/ba∙ca/
with New Naratif
Collective action begins with a community
Engage in collective action for positive change
/ba∙ca/ with New Naratif is a reading group series that invites members to come together to discuss selected stories published by New Naratif. Discussions are led by New Naratif team members and feature guest speakers and contributors. They typically revolve around recent social or political issues within Southeast Asia.
/ba∙ca/ with New Naratif is a space for our community to have safe and constructive conversations about complex issues. It will be conducted in English, but we don’t rule out the possibility of opening discussions in other languages according to the context or interest in the issues being discussed.
Occasionally, members will be sent polls to vote on readings for the group via the members-only newsletter. If you’re a member but you don’t receive the weekly members-only newsletter, please write to us at memberships[at]newnaratif[dot]com.
/ba∙ca/ with New Naratif aims to bring our community together to discuss complicated issues and take collective action.
Sign up for the next /ba∙ca/ with New Naratif!
Every day we hear stories of the rising cost of living where people struggle to make ends meet. In the face of rising rents, people have trouble securing accessible, livable housing. Our upcoming /ba.ca/ with New Naratif will explore the intersectional issues that affect our daily lives and what it means to have a livable environment with Kolektif Kuda Laut.
Get connected and enlightened
Each session is 60 – 90 minutes long and members are encouraged to read the assigned articles and/or stories beforehand. This reading group will be hosted in a smaller capacity as we want our community to get to know each other and participate fully.
Contributors of the pieces being discussed will also be present at the session, which gives participants the opportunity to talk to them directly and ask questions.
The session will be recorded and edited into a podcast of the same name, available exclusively for New Naratif members.
Upcoming /ba∙ca/:
Our upcoming /ba.ca/ with New Naratif will expand upon this vital discussion, exploring the intersectional issues that affect our daily lives and what it means to have a livable environment with Kolektif Kuda Laut. Every day we hear stories of the rising cost of living where people struggle to make ends meet. In the face of rising rents, people have trouble securing accessible, livable housing. We’ll also delve into the health implications of our surroundings, the pervasive air pollution, the quest for equitable education, and the layers of gender-based oppression that further complicate these issues.
3 October 2023 | 7 p.m. WIB
Come together with New Naratif, Kolektif Kuda Laut, and fellow community members to deepen your understanding of these pressing matters and imagine how we can achieve a future that is gentle.
Our conversation will be guided by the Stage 1 report of Agenda Warga summarising the issues the people of Indonesia find the most pressing, which event participants will get early access to. Event participants will also be the first to take the poll of Agenda Warga’s Stage 2 Issues Ranking.
The recommended reading list for the upcoming /ba∙ca/:
Proyek Demokrasi Indonesia yang Berkelanjutan
Indonesia telah mengungguli semua tetangganya di Asia Tenggara dalam kebebasan dan rangking demokrasi, namun demokrasinya jauh lebih rumit daripada yang diasumsikan.
I Was Never Alone
When I left my Indonesian hometown for the big city, I asked myself: what am I? The answer lay beyond the gender binary.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to read before coming to a session?
Yes, you are encouraged to read the assigned reading before coming to a session and prepare questions for discussion.
When is the next /ba∙ca/ with New Naratif?
The next /ba.ca/ is happening on 30th May at 8 p.m. MYT!
What have members read in past meetings?
#1 — Malaysia’s Current Political Climate
Reading: Winner-Takes-All: The Structural Risk to Malaysian Democracy by Ooi Kok Hin
#2 — Pro-democracy: Organising & Protesting in Myanmar & Thailand
Readings:
- “Let It End in Our Generation”: How the Thailand Protests Came to Be by Prachatai
- Myanmar Activist: We Want Our Own Script by Jacob Goldberg
#3 — Activism in Singapore
Recommended:
- Podcast: Political Agenda — Protest, Activism, and Social Change
- Video: The Show with PJ Thum — Episode 5 — How the PAP Government Abuses “Rule of Law” to Control Singapore
- Research: The Use of Humiliation as a Political Tool by Thum Ping Tjin
#4 — Environmental Migration in Kalimantan
Reading: Kalimantan’s Warning: The Intertwined Dynamics of Environmental Degradation and Internal Migration by Lengga Pradipta
#5 — The Philippines’ Exploitation of Overseas Filipino Workers
Reading: The Philippines’ Dangerous Dependence on the Exploitation of its People by Teo S. Marasigan
#6 — Growing Together: A Discussion on Collective Care
Reading: Growing Together: A Guide to Collective Care written by Minxi Chua with illustrations by Namsai Khaobor
#7 — Queer Ecology: A Reading
Reading: Queer Ecology: Eight Works of Flash Fiction on the Intersectionality of SOGIESC and Ecological Justice
#8 — Feminism as a Tool for Democracy in Southeast Asia
Readings:
- 10-year Post-Haiyan: LGBTQ+ Survivors Still Fight for Their Legal Rights by Mavic Conde
- A New Feminist Narrative: Towards More Inclusive Southeast Asian Democracies by Thet Wai
#9 — Finding Home: Experiences of Migration in Southeast Asia
Reading: Stories of Migration Across East and Southeast Asia
#10 — Fostering Queer Communities in Southeast Asia
Readings:
- A Tale of Queer Migration by Asmara S. Wigati
- One Day Out by Ina Putri Bestari
#11 — Lost Childhood – Children in Malaysia’s Immigration Detention Centres
Readings: