By Tala Batangan, Asia Regional Coordinator at the Coalition for Human Rights in Development
I started off as a wide-eyed history major, fascinated by how critical moments and social movements have defined the trajectories of societies. Studying these pivotal moments of change also cemented my belief in the agency of people and social movements as the main movers and writers of history, capable of changing its course for the better.
Tala during one of the actions at the ADB Annual Meeting in Tbilisi (May,2024)
This eventually led me to join progressive institutions addressing systemic inequalities and human rights violations, working to demand accountability and pursuing justice. I was privileged to contribute to an institution that advocated for state reparations for victims of human rights violations during the Martial Law period in the Philippines. I was also a part of a regional organization that pursued historical reparations from the global North in the form of aid for developing countries in the Asia-Pacific. These experiences also encouraged me to focus my postgraduate studies on symbolic reparations for human rights violations in Southeast Asia.
My current role as the Asia Regional Coordinator in the Coalition for Human Rights in Development gives me a chance to continue working alongside communities and defenders to advance systemic change that secures a development path putting people, environment, care, and human rights over anything else. It is also a privilege to work in Asia, a region of resistance, as it continues to birth strong movements against colonial and authoritarian rule.
We are always at the crossroads of history and it is up to us to act. Every day, through small and big acts of heroic resistance, people rewrite history. We witness communities building barricades to protect their land from extractivist activities, promoting mutual aid, protecting nature and resources, resisting war and injustice, and ensuring that there is a sustainable future for all of us. We see how women continue to uplift their families and communities, farmers and fisherfolk tirelessly producing food, teachers patiently cultivating young minds, and workers diligently meeting our daily needs.
There are a myriad of reasons why I joined the Coalition, but what resonates most is that there is knowledge to be gleaned, strength to be fostered, and a future to build with communities, activists, defenders, and social movements. The Coalition provides me with the opportunity to learn and be a part of the heroic acts communities and defenders do everyday, providing inspiration and motivation to continue fighting for the world that we want.
I have realized that coordinating work in Asia is all about finding ways to link arms with communities and defenders across borders, working in solidarity to make strides towards our shared dream of a fair and prosperous future for the region–and beyond.