Shape-SEA

Envisioning and working towards a culture of and in through research, education, and academic activism.

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12/08/2026

🤔 What happens when young people are provided with the capacities, opportunities, and spaces to participate in knowledge production?

When young people are provided with the capacities, opportunities, and spaces to participate meaningfully in research and knowledge production, they become more than recipients of knowledge—they become active contributors, critical thinkers, and agents of change.

Youth engagement and participation are essential to advancing human rights and peace research and education in Southeast Asia. Young people bring fresh perspectives, lived experiences, creativity, and new ways of understanding the region’s evolving challenges. Their meaningful participation ensures that human rights and peacebuilding efforts are not only informed by existing knowledge and experience, but also shaped by the voices, aspirations, and realities of younger generations.

For SHAPE-SEA, youth engagement goes beyond building research capacities. It is about creating meaningful spaces for young people to participate, contribute, exchange ideas, and take part in shaping conversations on human rights and peace. SHAPE-SEA has always valued intergenerational dialogue, recognising the importance of bringing together the knowledge and experience of established scholars and practitioners with the perspectives, energy, and ideas of emerging researchers and young leaders.

By strengthening youth engagement and participation, SHAPE-SEA seeks to promote and ensure a more inclusive and connected regional community where different generations can learn from one another, contribute to knowledge production, and work collectively toward more peaceful, just, and rights-respecting societies across Southeast Asia.

For more information, visit www.shapesea.com

08/08/2026

📣 UPCOMING CRITICAL HORIZONS WEBINAR | August 28, 2026

Beyond Borders and Boundaries: Examining Indigenous and Minority Rights in across Southeast Asia

Current Realities, Persistent Challenges and Pathways Forward

🌱 To register: https://bit.ly/CHWebinar06

In celebration of the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples, this webinar will focus on Indigenous and Minority Rights: Land, Displacement, and Marginalization. Building on the discussions following the United Nations Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP) session and in observance of the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples, the webinar aims to examine the lived realities of Indigenous communities on the ground, alongside the rights of non-citizen minority groups, including refugees in Indonesia.

Indonesia is home to one of the largest Indigenous populations in the world and the largest in Southeast Asia, followed by the Philippines. According to the Indigenous Peoples' Alliance of the Archipelago (AMAN), the country is home to an estimated 50 to 70 million Indigenous people organized across more than 2,000 Indigenous communities. Unlike many other Southeast Asian states, Indonesia has no dedicated national law recognizing Indigenous Peoples as a distinct legal category. Instead, recognition of masyarakat hukum adat (customary law communities) occurs on a case-by-case basis following Constitutional Court Decision No. 35/PUU-X/2012, which affirmed the rights of customary communities over customary forests. This fragmented recognition framework leaves many Indigenous communities without secure legal recognition of their ancestral lands, compounding the risks of dispossession, displacement, and exclusion that this session seeks to explore.

Join us in this discussion!

🌱 To register: https://bit.ly/CHWebinar06
🌱 To register: https://bit.ly/CHWebinar06

For more information, visit www.shapesea.com

07/08/2026

📢 CALL FOR PROPOSALS EXTENDED UNTIL 24 AUGUST 2026!

🌿 Read the submission details: bit.ly/4uC5273

Theme: Challenging Patriarchal Institutions and Strengthening Anti-Harassment Responses in ASEAN

Convened by the Strengthening Human Rights and Peace Research and Education in Southeast Asia (SHAPE-SEA), the ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children (ACWC), represented by the Thailand Representative on Women's Rights, and the Gender and Development Studies Program of the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT).

Following the first round of applications, which received 112 initial submissions, the Secretariat, together with the Selection Committee, has decided to extend the Call for Proposals and invite additional submissions from eligible applicants in the following countries:

🇧🇳 Brunei
🇻🇳 Vietnam
🇱🇦 Lao PDR
🇰🇭 Cambodia
🇲🇲 Myanmar
🇹🇭 Thailand
🇸🇬 Singapore

We invite studies that critically examine the barriers to implementing anti-harassment and anti-SGBV measures and explore how patriarchal structures within institutions can be challenged and transformed. Proposed research may focus on schools, universities, government agencies, workplaces, public services, civic institutions, or other settings across ASEAN. Studies should generate practical recommendations for creating safer, more inclusive, survivor-centred, trauma-informed, and gender-responsive institutions.

We are seeking research proposals from eligible applicants based in Brunei, Vietnam, Lao PDR, Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand, and Singapore only.

📅 New Deadline: 24 August 2026

🌿 Read the submission details: bit.ly/4uC5273

🌿 Proposal Submission Deadline:
24 August 2026, 11:59 PM (Bangkok Time)

🌿 Announcement of Results:
By 28 August 2026

🌿 For more information, visit: www.shapesea.com

05/08/2026

📣 AYOOOOO! WE'VE GOT NEW DOWNLOADABLE RESOURCES!

Don't miss the newly released RGP 2023 Policy Briefs!

These policy briefs are the outcomes of the 2023 Research Grants Program of SHAPE-SEA, supported by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency. Developed by Southeast Asian scholars, they reflect the program's commitment to disseminating knowledge and advancing evidence-based practice and research-informed policy towards a culture of human rights and peace across the region. To download, visit bit.ly/RGP2023PolicyBriefs

🌿 Featuring the following policy briefs:

🔍 Promoting Procedural Environmental Rights (PER) through Pre-Service Science Teacher Training: A Policy Brief for Teacher Training Institutions
Prepared by: Dr. Zainun Mustafa

🔍 Revisiting the Concept of ‘Coercion’ as an Element of R**e in Indonesian Criminal Justice
Prepared by: Diantika Rindam Floranti, S.H., LLM

🔍 Rethinking Development: Addressing Cultural Insecurity and Human Rights in Palm Oil Expansion
Prepared by: Hana Nur Afifah Yogar

🔍 International Pressure in Promoting FoRB: Envisioning Collaboration among Local Advocates and the International Community on FoRB Advocacy in Indonesia
Prepared by: Rizky Alif Alvian & Nabilah Nur Abiyanti

🌿 To download, visit bit.ly/RGP2023PolicyBriefs

🌿 For more information about SHAPE-SEA Program, visit www.shapesea.com

27/07/2026

🌿 Empowering the Next Generation of Peace Educators in Southeast Asia

The ASEAN University Network–Human Rights Education (AUN-HRE), hosted by the Institute of Human Rights and Peace Studies (IHRP), Mahidol University, successfully held the 10th Annual Regional Lecturer Workshop on Teaching Peace and Human Rights from 13–16 July 2026 in Bangkok, Thailand. This year's workshop focused on teaching peace and transformative peacebuilding, bringing together 20 lecturers and educators from across Southeast Asia.

Co-organized by Universiti Sains Malaysia and the SHAPE-SEA Program, with support from the Norwegian Centre for Human Rights and Mahidol University, the four-day intensive workshop provided participants with practical tools and innovative approaches to peace education.

Through expert-led sessions, participants explored conflict mapping, conflict resolution models, and the interconnected relationship between peace and human rights. Renowned scholar-practitioners in peace education also examined the role of gender and the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) Agenda in advancing sustainable peace. Interactive simulations on peace mediation and participatory learning methodologies further strengthened participants' teaching practices and collaborative learning.

The workshop concluded with presentations of participants' individual and collaborative peace education initiatives and course syllabi, reflecting their commitment to integrating transformative peacebuilding into classrooms and learning spaces across the region.

👏 Our sincere appreciation goes to all our distinguished resource persons, dedicated participants, and partner institutions for making this workshop a meaningful platform for learning, collaboration, and regional solidarity. Together, we continue to strengthen peace and human rights education for a more just, inclusive, and peaceful Southeast Asia.

📌 AUN-HRE is convened by Dr. Vachararutai Boontinand of the Institute of Human Rights and Peace Studies, with Dr. Kalpalata Dutta serving as Education Manager.

🌐 Stay updated on our latest news and upcoming activities by visiting aunhre.org.

23/07/2026

🎉 The Day 2 of RGS Inception Workshop centered on building stronger foundations for impactful human rights and peace research. Grantees explored research ethics, reflecting on participant protection, trauma-informed approaches, researcher safety, community engagement, and the ethical implications of digital technologies and AI.

The learning continued with interdisciplinary conversations on gender, power, social justice, decolonial perspectives, and community-centered knowledge production, encouraging participants to critically strengthen the conceptual frameworks guiding their research.

The day concluded with a Research Grant Management Orientation, where grantees reviewed implementation plans, clarified reporting and administrative requirements, and discussed strategies to successfully navigate their research journey.

As the 2026 cohort prepares to begin research work and fieldwork in the next six months, these sessions reinforce a shared commitment to conducting research that is ethical, inclusive, and grounded in the realities of the communities they work alongside.

21/07/2026

Fifteen Southeast Asian scholars, one shared mission. The SHAPE-SEA Research Grant Schemes Inception Workshop is officially underway, from July 20-22, 2027 in Mandarin Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand.

🎉 Chosen from a highly competitive pool of applicants, the RGS 2026 grantees represent the next generation of Southeast Asian researchers tackling the region's most pressing human rights and peace challenges. We kicked things off with opening remarks from Dr. Vachararutai Boontinand, Dr. Le Thanh Forsberg, and Dr. Bencharat Chua, representing the program's Governing Board, welcoming them into a growing regional community of human rights and peace scholars.

For three days in Bangkok, they'll work shoulder to shoulder with mentors and fellow researchers, starting with a Gallery Walk & Research Mapping Exercise where grantees shared their projects and found common ground, followed by a rich discussion situating their work within the broader landscape of human rights and peace scholarship in Southeast Asia.

The afternoon shifted gears with a hands on Research Design & Methodology Clinic, sharpening research designs and ethics, followed by an honest, experience driven conversation on what it really takes to move from proposal to fieldwork and get findings into the hands of the communities and policymakers who need them. One day in, and the exchange of ideas, challenges, and solidarity is already setting the tone for the days ahead. ✨

For more information, visit www.shapesea.com

17/07/2026

🌿 SHAPE-SEA launches Research Grants Scheme 2026 with Inception Workshop for 15 homegrown scholars

Fifteen Southeast Asian scholars, one shared mission. Chosen from a highly competitive pool of applicants, the RGS 2026 grantees represent the next generation of Southeast Asian researchers tackling the region’s most pressing human rights and peace challenges.

“These fifteen grantees are exactly who should be telling Southeast Asia’s stories,” said Dr. Bidyalaxmi Salam, SHAPE-SEA Project Lead for Knowledge Production. “They know the histories, the languages, and the lived realities of the communities they study, because these are their own communities. Our role is to make sure they have the funding, mentorship, and peer support to turn that closeness into rigorous, credible research. When they succeed, the region gains scholarship that is relevant, trusted, and lasting.”

“The idea for my Chana project existed before I applied, but the grant made it possible to turn that idea into reality,” said Dr. Ngamkaiwan.

This year, Dr. Ngamkaiwan returns to the programme in a new role: as a mentor to the incoming RGS 2026 cohort at the Inception Workshop, completing the cycle from grantee to guide. Moreover, Dr. Vachararutai (Jan) Boontinand, Executive Director of SHAPE-SEA, further emphasized that the Inception Workshop is designed to ensure grantees begin their projects on the strongest possible footing.

“A region cannot claim ownership of its human rights agenda if it does not own the knowledge that informs it,” said Dr. Boontinand. “Through this workshop, we make sure that all fifteen (15) grantees start their projects with strong research foundations, clear ethical grounding, and a community behind them".

The workshop combines thematic discussions on human rights and peace research with practical sessions on research design, ethics, academic writing, and project management.

🌿 Read more: https://philippinesgraphic.com.ph/2026/07/15/shape-sea-launches-research-grants-scheme-2026-with-inception-workshop-for-15-homegrown-scholars/

10/07/2026

📣 ONLY 7 HOURS LEFT TO APPLY FOR THE CALL FOR COMMISSIONED THEMATIC RESEARCH 2026!

📌 Theme: Challenging Patriarchal Institutions and Strengthening Anti-Harassment Responses in ASEAN

Convened by the Strengthening Human Rights and Peace Research and Education in Southeast Asia (SHAPE-SEA), the ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children (ACWC), represented by the Thailand Representative on Women's Rights, and the Gender and Development Studies Program of the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT).

Are you a Southeast Asian researcher, academic, or practitioner working on gender justice, anti-harassment policies, institutional reform, or sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV)? This is your opportunity to contribute to meaningful research that can help advance safer and more inclusive institutions across the region.

🔍 We invite studies that critically examine the barriers to implementing anti-harassment and anti-SGBV measures and explore how patriarchal structures within institutions can be challenged and transformed. Proposed research may focus on schools, universities, government agencies, workplaces, public services, civic institutions, or other settings across ASEAN. Studies should generate practical recommendations for creating safer, more inclusive, survivor-centered, trauma-informed, and gender-responsive institutions.

Successful grantees will have the opportunity to present their findings at a regional dialogue with fellow researchers, government officials, practitioners, and advocates, helping shape collective policy recommendations for institutional transformation across the region.

🌿 Read the submission details: bit.ly/4uC5273
🌿 Submission Deadline: 10 July 2026, 11:59 PM (Bangkok Time)
🌿 Announcement of Results: By or during the week of 17 July 2026

🌿For more information, visit:
🌐 www.shapesea.com

08/07/2026

[HIRING: ตำแหน่ง เจ้าหน้าที่ผู้ช่วยธุรการและการเงิน]

🌿 We Invite Qualified Candidates for the Finance and Administrative Assistant Position to Join Our Team!

Read the TOR: https://bit.ly/4p9vTWV
To apply, visit: https://shapesea.com/our-programmes/job-opportunities/

🌱 Full-time work arrangements, based in BKK/ Salaya, Thailand
🌱 For Thai nationals only
🌱 Initial contract period: 1 August 2026 –30 June 2027*
*after which the position will be evaluated based on the project need

To apply, visit: https://shapesea.com/our-programmes/job-opportunities/

เรากำลังมองหาผู้สมัครที่มีทักษะด้านการเงินและงานธุรการ สามารถประสานงานกับหน่วยงานทั้งภายในและภายนอก ดูแลเอกสาร การจัดประชุมและกิจกรรม การเบิกจ่ายงบประมาณ และการจัดเก็บข้อมูลโครงการอย่างเป็นระบบ รวมถึงให้การสนับสนุนเจ้าหน้าที่ต่างชาติในด้านใบอนุญาตทำงาน การเข้าเมือง และการยื่นภาษีเงินได้ ผู้สมัครควรมีความละเอียดรอบคอบ มีทักษะการประสานงานและการจัดการที่ดี สามารถทำงานเป็นทีมและปฏิบัติงานอื่น ๆ ตามที่ได้รับมอบหมายได้อย่างมีประสิทธิภาพ

🌱 ขอบเขตความรับผิดชอบ (Scope of Work)
• ดำเนินการเกี่ยวกับกระบวนการขอและต่ออายุใบอนุญาตทำงานและการเข้าเมืองสำหรับเจ้าหน้าที่ต่างชาติ ช่วยเหลือเจ้าหน้าที่ต่างชาติในการยื่นภาษีเงินได้
• จัดเตรียมเอกสารที่เกี่ยวข้องกับสัญญาจ้างงานของพนักงาน ประสานงานกับหน่วยงานอื่น ๆ เพื่อให้การดำเนินงานในโครงการฯ เป็นไปอย่างราบรื่นและรวดเร็ว
• ให้ความช่วยเหลือเจ้าหน้าที่โครงการในเรื่องสวัสดิการ ตามนโยบายทรัพยากรบุคคลของโครงการฯ
• ประสานงานการจัดประชุมและกิจกรรมต่าง ๆ ณ สถานที่จัดงาน รวมถึงจัดการเดินทางให้แก่ผู้เข้าร่วมที่ได้รับเชิญ จัดการการชำระค่าใช้จ่ายต่าง ๆ และสนับสนุนการเบิกจ่ายค่าเดินทางและค่าอาหารในการจัดกิจกรรมต่าง ๆ เช่น การจัดอบรม/การประชุมเชิงปฏิบัติการ พร้อมทั้งตรวจสอบให้เอกสารค่าใช้จ่ายที่เกี่ยวข้องครบถ้วนและเป็นไปตามระเบียบของมหาวิทยาลัย
• ปฏิบัติงานร่วมกับเจ้าหน้าที่การเงินและบัญชีอาวุโส เพื่อให้ระบบการเงินเป็นไปตามแผนงานและงบประมาณของโครงการ
• ประสานงานและดำเนินการติดต่อหน่วยงานภายในและหน่วยงานภายนอกมหาวิทยาลัย
• จัดเก็บเอกสารทางการเงินประจำเดือน และเอกสารอื่นๆที่เกี่ยวข้อง รวมทั้งดูแลให้มีการสแกนและอัปโหลดเอกสารอย่างเป็นระบบ
• สนับสนุนฝ่ายบริหารโครงการในการจัดระบบเอกสารและการจัดทำฐานข้อมูลของโครงการ
• สนับสนุนฝ่ายโปรแกรมของโครงการในการดำเนินกิจกรรม
• ปฏิบัติงานอื่น ๆ ตามที่ได้รับมอบหมาย

🌱 Read the TOR: https://bit.ly/4p9vTWV
🌱 To apply, visit: https://shapesea.com/our-programmes/job-opportunities/