The Movement for Alternatives and Solidarities in Southeast Asia (MASSAMovement for Alternatives and Solidarity in Southeast Asia (South East Asia)) has been heavily involved in organizing two back-to-back regional conferences for the months of September and October. A lot of preparations were committed in furthering our regional advocacies and continuously converging spaces in advancing a people-led alternative regionalism in Southeast Asia.

From September 19-21, 2024, members of MASSA were instrumental in hosting this year’s ASEAN Civil Society Conference/ ASEAN Peoples’ Forum in Dili, Timor Leste. The months of consultations, back and forth online meetings, and preparations on the ground has led to another successful year of gathering and interweaving among various civil society organizations across Southeast Asia. Despite taking place thousands of kilometers from the official ASEAN summit in Lao People’s Democratic Republic, the Timorese civil society stood in solidarity with the Laos people in co-hosting the annual conference when they accepted the turnover from the Indonesian CSOs during last years’ conference in Jakarta. As small as Timor Leste is compared to its neighboring countries, our conference was deeply welcomed by the Timorese people as displayed by the streamers and posters we’ve seen across Dili as we made our way to the Escola Secundaria Técnica Vocacional-Grupo de Tecnologia e Indústria, a humble venue and yet a crucial gathering point among people in solidarity.

With the theme of “Toward A People-Led Democracy and Sovereignty in Southeast Asia”, this year’s conference takes on the character of the Timorese people’s struggle against colonialism and its enduring process towards nationhood. Visually representing the conference is its logo symbolized by the Lorikeet, representing the youth and a historical symbol of Timorese resistance; Mountains, that reflects the peasant and agrarian roots of the region; and the Sun which symbolizes renewal and hope for a bright, just future. With a stark call against oligarchy, monopolism, extractivism amidst the climate crisis, the conference presents and calls for a southeast asia people’s “alternative regionalism that is centered on supporting national independence, democracy of the people, and sustainable development”.

This year’s conference features four plenary sessions on 1) People and Planetary Emancipation: A Critical View from Timor-Leste Fifty Years Struggle for Total Liberation; 2) Critical Overview of ASEAN Mechanism featuring voices from the human rights mechanism, academe, stateless, and Timorese government; 3) Intersectional Feminist and LGBT+ Movements in upholding Substantive Democracies; 4) People and Planet First: Toward a Liberating Southeast Asia. These panels were preceded by a powerful rendition of the Timorese national anthem highlighting its people’s struggle for colonialism and imperialism. No wonder the topics selected openly raised critical issues in the region such as the ongoing civil war in Burma Myanmar, the plight of the Rohingya/Arakan and West Papuan people, and the ever present state militarism and shrinking democracy in Southeast Asia.

Selected verse from Patria, Patria!

(In Portugese)

Vencemos o colonialismo, gritamos:

Abaixo o imperialismo.

Terra livre, povo livre,

Não, não, não à exploração.

(In English, Translated)

We vanquish colonialism, we cry:

down with imperialism!

Free land, free people,

No, no, no to exploitation.

Aside from the plenary session, the conference features exhibits from a diversity of CSO advocacies and has once again instated the convergence spaces, which are parallel sessions organized by at least three organization from different countries in the region,featuring an array of topic A.) Working People, Neoliberalism, and Alternative Regionalism; B.) State Violence, Militarism, National Liberation and Democracy; C.) Tech Monopoly, Digital Authoritarianism and Internet Freedom; D.) Ecological Crisis, Environmental Rights, Agrarian and Urban Issues; E.) Minority, Marginal People and Gender Justice; F.) Peace Building, Human Security and Transitional Justice.

As for MASSA, it has remained its commitment in organizing the convergence space on Alternative Regionalism featuring three workshops, namely “Grassroots Democracy and people’s vision for Alternative Regionalism”, “SEA Working People’ struggles to access decent work and universal social protection”, “Transformative Economy Strategies for Alternative Regionalism”, which aims to initiate discussion and resolved to formulate political, socio-cultural, and economic strategies for MASSA. Part of our continued participation is to carve a space in the conference to evolve the discussion on Alternative Regionalism as a way forward for Southeast Asia civil society to become autonomous from the affairs of the state and recommit its endeavors to supporting alternatives already present in communities. Moreover, it remains a way to keep in touch with friends and comrades at least once a year to slowly invite them to think about alternative regionalism more seriously and consider joining MASSA to learn more about it.

The conference in Timor was a radical departure and a vantage point to reflect on where we can move forward as a collective. Interestingly, our friends were able to secure a televised time slot to discuss why we continue to gather and the issues we share in this gathering. It is a rare but grateful opportunity to have this broadcasted in the airwaves and archived in Timor’s national history.¹⁾

Another milestone for MASSA is holding its first regional conference in the district of Pangandaran hosted by Serikat Petani Pasundan (SPP), a peasant union that was successful in reclaiming, occupying, and distributing land to landless farmers across West Java. The conference was held from October 21-24, 2024, with a full day’s worth of traveling from the bustling metropolis of Jakarta to the outskirts and beautiful landscapes from Bandung to Tasikmalaya before arriving at the coastal village of Pangandaran. Pangandaran is one of four major bases of SPP, the other being in Garut, Tasikmalaya and Ciamis.

SPP member Erni Kartini during the first day of the 5th MASSA gathering in Pangandaran, Indonesia. Picture Credits: AltDev

Now on its 5th Regional Conference on Alternatives to which the Program on Alternative Development first convened in November 2018, has now been adopted as the Movement for Alternatives and Solidarity in Southeast Asia Conference (MASSA). For several years, the discussion of constituting a regional organization which shall carry forward the banner of Alternative Regionalism has been realized through MASSA since 2024. This conference broadly aims to strengthen its core by organizing several discussions and collective reflection on the internal structure and processes of MASSA while immersing in the lived experience of the community members as they warmly welcome MASSA to their community.

The theme of this year’s gathering is “Empowering Southeast Asian Peoples on Addressing Food Security, Environmental Sustainability, Climate Justice through Alternative Regionalism” to broadly capture the need to discuss climate change issues in movement building strategies while narrowing down to primary concerns of grassroot and peasant communities. No less are these values demonstrated upon our arrival in Pangandaran and throughout our stay we shared the same food and shelter. Consequently, we were welcomed through a demonstration of not only Sundanese culture and hospitality but the strength of SPP organizing, as they gathered in hundreds from all bases to show support for our emerging movement. Rooting our network in the collective struggle of peasant farmers opens a horizon for rethinking regionalism, one that starts with solidarities being reinforced from below and one that looks back to successes and lessons from history.

Participants during the second day of the 5th MASSA gathering. Picture Credits: AltDev.

On our second day, we traveled once again to two local communities. The first was in Bangunkarya, an hour long drive to the upland region where the future MASSA College will be uprooted in land currently occupied by SPP. There we listened and engaged with the women leaders at the forefront of not only the organization’s transformation but also towards a more feminist oriented and gender inclusive agrarian reform. Then we had two workshops in countermapping alternatives, and an interweaving session with the weavers from Crianza Mutua Mexico, Vikalp Sangam, and the Global Tapestry of Alternatives. We were grateful to be joined by weavers from outside our region, to participate in our gathering and to exchange views and reflect on each other’s praxis.

Although there are a lot of things to reflect on, this year’s gathering set into motion how we must move towards realizing alternative regionalism – if we are to challenge the monolithic status of ASEAN - one that brings together people doing alternatives from below by fostering mutualism, cooperation, and solidarity.

Participants during the inaugural ceremony of the 5th MASSA gathering. Picture Credits: AltDev.

During October 21st and 22nd members of Vikalp Sangam, Crianza Mutua and the GTAGlobal Tapestry of Alternatives facilitation team met in Pangandaran, Indonesia for the 5th MASSA conference ‘Forging Ahead’ Empowering southeast Asian peoples on Addressing food security, environmental sustainability, climate Justice through alternative regionalism. The meeting, which was hosted by the Serikat Petani Pasundan (SPP or Pasundan Peasant Union) in Indonesia, marked the first encounter between southeast Asia alternative movements to be held outside the walls of a university. The encounter also marked the first time that three of the GTA weavers had a chance to meet and open dialogue over how to bring different alternatives together and how they are woven together into a larger network. The meeting was attended by representatives of countries such as Indonesia, Timor Leste, Thailand, South Africa, India and Mexico, revealing that, despite the cultural, social, political and economic contexts of each of these places is different, there are some commonalities that point towards a need for further and deeper dialogue, cooperation and exchange between alternatives.

The meeting highlighted some key challenges and gaps that could enable deeper cooperation. Crianza Mutua Mexico (CMMCrianza Mutua Mexico) sent a representative with the aim of identifying commonalities faced by grassroots and alternative movements worldwide, and of fostering open dialogue that might spark new ideas, collaborations, and shared learnings. These exchanges are expected to shape how communities in both Southeast Asia and Latin America continue to resist an increasingly aggressive form of capitalism. On the first day, a session on establishing a Movement for Alternatives and Solidarity in Southeast Asia examined how the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has pursued a superficial regionalism rooted in capitalist, profit-driven development, while rejecting a deeper form of regionalism based on cooperation, solidarity, mutual aid, and intercultural dialogue. The rejection of this top-down integration model was further explored in a second session on the 1955 Bandung Declaration, which catalyzed the Non-Aligned Movement and embodied South-South cooperation between African and Asian states. Massa’s proposal seeks to revive the spirit of this declaration by articulating a grassroots-driven regional integration, challenging the primacy of the nation-state and instead centering an alternative model of regional integration based on the long-standing, diverse practices of Southeast Asian communities.

CMM member Carlos Tornel during the 5th MASSA gathering in Pangandaran, Indonesia. Picture Credits: Vasna Ramasar.

The second day marked the inauguration of MASSA University, which will be established in Pangandaran, Indonesia. This university, part of the broader struggle led by the SPP, represents a significant step in their pursuit of autonomy. It aims not only to uphold core principles such as food sovereignty, land decommodification, and grassroots direct democracy but also to challenge the dominant models of education by reclaiming the community's autonomous right to learn. The sessions featured participation from several SPP members, notably women, who shared their experiences with revolutionary care work and building solidarity networks among peasants. Participants also had opportunities to share and exchange diverse strategies for building alternatives in their respective countries, collaboratively mapping and counter-mapping how movements from different regions confront global capitalism and its increasingly extractive dynamics. Additionally, the sessions included a valuable dialogue with other weavers of alternatives, including Vikalp Sangam from India and CMM. These exchanges were crucial for sharing not only the unique challenges each of these regional networks faces but also the ways they have resisted neoliberal paradigms, countered land grabs, and reclaimed autonomy.

Overall, the lessons and reflections form this meeting are too many to count, but at least three points are worth mentioning here. First, the emergence of alternatives thinking beyond the confines of the nation-State is becoming a more common phenomenon around the world. The exhaustion and rejection of the condescending way in which governments continue to relate to both civil society and palace-based alternatives that gave birth to MASSA, also resonates with the experience of other regions such as Latin America were progressive governments have also exhausted some of the democratic and liberal ‘givens’, revealing the limitations of transforming the social, economic and political realities of peoples in the Global South through the state, as well as the subsumption of the State to the economic global division of labor and the political economy of capitalism. These has translated in generalized terms, towards a primarization of their economies, a shift towards extractivism and more increasingly, towards a common threat of green colonialism and militarization, rooted in the elevation of the climate crisis into a global humanitarian concern that now seeks to save rather than dismantle techo-capitalism.

Second, while many alternatives are emerging as localized struggles, the dialogues between weavers underscored that these movements are far from “closed-off” or isolated. Instead, they embody what the Zapatistas describe as a “globalization of rebellion.” Though rooted in specific contexts, these struggles are not limited by localism. The challenge now is to create effective regional and global platforms for these alternatives to come together—not to simply replicate “success stories” or scale them up, but to “scale out.” This approach envisions a process in which collectives can learn from these initiatives, adapting transformations to their own contexts, and then network across geographic, cultural, and sectoral spaces to achieve broader reach. These networks are anchored in place- and interest-based collectives with networks at larger scales to support coordination and amplification.²⁾ Finally, the meeting underscored the importance of creating spaces for inter- and intra-weaving to sustain the scaling-out process locally, regionally, and globally. The need for platforms that facilitate documentation, sharing, and cross-fertilization between networks and alternatives became evident, as many of these struggles continue to serve as vital sources of inspiration for others worldwide.

Explaining Mexican biodiversity and its relationship to culture to children at the 5th MASSA gathering in Pangandaran, Indonesia. Picture Credits: Carlos Tornel

The opportunity to listen and learn at this encounter was incredibly valuable for CMM, providing insights for internal dialogues and enhancing our understanding of how weaving is possible among diverse weavers. Realizing the many parallels between our regions—including similarities in food, culture, and alternative economic, political, and social practices—reinforced how our shared struggles can reveal important lessons. First, solidarity and autonomy cannot exist as mere ideals; they must be embodied in everyday life. In this encounter, we had the chance to listen, learn, share food, and live alongside members of the SPP, experiencing their everyday realities and practices firsthand. Secondly, our work is deeply inspired by the guiding principles of the Zapatistas: to obey, not command; to represent, not supplant; to serve, not be served. By rejecting individualism, embracing the understanding that “we are because others are”, autonomy is fundamentally interdependent, sustained through relationships with both human and more-than-human beings. Third, we remain cautious about the role of the state. While some communities may engage with local governments, we see limited value in scaling up our practices to align with centralized power structures. Instead, we believe in “scaling out,” strengthening local networks and remaining in dialogue with others, all while respecting the diversity of local struggles. Finally, we want to emphasize the importance of listening. Colonialism and its successor, development, have perpetuated the idea that there is only one valid way to see the world. However, the alternatives we represent tell a different story: there are many ways of being, knowing, and living. Our role is not to impose solutions but to listen to those who hold the wisdom of centuries-old traditions and resistance, as well as knowledge born from struggle, resistance, and solidarity.

SPP and MASSA members planting a ‘tree of solidarity’ in Pangandaran, Indonesia. Picture Credits: Carlos Tornel

Picture Credits: Carlos Tornel

Vikalp Sangam member Shrishtee Bajpai participated and shared about her work at the annual meeting of Movement for Alternatives and Solidarity in South East Asia (MASSA), in Pangandaran, West Java, Indonesia from 21st to 24th October 2024. The meeting was hosted by Serikat Petani Pasundan (SPP), a people's network that has worked tirelessly on peasant issues and environmental conservation in Indonesia with special emphasis on strengthening grassroots democracy. The spirited exchanges highlighted the need for cross border solidarity in building alternatives, and reviving a sense of collective beyond the nation state borders. The participants joined from various parts of SouthEast Asia including Vietnam, Philippines, Cambodia, Malaysia, Timor Leste, Indonesia, and other parts like India, Mexico, South Africa among others.

VSVikalp Sangam (India) member Shrishtee Bajpai during the 5th MASSA gathering in Pangandaran, Indonesia. Picture Credits: Carlos Tornel

MASSA is a weaver (a network) focused on Alternative Regionalism based on the grassroots struggles of peasant, fishing, forest, women, indigenous peoples, and LGBTQIA+ among other marginalized communities. Most regional associations are top-down not connecting communities and MASSA is a response to these nation-state based top-down structures and creating an alternative space for discussion crises as well as systemic alternatives. MASSA defines alternatives as both resistance and reconstruction in similar ways as Vikalp Sangam defines alternatives. Attending the 5th annual conference of MASSA members was absolutely rewarding, as there are so many ways that both MASSA and VS are connected in their inspiration and the need to focus on alternatives. For example, both MASSA and VS stem from the need to connect many disconnected alternatives to mainstream development, to research/document these initiatives, to visibilise these alternatives and take critical look at our work, and to see collective visions, framework for alternative societies.

From Vikalp Sangam’s perspective, it is important to build strategic alliances with regional networks doing similar work and stand in solidarity in our collective efforts to center peoples struggle and alternatives. In 2023, MASSA and VS members had an online exchange and this recent exchange builds further on objectives of fostering the exchange of alternative practices across various themes and organizations in Southeast Asia and South Asia. Through these collaborative exchanges, VS and MASSA seek to identify common themes and challenges, in hopes of learning from each other and fostering the potential for future collaboration. There is a continued need for networking and bringing solidarity to the efforts of varied groups as there are many resonating struggles in Southeast Asia and South Asia. It is important to have articulated a vision/visions of alternative regionalism and grassroots-driven globalization as a means for collectively addressing global issues, highlighting the interrelated nature of national and global concerns.

Members of SPP, MASSA and the GTA at Pangandaran, Indonesia. Picture Credits: Zharfan, SPP

As a follow-up, VS and MASSA hope to have a regional physical dialogue possibly next year in North-East India. The members will collectively explore the possibilities of this exchange and how we can build stronger solidarity and understanding of each other's work.

A national-level gathering of local communities, social movements, and NGOs working on environmental, social, economic, cultural and governance issues was held on 21-23 November, at Khamir, in Kachchh. Over 130 people including nearly 100 from outside Kachchh, participated. The occasion was the 10th anniversary of the national platform called ‘Vikalp Sangam’, which has brought together people working on solutions to hunger and malnutrition, water scarcity, gender and caste injustice, violation of basic human rights, weakening of democratic spaces, unemployment and loss of livelihoods, and other such issues that are causing suffering to hundreds of millions of people in India.
Participants in the Sangam resolved to challenge policies and programmes promoted by governments or private corporations, which cause millions of people to lose their lands and livelihoods. Instead, they will promote policies and programmes that can generate creative livelihoods (including in crafts, agriculture, forestry, fisheries, pastoralism, small manufacturing, and services) and also protect our natural environment. They also resolved to tackle traditional or new inequalities relating to gender, caste, class, ability, and so on.

Most participants are from groups involved in grassroots solutions. This includes over 50 organisations across India, and over a dozen organisations in Kachchh which have been working on sustainable and equitable ways of meeting needs of water, food, livelihoods, housing, education, health, as also empowering women and girls, and others whose voices normally do not enter decision-making spaces. They discussed the kinds of economic policies and social-cultural processes that could make these solutions more widespread. They also discussed future strategies and actions for the Vikalp Sangam process, including more documentation of grassroots initiatives, exchange programmes, helping communities to build capacities to take their own decisions, taking stories of alternatives to youth, and building a bigger national movement to link various struggles with alternative solutions.

The Sangam also featured cultural performances, exchange of gifts, hands-on teaching of pottery and weaving, collective painting. Participants also visited several field sites in Kachchh, to see first-hand the transformations that have been made possible by over a dozen organisations. They visited the LLDC museum of crafts, where also a film on alternatives, ‘Churning the Earth’, was screened.

Before this, a Vikalp Sangam had been organized in Kachchh, in 2016. For many participants of that Sangam, the experience of re-uniting for this event was memorable; and for new participants, it was a great introduction to Kachchh’s beautiful landscape, culture, and initiatives. The 13 Kachchhi co-organising groups also resolved to work on key issues facing the region: stemming loss of land to industries, helping communities deal with impacts of climate change on pastoral & farming livelihoods, women’s empowerment to have more equal voice in decision-making, stronger self-governance by villages and urban wards, and generating livelihoods especially for youth.