SocDem Asia Podcast

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.

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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.

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Like and follow us at facebook.com/SocDemAsia, email us at [email protected]

Music: https://www.bensound.com

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.

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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 region and what kind of social vision is being offered by Leftwing parties and candidates to counter rightwing politics not just in Latin America but also across the globe.

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Like and follow us at facebook.com/SocDemAsia, email us at [email protected]

Music: https://www.bensound.com

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.

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Like and follow us at facebook.com/SocDemAsia, email us at [email protected]

Music: https://www.bensound.com

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 elections.

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Like and follow us at facebook.com/SocDemAsia, email us at [email protected]

Music: https://www.bensound.com

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 Contested Democracy and the Left in the Philippines after Marcos.

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To know more about SocDem Asia, you can visit our website: https://socdemasia.com

Like and follow us at facebook.com/SocDemAsia

Music: https://www.bensound.com

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 Nationalist Organization (UMNO) Party. We also touch on more contemporary issues such as the historic victory of the Pakatan Harapan coalition of opposition parties and the current political system currently faces.

*This episode was recorded in 2021.

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To know more about SocDem Asia, you can visit our website: https://socdemasia.com

Like and follow us at facebook.com/SocDemAsia

Music: https://www.bensound.com

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, its shortcomings and possibilities. We also talk about the Philippine left movement and progressives' role in bringing this revolution about. Lastly, we confront the present dangers to the revolution's legacy, the growing nostalgia for the Marcos dictatorship and the upcoming presidential elections where the dictator's son is a candidate.

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To know more about SocDem Asia, you can visit our website: https://socdemasia.com

Like and follow us at facebook.com/SocDemAsia

Music: https://www.bensound.com

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 talk about why social democracy as movement continues to face huge challenges today.

You can buy In Search of New Social Democracy at www.bloomsbury.com. Use this code: GLRTW9UK for a discount on your purchase.

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To know more about SocDem Asia, you can visit our website: https://socdemasia.com

Like and follow us at facebook.com/SocDemAsia

Music: https://www.bensound.com