On October 27, 2024, the Southasia Peace Action Network, Sapan, will host The Next Wave, a virtual panel discussion spotlighting key social movements across Southasia*. This event, scheduled for 11:00 am Eastern Daylight Time, is a timely look at the present and future of democracy, governance, and human rights in the region.
It is also an urgent call to action, a chance to understand and contribute to the ongoing social movements in the region – Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Pakistan, and India – and beyond.
The history of Southasia is rich with collective advocacy. The past few years have seen the Citizenship Amendment Act protests and farmers’ movement in India, the Aragalaya protests in Sri Lanka, and most recently the Bangladesh student protests.
- What: The New Wave, panel discussion in the Sapan series ‘Imagine: Neighbours in Peace -XXVI’
- When: Sunday, October 27, 2024
- Time: 11:00 AM EDT | 8:00 PM PKT | 8:30 PM IST and SLST | 8:45 PM NPT | 9:00 PM BST
- Where: Online on Zoom and live at SouthasiaPeace YouTube
This is Sapan’s 26th virtual discussion under the banner of ‘Imagine! Neighbours in Peace’, held on the last Sunday of most months since the organisation’s launch in March 2021.
The intergenerational panel at the upcoming event will discuss how seemingly isolated national movements are part of a broader wave of resistance that links social justice and activism across borders. From students in Bangladesh demanding reforms to Indigenous groups in India fighting for their rights, the speakers will explore what fuels these movements and how they can contribute to lasting change.
The diverse range of notable speakers includes activists, academics, and leaders, ensuring a wide range of perspectives and experiences in an effort to be inclusive and representative.
Researcher and writer Uditha Devapriya, Chief International Relations Analyst, Factum, will host the event. Devapriya was also a key researcher for the recently released documentary ‘Democracy in Debt: Sri Lanka Beyond the Headlines’ supported by the Pulitzer Center.
Panel moderator Faisal M. Lalani, is an India-born global community organizer, researcher, and activist currently based in New York. With a diverse background in activism, including work with education in Nepal, community networks in South Africa, and social media analysis during Indian elections and digital rights efforts across the APAC region, Faisal brings deep expertise in technology, governance, and policy to the conversation.
Speakers include the well-known feminist and rights activist Khushi Kabir in Dhaka, who has been active in citizen rights movements since the 1970s, and is a Sapan founder member as well as board member. Her work with the nonprofit Nijera Kori focuses on organising marginalised communities in Bangladesh. Her advocacy spans environmental justice, gender equality, and democratic practices through a feminist lens.
Historian Dr. Ammar Ali Jan is a well known academic and activist in Pakistan, known for his critical work on the country’s socio-political landscape.
Dovan Rai, a computer scientist and civil society activist from Nepal advocates for digital rights and a feminist internet in Nepal. Her work bridges the gap between technology, education, and social justice.
Melani Gunathilake, a feminist, human rights defender and environmental activist, will join from Sri Lanka.
Academic Swati Narayan, author of the recently published Unequal: Why India Lags Behind Its Neighbours, will bring her expertise on social policies and civil society activism in India. Her research often examines why India struggles with issues of inequality and governance compared to its Southasian neighbours.
The Next Wave offers a unique opportunity to gain insights from the forefront of Southasia’s most pressing social movements. The discussions will focus on the shared challenges and opportunities for democratic action and human rights advocacy across the region, with the ultimate goal of fostering a regional understanding of resistance, solidarity, and lasting reform.
For inquiries, email Southasiapeaceactionnetwork@gmail.com cc faisalmlalani@gmail.com
Note on Southasia as one word: Like Himal Southasian, we use ‘Southasia’ as one word, “seeking to restore some of the historical unity of our common living space, without wishing any violence on the existing nation states”.
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