In a regional policy roundtable held in Manila, Philippine Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan underscored the urgency of defending democratic systems among Asian counterparts while also acknowledging the realities faced by ordinary citizens. “We must also remember something that is easy to forget
“We didn’t just need another event. We needed a journey.” The Women’s Caucus of the Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats (CALD) presented its inaugural mentorship initiative, the “Asian Women Education (AWE) Mentorship Program” at the first in-person meeting of
The Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats (CALD), a regional network of liberal and democratic political parties in Asia, successfully hosted their high-profile regional conference, “South China Sea Disputes Under Trump 2.0: Finding a Common Ground Among Claimant States,” on
“These may be very challenging times, but this can also be an opportunity for Japan to solidity and reinforce its regional leadership role, especially since it has been punching below its weight for the longest time.” These were the words
CALD Chairperson and Cambodian Senator Mardi Seng was in Abidjan, Ivory Coast on 23-25 February 2025 to speak in the RenewPAC 2025 Summit. The Summit was organized by the Renew Europe Group in the European Parliament and its Delegation for
It is described as “the world’s leading summit on human rights in the digital age”, and it really is. With over 8000 participants from 169 countries and 638 round-the-clock sessions, onsite and online, RightsCon 2025 in Taipei, Taiwan is one
“In politics, you have to be on message, in volume, over time.” These were the words of Nick Clelland, one of the facilitators of the International Academy for Leadership (IAF), which became the guiding principle for the seminar entitled “Political
It was the first event of its kind in Latin America, and it took place at a time when global freedom is under severe threat. The 64th Congress of Liberal International (LI) took place in Santiago, Chile on 29 November
Chile recently hosted a global gathering of liberal democratic political parties, and CALD members were of course there to participate – even if that meant traveling for more than 24 hours to get there. On 26-28 November 2024, Red Liberal
After the successful conclusion of the Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats’ (CALD) election mission in Taiwan, CALD Secretary General Francis Abaya and CALD Women’s Caucus Chairperson Jaslyn Go met with officials of the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) in
“Coming to Taiwan is like coming home” – CALD ChairpersonCALD and LI conduct joint election mission; celebrate DPP victory “For us, Liberals and Democrats who passionately advocate for freedom, human rights and the rule of law, Taiwan is home.” Mardi
On 10 December 2023, the United Nations celebrated the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). This landmark document enshrines the inalienable rights for everyone regardless of race, color, religion, sex, language, political or other opinion, national
Violence against women, both online and offline, impacts negatively on women’s participation in politics and elections – and something must be done about it. This was the motivation behind the workshop organized by the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) on
Today, 10 December 2023, the Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats (CALD) marks 30 years of unwavering commitment to democracy, human rights, and the rule of law in Asia. However, amidst celebrations, CALD raises concerns over the recent allegations of
On 23-24 November 2023, the Municipality of San Mateo, led by Mayor Bartolome “Omie” N. Rivera, Jr., organized a workshop with the theme “Transforming Smart Mobility Ideas into Local Government Solutions” that is aimed towards assessing the transportation needs of
The Asia Democracy Network (ADN) marks its 10th anniversary this year with the largest gathering of Asian civil society activists and democracy supporters in Bangkok, Thailand last 20-22 November 2023. With over 200 participants from across the region, Asia Democracy
A party management workshop that was one for the books – made possible by a political party whose management practices deserve to be turned into a book. This, in essence, is how the recently concluded 8th Party Management Workshop hosted
“Panglao is endowed with stunning beaches, an incredible marine bio-diversity, exquisite corals and sea life, and a hard-to-discover school of tropical fish…Because of this, tourism serves as the foundation of our vibrant and progressive local economy and is indeed its
The Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats (CALD) is under new management. On the sidelines of the network’s 30th anniversary celebrations in Taipei Taiwan, CALD held its handover ceremonies on 10 September 2023 signifying the transfer of leadership from the
Most countries in Asia have periodic elections. Whether these elections are free and fair is another matter. More importantly, there is a question on whether these elections actually advance or impede democracy. With the aim of contributing to the discussion
Has the Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats (CALD) outlived its usefulness? This was the key question raised during the CALD Leaders’ Meeting held in Bangkok, Thailand on 23 August 2023. With the theme “CALD@30: Towards the Next Phase”, the
As part of the 30th anniversary celebration of the Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats (CALD), an insightful Fireside Chat on the theme “Leadership in the Time of Democratic Recession” was held on 9 September 2023 at Great Skyview Taipei,
Taiwan Vice President Lai Ching-te, along with representatives and global partners of the Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats (CALD), signed the Joint Declaration on the Current State and Future of Democracy in Asia. This significant occasion took place during
On 11 August, at the 21st floor of the Frassati Building of University of Santo Tomas in Manila, Philippines, more than 200 Filipino youths listened to national youth leaders and liberal stalwarts who shared invaluable insights. More than 200 youths
“East Timor is a vibrant country, a hopeful nation that is considered the most democratic in Southeast Asia,” said CALD Chairperson Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, former Philippine Senator and incumbent Chairperson of the Liberal Party of the Philippines, during the three-day
“We therefore declare urban mobility as an essential public good.” This was the call of local government leaders and party members of the Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats (CALD) from six countries expressed as they signed the Mobility For
Youth leaders from Asian countries embarked on a four-day event in Cavite, Philippines that seeks to enhance their leadership skills and explore the challenges and opportunities of digital democracy. From June 14 – 17, CALD Youth brought together aspiring young
It has been said that the rights that we enjoy offline should also be protected online. Freedom of expression, access to information, privacy, and association and assembly are fundamental rights that should be respected and promoted whether in the physical
It was described as “generation-defining” election. In a number of ways, it was. The recently concluded Thailand general election saw a record turnout exceeding 75% or around 39 million people. Of the registered voters, around 14.7% or 7.7 million people
2022 might be a breakthrough year in the global fight to defend democracy. The Economist Intelligence Unit’s Democracy Index 2022 shows that the number of “full democracies” increased to 24 in 2022 from 21 in 2021, while the number of
Elections are the bread-and-butter of political parties. Hence, when Buzzmaker, an award-winning political and public affairs consultancy firm based in the United States, offered to hold a series of online trainings on political campaigns, digital fundraising and field campaigning, the
It was a global gathering of democrats like no other, and the Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats (CALD) was proud to be part of it. The 11th Global Assembly of the World Movement for Democracy (WMD) took place in
Why are parliamentarians and political party leaders being left behind when it comes to discussions on Business and Human Rights (BHR)? It has been more than a decade since the United Nations’ Human Rights Council (UN HRC) endorsed the “Guiding
ILOILO CITY – Asian Liberals and Democrats from eight countries in the region committed to advocate for truth-telling and protection on the last day of the two-day conference on building a democratic coalition against disinformation. At the 14th General Assembly
ILOILO CITY — All of society need to defend truth applying various weapons, according to various participants in the international conference here seeking to “build a democratic coalition against disinformation.” Phil Bennion, vice president of Liberal International, suggested that pro-truth
Political leaders, journalists, teachers, and artists from Asia will meet at the Iloilo Convention Center in Iloilo on November 12-13 in a conference with the theme “building a democratic coalition against disinformation.” “Disinformation has divided people all over the world.
“It is at the level of the city – of the local governments in general – that the government is most felt by the people. For this reason, if we want to make immediate and substantive impact on the quality
To say that “freedom is not free” may appear to contradict the very nature of freedom, but this axiom is actually an accurate representation of the realities that many countries in the world confront. In East and Southeast Asia, for
It was a trip to Europe during turbulent times, but it was certainly worth it. A delegation from the Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats (CALD) travelled to the European continent to take part in the 75th Liberal International (LI)
“Are we sometimes confusing popular with populist?” This was the question posed by Sir Graham Watson, former leader of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE), as Asian and European Liberals debated the issue of populism in their
Held on the sidelines of the 75th Anniversary Congress of Liberal International, CLP’s membership application was unanimously approved by the CALD leadership during its 45th Executive Committee Meeting. The CLP was previously a member of CALD, but has since evolved
By Sam Rainsy The first results of the commune elections of June 5 show that a people’s desire for change can’t be wiped out at the stroke of a pen. After the arbitrary dissolution in 2017 of the Cambodia National
“….several priorities [were identified] for national policy in the upcoming [Cambodian] elections. These include Covid-19 Response, Job Creation, Social Protection for the Poor and Elderly, Youth Employment, Improving Access to Public Services and Agricultural Markets, Strengthening Law Enforcements, Promoting Technology,
As of 2021, about 81% of the Philippine population is on Facebook. A large number of youth voters can be partially accredited to social media as information is easily accessible and readily available on the internet, leading many to take
“The key is moving people, not vehicles. Efficient and effective public transport must be at the backbone of the transport system,” said Dr. Segundo Romero, Director of Innovation at the Base of the Pyramid in Southeast Asia (iBop Asia) Program
“If we don’t build resilience in terms of governance, in terms of rule of law and human rights-centered approach, we are basically going to be the equivalent of, in the history books, ‘the fall of the Roman empire’,” said ALTSEAN
The year 2021 was supposed to be a year of recovery – of our bodies and our body politic –from the onslaught of the pandemic and of populist authoritarianism, respectively. The availability and growing access to COVID-19 vaccines, coupled with
“Government is best when it’s closest to the people…being with people immerses one with the real and pressing problems on the ground. One gets a sense, firsthand, of what’s relevant and important,” said Lito Arlegue, CALD Executive Director, during the
Danish American social reformer Jacob Riis once said: “When nothing seems to help, I go and look at a stonecutter hammering away at his rock perhaps a hundred times without as much as a crack showing in it. Yet at
Winning the [political] academy JAKARTA, INDONESIA — After the success of the celebrated pilot event of the CALD Youth Political Academy (CYPA) that was held in Hong Kong last March 2017, CALD Youth concludes a yet another event not just
GUMMERSBACH, GERMANY — On 15-21 September 2017, liberal youth leaders from across the globe gathered at the Theodor Heuss Academy of the Friedrich Naumann Stiftung Foundation for the International Federation of Liberal Youth or IFLRY’s second series of the Training of Trainers (TOT). Participants
“How can we say to any country in the world that it is not ready for democracy? Who are we to say that? How can we say that we are entitled to democracy and not you? Let the people of every
Bali is known for its quaint, pristine beaches complemented by its mystical culture and the warm hospitality of its people. It is the ideal place for 30 liberal youth delegates from 12 countries to convene and discuss climate change advocacy, the power
On 14-17 April 2016, the International Federation of Liberal Youth (IFLRY) held its 39th General Assembly (GA) in Istanbul, Turkey. More than 80 participants from nearly 30 countries were present to convene for the GA and for a conference with the
In a few but very special occasions like the COP21, all nations convened for an inclusive, futuristic, and historic agreement that would not just benefit this generation, but the next. Last 30 November to 11 December 2015, UN member countries,
Ms. Bulgan Bayasgalant of the Civil Will Green Party, newly elected Chair of the CALD Youth. Representatives from the Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats youth wing (CALD Youth) convened in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 25 April 2015 for the
The Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats (CALD) marked another milestone in its history with the creation of CALD Youth in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Delegates to a youth workshop which took place from 17 to 21 August 2010 unanimously agreed that
