Southeast Asian environmental defenders strengthen research and security skills

The Asia Pacific Network of Environmental Defenders (APNED) successfully held three trainings on participatory action research and security in Cambodia, Indonesia, and the Philippines in 2024. The trainings increased the capacity of Cambodian, Filipino, and Indonesian environmental defenders in conducting research on environmental and human rights issues as well as in ensuring their safety against physical and/or digital attacks while they conduct their work. 

The first training was held in Indonesia on 13-16 May 2024. Cambodian environmental defenders next held their own training on 12-15 July 2024, while the Filipino cohort convoked theirs from 25-28 September 2024. 

The trainings were held as part of the preparations for the country studies APNED is conducting regarding the situation of environmental defenders in Cambodia, Indonesia, and the Philippines. The ongoing study also aims to discover what makes these three countries the most dangerous for environmental defenders in Southeast Asia. 

APNED Coordinator Lia Mai Torres expressed optimism that the trainings and the research being conducted can help improve the situation of environmental defenders in the region. 

“I also hope that we can use what we learned in these trainings to further strengthen the environmental defenders’ organisations and movements in our respective countries and the region as a whole to attain our vision of a more just, humane, and sustainable future for everyone,” Torres added.