Global Social Rights

Image by Pexels/Phearak Chamrien Malaysia’s decolonization and independence narrative is relatively unique in the region of Southeast Asia. Aside from Singapore and Brunei, it is one of the countries that has not experienced armed independence struggle, civil war, the overthrow of a dictator and, broadly, any kind of social revolution. The brutal suppression of the…

The dominance of Malay-Muslim discourse in the public and political sphere is set to continue into the future, if not, deepening further. The ‘Islamisation arms race’ that has preoccupied past administrations seems set to continue as BERSATU and PAS challenge PKR and UMNO on their Islamic credentials to govern. At the moment, there is no…

Opening New Frontiers: Expanding Global Solidarity in an Uncertain and Tangled World How can we (re)build global solidarity amidst a volatile, tangled, and unpredictable world disrupted by multidimensional crises in an increasingly authoritarian neoliberal capitalist relations and ecological devastation? This has been the underlying question in the workshop held during the office opening event of…

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the struggle of Southeast Asian nations as they face one of the worst humanitarian crises in modern history. The pandemic amplified existing social divisions and inequality and paved way for the rise of new authoritarianism. The economic crisis hit the most vulnerable sectors of society with little to no social…

The official rhetoric regarding the ‘New Normal’ in Indonesia has become infused with the discourse on the imagination and aspiration of life beyond COVID-19. In this essay, we investigate how the idea of the New Normal is being complicated, negotiated, and contested by different grassroots solidarity practices in Indonesia. Embedded in specific local contexts and…

The Indonesian government released a restriction policy in response to curbing the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. The restrictions significantly impact almost all sectors, particularly the food and logistics sectors, creating food insecurity and a chaotic situation at the grassroots. On the other hand, community initiatives have emerged to overcome the grassroots vulnerabilities through the…