All you need to know about the powerful #MilkTeaAllianceš§on this International Day of Democracy!
š§ For the Milk Tea Alliance, Democracy is another word for Freedom from Dictatorship!
šš In today's world, democracy, the rule of law, and human rights are the foundation of freedom and sustainable progress, calling us to action š¢. On this 15th September International Day of Democracy, let's demand these essential pillars of strong, inclusive, and peaceful societies. They ensure our freedom, drive sustainable development and protect the dignity and rights of all.
šļø Democracy faces serious threats: shrinking civic spaces, state-led disinformation, and the erosion of trust in institutions. This year's International Day of Democracy theme is another buzzword, "Empowering the Next Generation". Meanwhile, whether the elders' generation, particularly in the United Nations system, is reflective and mindful enough when offering āempowermentā as a solution?
We must go beyond the term to empower young people! At Manushya Foundation, we believe every individual has their own infinite power as human beings.
The corrupt-oligarch system hinders young people in their diversity from having meaningful participation. Meaningful youth engagement in decision-making processes at all levels is not just a goal; it's the cornerstone of forging a world thatās not only just and equitable but also sustainable for future generations. Yet, the voices of our young people often remain on the fringes, their impact muted in various arenas including online space.
Assumptions that stifle their courage to challenge their elders or voice their concerns, even in the face of blatant rights violations, perpetuate their exclusion from pivotal decision-making processes. This exclusion extends its grasp to areas like transparency and accountability of the decisions, where the avenues for genuine youth participation are limited and regressing due to ageism and sexism. š¤
š§Young people uniting: The Milk Tea Alliance!
The Milk Tea Alliance (MTA), originating in 2020, has emerged as a beacon of hope for young people across Asia. The movement's name, "Milk Tea Alliance," signifies unity, as milk tea is a beloved beverage enjoyed by young generations in many Asian countries. Just as there are various milk tea flavors, there are diverse perspectives within the movement, all essential in policymaking to combat authoritarianism and address important social challenges.
The MTA movement highlights the vital role of young people in safeguarding democracy through online platforms. It is a loose network rooted in shared strong solidarity among pro-democracy youth across Asia, now uniting courageous youth from Hong Kong, Myanmar, Taiwan, Thailand, and more recently, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, India, Belarus, and Iran. Amplifying youth participation is critical to strengthen democracy because it fosters diversity, trust, transparency, and lifelong civic engagement.
A perfect example of the infinite power of humans, where youths around the world did not wait for anyone to āempowerā them!
These various perspectives need to be heard in policymaking to combat authoritarianism in solving important social challenges! Critical thinking requires freedom of speech, a key pillar of democracy that gives all citizens the ability to determine their collective future.
The MTA movement proves that solidarity for democracy transcends borders and needs to be at the hands of the PEOPLE!
As we come together to celebrate the International Day of Democracy, let's remember that democracy anywhere is another word for freedom from dictatorship everywhereāfreedom of expression is the driving force propelling us towards an accountable, fairer world that embraces all individuals with open arms š¤š
šŖš¤ On this significant day, let's join hands across generations and work together to build a more just world for all. š
#WeAreManushyan ā¾ Equal Human Beings
#MilkTeaAlliance #ąøąø±ąøąøąø”ąø“ąøąø£ąøąø²ąøąø” #ąŗŖąŗ°ąŗ”ąŗ²ąŗąŗ»ąŗ”ąŗąŗ²ąŗąŗ»ąŗ” #įįįÆį·įįįŗįįįŗįįįŗįįį¬įįįįŗ #儶č¶čÆē #ė°ķ¬ķ°ėė§¹ #AliansiTehSusu #ThreeFingers #ThreeFingerSalute #MTA
#InternationalDayofDemocracy #YouthEngagement #DemocracyDefenders #DemocracyNow #FreedomOfExpression #DigitalRights #StandForJustice #DigitalRightsAreHumanRights #DemocracyAgainstDictatorship #StopDigitalDictatorship #PeopleOverProfit #IntersectionalFeminism #EqualHumanBeings
References:
United Nations Turkiye, āMeaningfulā youth involvement in decision-making critical to sustainable future: Guterres, available at: https://turkiye.un.org/en/228296-%E2%80%98meaningful%E2%80%99-youth-involvement-decision-making-critical-sustainable-future-guterres
Green Network, Meaningful Youth Engagement in Decision-Making Processes,(26 April 2023), available at : https://greennetwork.asia/news/meaningful-youth-engagement-in-decision-making-processes/
The Electoral Knowledge Project, Youth, and Election, available at: https://aceproject.org/ace-en/topics/yt/yt10/yt210/the-importance-of-youth-participation-in-formal
United Nations, Youth Participation in Decision Making, available at: https://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unyin/documents/ch10.pdf, also https://www.un.org/esa/socdev/documents/youth/fact-sheets/youth-political-participation.pdf
Center for Information and Research on Civil Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE), Why Is Youth Civic Engagement Important?, available at : https://circle.tufts.edu/understanding-youth-civic-engagement/why-it-important
Council of Europe, Meaningful youth participation, available at : https://www.coe.int/en/web/democracy-here-now/meaningful-youth-participation
#InternationalDayofDemocracy #YouthEngagement #DemocracyDefenders #DemocracyNow #FreedomOfExpression #DigitalRights #StandForJustice #ThreeFingerSalute #DigitalRightsAreHumanRights #MTA #MilkTeaAlliance #DemocracyAgainstDictatorship #StopDigitalDictatorship #PeopleOverProfit #IntersectionalFeminism #EqualHumanBeings #MilkTeaAlliance #ąøąø±ąøąøąø”ąø“ąøąø£ąøąø²ąøąø” #ąŗŖąŗ°ąŗ”ąŗ²ąŗąŗ»ąŗ”ąŗąŗ²ąŗąŗ»ąŗ” #įįįÆį·įįįŗįįįŗįįįŗįįį¬įįįįŗ #儶č¶čÆē #ė°ķ¬ķ°ėė§¹ #AliansiTehSusu
š„ While youāre here, discover our pivotal work on democracy and digital rights, shaping our online democracy in Southeast Asia ā¤µļø
#StopDigitalDictatorship Campaign in Southeast Asia
International Literacy Day: Paving the Way to an Intersectional, Inclusive World, 8 September 2023
#StopDigitalDictatorship Dive into the highlights of our session at APrIGF Brisbane!, 7 September 2023
#YouthPowerDemocracy: Twitter Space Recaps "Is Thai Democracy in Regress or Progress?", 1 September 2023
ASEAN Regional Coalition to #StopDigitalDictatorship is at the ASEAN Peopleās Forum on September 1st, 30 August 2023
DRAPAC23 Participants Solidarity Statement: for Greater Protection of Rights in the Asia-Pacific, 29 August 2023
Pages and Passages: Exploring Independent Bookstores, Nurturing Freedom of Expression!, 28 August 2023
Highlights From Our #RightsCon2023 Session, 9 June 2023
Freedom on the Net 2022: Internet Freedom Remained Under Threat in Thailand, October 19, 2022
Joint Submission to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights āThe Right to Privacy in the Digital Age: Mass surveillance, Digital Contact-tracing, Social Media Monitoring, and Data Requests in Southeast Asiaā, June 2022
Joint Submission to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights: Human Rights Due Diligence, Tech Sector Responsibilities and Business Transparency, February 2022
Joint Submission to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of the Right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression: Freedom, Independence, Diversity of Media and the Safety of Journalists in Southeast Asia, January 2022
Thailand UPR III Factsheet on Digital Rights, September 9, 2021
#RightsCon2021 - Online Freedom under attack: Weaponizing misinformation, disinformation and āfake news', 9 June 2021
Joint Statement: Call on Indonesian Ministry of Communication and Information Technology to Suspend the Implementation of Permenkominfo No 5/2020 (MR5/2020), 28 May 2021
Are We Free Online? - Digital Rights in Indonesia, 8 September 2020
#RightsCon2020 - Will democracy survive ānational securityā in the digital space of Southeast Asia?, 23 July 2020
Comments