Democracy discourse series

About Us

democracy in action

The rise of authoritarian regimes and populist movements in the world and Southeast Asia in particular necessitates interventions in the sphere of culture and ideas. In particular, we require the aid of public intellectuals who can develop a language of liberal democracy that does not just copy buzzwords from Europe and the United States. The goal is not regime change of existing and budding authoritarian regimes but rather to help create a new political atmosphere where autocrats would have a harder time coming or clinging to power.

In this regard, the Democracy Discourse Series (DDS) creates a platform for public intellectuals to communicate narratives and critical counter-storytelling that challenge the power and content of populism through relatable and understandable means such as the arts, popular culture, theater, and everyday life practices. It will also serve as a venue for intellectuals to share communication strategies that have proven effective in promoting democratic ideals to a broad public.

The DDS aims to enable and publicize the work of public intellectuals who promote the values of openness, tolerance, deliberation, and diversity. By creating a platform for public intellectuals to speak publicly on critical issues and debates, the DDS reaches out to a wider audience who can be mobilized to facilitate further democratization or deter the slide towards autocracy.

Apart from supporting specific projects, DDS aims to be an avenue for the networking of intellectuals, who may learn from each other’s experiences, and share best practices on how to popularize democratic ideas. In bringing public intellectuals in conversation with each other, the project hopes to generate regional strategies for promoting democracy, especially if we seek to expand DDS to the rest of Southeast Asia in the future.

officers

Ronald Holmes

Project Coordinator

Carlos Piocos III

Deputy Project Coordinator

Allen Surla