Jakarta, 4–5 October 2025 – INITIATE.MY participated in the ASEAN for the Peoples Conference (AFPC), a civil society-led platform organised by the Foreign Policy Community of Indonesia (FPCI) with Southeast Asian civil society actors. The two-day conference brought together community organisations, youth groups, media practitioners, and grassroots changemakers from across Southeast Asia to strengthen people-to-people connectivity and advance a truly people-centred ASEAN.
The programme opened with plenary sessions reflecting on ASEAN’s long-term vision, including the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 and its commitment to building a resilient, inclusive, and people-centred regional community. Participants discussed the persistent gap between government-to-government mechanisms and people-to-people engagement, particularly in civil society collaboration, public participation, and regional connectivity.
Aizat Shamsuddin, INITIATE.MY’s Executive Director contributed to a thematic panel, “It Never Gets Old: How to Preserve Interfaith and Ethnic Tolerance as the Basis of a Peaceful and Stable ASEAN Community.” The panel examined the double-edged nature of Southeast Asia’s diversity: while celebrated, marginalisation of minority groups persists. Despite ASEAN declarations on interfaith and ethnic tolerance, implementation gaps remain. Aizat highlighted insights from its Peace Lab programme, which equips civil society, youth, media, law and religious practitioners with skills, knowledge and tools to advance religious freedom and tolerance in Malaysia.
Alongside the panel, Balqis Maesara, INITIATE.MY’s Project Officer hosted a booth during the conference, engaging with the public and fellow civil society organisations. The booth presented ongoing initiatives and practical strategies for fostering inclusive communities, promoting tolerance and strengthening digital and offline spaces where diverse voices can thrive.
Through participation, INITIATE.MY strengthened regional networks, observed emerging approaches for people-centred engagement and identified opportunities to collaborate with civil society actors across Southeast Asia.
The event concluded with a collective affirmation of ASEAN’s people-centred vision, emphasising the need for sustained civil society engagement, inclusive policy-making, and the translation of regional commitments into practical, community-led action across Southeast Asia.
