, low-paying jobs, exacerbatingeconomic inequality. Citizen representatives and grassroots communities believe thattechnological advances need to be matched with strong protections for workers, and thata collective movement is needed to push for such policies and agendas.
5. Agrarian Crisis and Call for Action
Unravelling the agrarian crisis from field-level analysis and the agrarian issues that haveemerged in the Asia and Pacific region as a result of massive development in the region,particularly related to inequalities in land ownership and tenure, land conflicts, and thenegative impacts of corporate expansion and agricultural industrialisation were the mainfocus of this discussion. Participants shared experiences of communities losing accessto the natural resources that sustain their lives and exacerbating social and economicvulnerability. Collaborative initiatives also emerged to advocate for more equitable andsustainable policies.
Throughout all the discussions in this platform, grassroots movements emerged as the driving force behind policy recommendations and collective agreements at the local level. In turn, the various experiences and learnings shared also encouraged them to be able to use the space to raise public awareness of the issues at hand, and build alternative narratives based on the findings and recommendations, to counter the dominant narratives that are often favoured by majority or corporate interests. In the spirit of social solidarity and collaboration, the Asia Pacific People's Convention also strengthens similar initiatives to advance the role and work of civil society, facilitate community participation, promote human rights, inclusion, and social transformation at the regional and sub-regional levels.