Asia
Democracy
Assembly 2025
Defending Democracy, Mobilizing Movements and New Frontiers for Citizen Action
Main Content
📍 Bangkok, Thailand | 🗓️ 1-3 November 2025
Held congruently with the International Civil Society Week (ICSW)
In a time of rising authoritarianism, shrinking civic space, and deepening democratic backsliding across Asia, civil society movements continue to resist.
The Asia Democracy Assembly 2025 is where those voices come together, to strategize, stand in solidarity, and shape a bold, collective agenda for democratic transformation.
Overview
The Asia Democracy Assembly 2025 is the Asia Democracy Network’s flagship regional convening, bringing together pro-democracy organisations, activists, and movement leaders across Asia. Held every two years, the Assembly offers a vital space to confront shared challenges and forge new strategies for collective action in the region.
Theme
Under the theme Defending Democracy, Mobilizing Movements, and New Frontiers for Citizen Action, the Assembly will take place in Bangkok, Thailand from 1–3 November 2025, alongside the International Civil Society Week (ICSW) held from 1-5 November 2025.
As authoritarian regimes grow increasingly coordinated in their repression, ADA 2025 is a much needed space for civil society to build unity, develop solutions, and strengthen people-powered and rights-centered democratic movements.
1–5 November 2025 | Bangkok, Thailand
Connection with International Civil Society Week 2025
This year, the Assembly gains added global resonance as it takes place alongside the International Civil Society Week (ICSW) from 1–5 November 2025, co-organized by CIVICUS and ADN. For the first time in over two decades, ICSW will be held in Asia, creating opportunities for ADA participants to connect their regional struggles with global civil society.
ICSW’s theme is Celebrating Citizen Action: reimagining democracy, rights, and inclusion for today’s world. The week will feature conferences, workshops, trainings, and cultural events, offering ADA participants the chance to exchange ideas with activists and allies from around the globe.
For more information and to join:
Why does the Asia Democracy Assembly matter?
Stretching helps counteract the negative effects of prolonged sitting by targeting muscles that become weak or tight, promoting proper alignment and posture.
The year 2025 marks a critical moment in Asia’s democratic trajectory. Across the region, civic space is shrinking, digital authoritarianism is rising, conflicts are happening around the globe and people’s movements are under attack. At the same time, there is growing momentum for solidarity led by youth, migrant communities, grassroots resistance, and resilient civil society actors.
Stretching helps counteract the negative effects of prolonged sitting by targeting muscles that become weak or tight, promoting proper alignment and posture.
The Assembly, while analyzing these shifting realities, will also serve as a platform to shape a collective response rooted in courage, community, and shared democratic values.
When and Where
Dates: 1–3 November 2025
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
Format: In-person event
In Conjunction With: International Civil Society Week (ICSW)
What to Expect
The discussions that will happen in the 2025 Asia Democracy Assembly are rooted in the conversations and reflections ADN and its pro-democracy partners have been doing over the past years.
Who Will Be There?
- Over 100 participants from across Asia
- Civil society leaders, grassroots organizers, youth networks, democracy advocates, independent media, tech groups
- Regional and global democracy and human rights actors
Additionally, the subregional consultations scheduled for September 2025 will further contribute vital inputs to the assembly, ensuring broad based and inclusive perspectives are reflected in the deliberations.
The Main Assembly is structured in two key phases:
Day 1: Thematic and Sectoral Engagement
November 1: Thematic and Sectoral Sessions
This first day will spotlight urgent regional issues through a series of parallel, participatory sessions co-organized by ADN members and allies. These sessions will explore thematic priorities including disinformation, youth leadership, tech and democracy, and more and provide space for collaborative strategizing, storytelling, and movement-building across borders and sectors.
Day 2: Strategic Dialogues and Plenaries
November 2–3: Main Assembly Plenaries and Strategic Dialogues
The official Asia Democracy Assembly begins with a region-wide analysis of democratic backsliding, followed by high-impact plenaries and interactive discussions focused on cross-movement resistance, political disruption, and transnational solidarity. Participants will engage in candid exchanges, scenario-building, and tactical workshops aimed at breaking authoritarian strongholds and envisioning democratic futures.
Throughout the Assembly, participants will have numerous opportunities to meet fellow activists, deepen regional ties, and build long-term solidarities. Informal networking spaces, facilitated discussions, and group reflections will be embedded into the program to ensure space for trust-building, collaboration, and collective strategizing.
The event will conclude with the adoption of the 2025 Asian Democracy Agenda, a shared roadmap outlining actionable priorities, regional commitments, and mechanisms to sustain momentum beyond the Assembly.
Thematic Engagement Opportunities
ADN members and partners are invited to host and lead thematic sessions that reflect urgent democracy-related challenges in Asia. These sessions are participatory in nature and will be featured on 1 November 2025.
Confirmed focus areas include:
1. Technology, Artificial Intelligence, and Democracy
2. Disinformation, Propaganda, and Populist Rhetoric: Media under Siege
3. Next Generation Democracy Leadership
4. From the Margins to the Center: Making our Democracy Movements more Inclusive
5. Militarization and Securitization of Democratic Spaces
6. Safeguarding the Integrity of our Democratic Institutions: Enabling Greater Representation and Accountability
7. Diaspora and Migrant Communities in Democracy Struggles
Defending Democracy, Mobilizing Movements and New Frontiers for Citizen Action
Asia Democracy Assembly 2025 Speakers
Beena J Pallical
Chairperson, Asia Dalit Rights Forum
Ashley William Gois
Regional Coordinator of Migrant Forum in Asia (MFA)
Maiko Ichihara
Professor, Graduate School of Law and the School of International and Public Policy, Hitotsubashi University, Japan
Karel Jiaan Antonio Galang
Senior Program Officer, Asia Democracy Network (ADN)
Noor Azizah
Co-Executive Director of the Rohingya Maìyafuìnor Collaborative Network (RMCN)
Phurbu Dolma
Legal Officer, Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD)
Tashken Davlet
An Uyghur Advocate
Alric Lee
Hong Kong-born activist based in Tokyo
Atifa Amiry
Founder, Amiri Foundation and serves as the Executive Director of VGVN
Nadine Khuweis
Law student and Activist from Jerusalem, Palestine
Gus Miclat
Executive Director at Initiatives for International Dialogue
Penghsuan Lee
Cross Movement Activist
Dr Kaustuv Kanti Bandyopadhyay
Co-Coordinator of the Asia Democracy Research Network (ADRN)
Akiko Sato
Interim Asia Regional Manager at Business & Human Rights Resource Centre
Bivitri Susanti
Lecturer at Jentera Law School in Jakarta
Razi Thalib
Founder of Weapons of Mass Discussion
Chia-Shuo Tang
Research Manager at the Open Culture Foundation (OCF)
Bridhika Senchury
Co-Founder, Dalit Lives Matter Global Alliance (DLMGA)
Gina Romero
United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of Association
Parit Wacharasindhu
Member of the House of Representatives of Thailand
Ichal Supriadi
Secretary General,
Asia Democracy Network
Debbie Stothard
Chair of the International Network for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ESCR-Net)
Riska Carolina
Advocacy officer - ASEAN SOGIE Caucus
Mardi Seng
Chairperson, Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats (CALD) Senator, Kingdom of Cambodia
Alysa Wen-li Chiu
Deputy Director, Department of International Affairs
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)
Lorenzo Tañada III
President, Liberal Party of the Philippines
Nitchakarn Rakwongrit
Facilitator Milk Tea Alliance
Aparna Prabhu
Research Associate, National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights (NCDHR)
Deepesh Chithra
Advocate, Asia Dalit Rights Forum (ADRF)
Sawang Srisom
Thai disability rights advocate
Fatimah Zahrah
Regional Coordinator of ASEAN Youth Forum
Alvina N. A.
Campaigner at Resister Berdaya Pulih, Photojournalist
Mark Louise Aquino Diaz
Facilitator Milk Tea Alliance
Muda Tariq
South Asia Programme Officer at FORUM-ASIA
Dr. Manjesh Rana
Senior Program Officer at Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL)
Leni Velasco
Secretary-General, DAKILA Artist-Activist Collective
Yingcheep Atchanont
Director, iLaw Thailand
Lulu Keng
Board Member, Open Culture Foundation
Marc Batac
Lecturer, University of the Philippines
Pimsiri Pechtnamrob
Activist, Thailand
Sachini Perera
Program Manager, Network Grants team of Open Society Foundations
Rachel Arinii Judhistari
Lead Public Policy Specialist, Wikimedia
Nenden Arum
Executive Director, Southeast Asia Network for Freedom of Expression (SAFENet)
Rohana Hettiarachchi
ANFREL Chairperson
Ruby Kholifah
Chair, ADN Governing Council
Saba Chaudhry
Independent journalist, Pakistan and ADC contributor
Mardi Mapa-Suplido
Member, Board of Trustees, INCITEGov
Trinh Huu Long
Journalist and Activist, Legal Initiatives Vietnam
Tuan Nguyen-M
Regional Representative, GPPAC-Southeast Asia, and SIA
Tae-hwan Kim
Co-Chair, Feminism with Him
Corinna Lopa
Programme Director, Innovation for Change-East Asia Hub
Eseosa Eguamwese
Global Migrant Workers Network
Abdullah Nahidh
Co-Founder and Vice President of the Public Interest Law Centre
Tess Bacalla
Editor- in-Chief, Asia Democracy Chronicles
Brian Hioe
Founding Editor, New Bloom Taiwan
Krixia Subingsubing
Philippine Daily Inquirer Senior Reporter, and ADC assistant editor and contributor
Nick
Burmese Activist and Program Director, A New Burma
Regine Dinamling Bitabit
Filipino Community Leader
C. S. Akhil
Research and Advocacy Lead, Center for Indian Migrant Studies
ADN@adnasia.org
Signature Tower West Wing PO1026,
Cheonggyecheon-ro 100,
Jung-gu, Seoul, Korea (04542)
Cheonggyecheon-ro 100,
Jung-gu, Seoul, Korea (04542)