Part 4 of the “Who Is This Crisis For?” Series — SocDem Asia Pacific Sondang Tarida Tampubolon is the Coordinator of Social Democrats Asia Pacific (SocDem Asia Pacific) and Deputy Secretary-General of the National Democratic Party (Partai NasDem), Indonesia. This article is part of the SocDem Asia Pacific editorial series leading up to the webinar “Regional Solidarity in Times of Crisis” in August 2026. Introduction Across Asia and the Pacific, governments tell a familiar sto

Part 3 of the “Who Is This Crisis For?” Series — SocDem Asia Pacific Sondang Tarida Tampubolon is the Coordinator of Social Democrats Asia Pacific (SocDem Asia Pacific) and Deputy Secretary-General of the National Democratic Party (Partai NasDem), Indonesia. This article is part of the SocDem Asia Pacific editorial series leading up to the webinar “Regional Solidarity in Times of Crisis” in August 2026. Introduction Across Asia and the Pacific, a generation of young women i

Part 2 of the "Who Is This Crisis For?" Series — SocDem Asia Pacific Sondang Tarida Tampubolon is the Coordinator of Social Democrats Asia Pacific (SocDem Asia Pacific) and Deputy Secretary-General of the National Democratic Party (Partai NasDem), Indonesia. This article is part of the SocDem Asia Pacific editorial series leading up to the webinar "Regional Solidarity in Times of Crisis," August 2026. Introduction Meet Ana, Nat, Lurdes, and Sari. Ana is nineteen, a live-in

Across Asia and the Pacific, economic crises are never neutral. They always have a face, and far too often that face is a woman’s. When energy prices spike due to conflicts in the Middle East, it is usually women who first tighten household budgets. When jobs disappear, women workers in the informal economy are often the first to lose income. And when the state pulls back from its responsibility to provide social protection, women absorb the shock through unpaid care work tha

By: Sondang Tarida Tampubolon Coordinator, Social Democrats Asia Pacific (SocDem Asia Pacific) & Deputy Secretary-General, DPP Partai NasDem There are moments in history when a party congress is more than an internal affair. It becomes a mirror of the times — a place where values are tested, directions are set, and cross-border solidarity is renewed. The 50th National Conference of the Australian Labor Party (ALP), to be held on 23–25 July 2026 at the Adelaide Convention Cent

By: Sondang Tampubolon | SocDem Asia Pacific June 17, 2026 Introduction There is an enduring principle in geopolitics: when elephants fight, it is the grass beneath them that gets trampled. For months, that "grass" has been the Asia Pacific — a region of 4.5 billion people, the engine of global economic growth, yet bearing the consequences of a conflict between two great powers on the other side of the world. But in the last 48 hours, something significant has happened. On Ju

ARTICLE 2 UU PPRT: When the State Finally Acknowledges That Domestic Work Is Work — Implications for Gender Equality and the Future of Indonesia's Younger Generation By Sondang Tampubolon, Coordinator, SocDem Asia Pacific | June 2026 In our previous piece, we told the story of how Indonesia's Law on the Protection of Domestic Workers (UU PPRT) came to be — 22 years of grassroots struggle, the pivotal role of Partai NasDem through figures like Martin Manurung and Lestari Moerd

ARTICLE 1 By Sondang Tampubolon, Coordinator, SocDem Asia Pacific | June 2026 On April 21, 2026 — Kartini Day, celebrated as a symbol of women's awakening in Indonesia — the House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia struck the gavel to pass the Law on the Protection of Domestic Workers (UU PPRT). A moment that had been awaited for 22 years. This was no coincidence. It was a powerful symbolic statement: that the struggle for women in Indonesia is not over, and that

Congratulations to the Australian Labor Party on their remarkable victory in the federal election! 🇦🇺✨ This win signals a renewed...

May 3 World Press Freedom Day: A Time to Reflect 🗞 Today, we celebrate the vital role of press freedom in our society. As media...

Today, we come together to celebrate the spirit of labors' rights and the ongoing struggle for social justice across the Asia Pacific...

On World Health Day, we champion the ideal of #HealthForAll. But we must also confront the reality that health equity is still out of...

🌙✨ Wishing everyone a blessed and joyous Eid! 🌺 From all of us at Social Democracy Asia Pacific, we extend our heartfelt greetings to...

March 28 🌍 Solidarity in the Face of Adversity Our hearts go out to the communities across Thailand and Myanmar affected by the recent...

March 25 🕊 Honoring the past, shaping the future. Today, we remember the millions of men, women, and children who were forcibly taken...

World Tuberculosis Day Every year, 24 March is observed as World TB Day to amplify the urgency of ending tuberculosis (TB), the world’s...

International Day for the Right to the Truth concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims

March 22 🌍💧 World Water Day 🌊✨ Today, we join hands with communities across the Asia-Pacific to celebrate World Water Day! Water is...

✨ The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination Stand Against Racial Discrimination ✊🌍 Today we commemorate the...

March 21 🌳 International Day of Forests 🌳 Today, we celebrate the invaluable role forests play as pillars of global food security and...