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/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!
In the upcoming /ba.ca/, New Naratif’s Gender Rights Researcher, Thet Wai, and a journalist often covering climate-related issues in Southeast Asia, Mavic Conde, will talk to us about how feminism can be a tool for democracy in Southeast Asia.
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/:
Feminism–i.e. the equality of all genders and sexualities–is an integral part of the fight for democracy. You can’t have democracy without women’s rights and SOGIESC equality.
12 April 2023 | 8 p.m. GMT+8
In this discussion, Thet Wai will speak about the interplay between patriarchy and authoritarianism and the challenges she has faced as a feminist activist in Myanmar. Mavic Conde, a Filipino journalist, will talk to us about how, in the face of climate disasters, it is women and LGBTQIA+ communities that suffer first and foremost.
The reading list for the upcoming /ba∙ca/:
10-year Post-Haiyan: LGBTQ+ Survivors Still Fight for Their Legal Rights
Nearly a decade after the Haiyan disaster, the LGBTQ+ community still faces hardships to be on the list of housing recipients in the Central Philippines. Even until today, they relentlessly fight for their legal protection.
A New Feminist Narrative: Towards More Inclusive Southeast Asian Democracies
This Democratic Participation Research series aims to understand democracy in Southeast Asia through studying the independent gender rights organisations in Southeast Asia. The research will focus on the following countries: Malaysia, Indonesia, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam.
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 31st January 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