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A look back at ‘Apa Itu Activist?’

August 24th, 2016 | News

aiaAWARE played a key role in organising and sponsoring the second Apa Itu Activist? A Civil Society Forum for Action and Advocacy, which took place on 20 August at Singapore Management University, our venue sponsor. The forum brought together diverse members of civil society to discuss strategies for social change.

Over a day of interactive workshops, plenaries and dialogue sessions, over 250 attendees discussed a range of topics, from counter narratives and community mobilisation to collaborative advocacy and self-care. Students, social workers, artists, academics, seasoned activists and community organisers shared their experiences, hopes and ideas for a more just and democratic society. Over lunch, we held the Singapore Advocacy Awards ceremony, presented by TWC3. We were glad to count many of the award winners amongst our speakers for the various sessions. The event ended on a note of solidarity, positive energy and momentum, with participants making offers and requests to the community at the closing session.

This year, the conference was organised by a fresh committee of individuals supported by the 2014 team who put together the inaugural Apa Itu Activist?. Our hope is that civil society will continue to hold this forum regularly, with different people at the helm each time.
Missed the event? Check out some of the sessions below! Huge thanks to The Online Citizen for capturing the event on film. For a review of the forum by activist and freelance journalist Kirsten Han, click here.