BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 METHOD:PUBLISH PRODID:-//Telerik Inc.//Sitefinity CMS 15.1//EN BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:Eastern Standard Time BEGIN:STANDARD DTSTART:20251102T020000 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;BYDAY=1SU;BYHOUR=2;BYMINUTE=0;BYMONTH=11 TZNAME:Eastern Standard Time TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT DTSTART:20250301T020000 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;BYDAY=2SU;BYHOUR=2;BYMINUTE=0;BYMONTH=3 TZNAME:Eastern Daylight Time TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 END:DAYLIGHT END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DESCRIPTION:In the process of developing Oxfam’s regional\nstrategy for Asi a\, Mercado examined the rise of conservatism\, intolerance and\nauthorita rian regimes that use state power to close down civil society spaces.\nThe se key trends shape the future of Asia and consequently\, inform Oxfam’s\n strategy. A deeper analysis and understanding of this context will strengt hen\ninternational NGOs working in Asia to become more effective in the fi eld.Lilian Mercado has\nserved as the Asia Regional Director for the past two years. She has worked\nwith Oxfam in a variety of positions over the l ast 19 years\, rising through the\nranks from being a campaign officer to Country Director\, to Deputy Regional\nDirector\, to global Deputy Directo r for Advocacy and Campaigns Ms. Mercado has\nbeen a long-time activist fo r human rights\, democracy and justice in addition\nto a career as an inve stigative journalist that campaigned for the Beijing\nPlatform for Action and the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of\nDiscrimination Agai nst Women (CEDAW). Her activism began in 1982 during the\nMarcos dictators hip in the Philippines. A fresh university graduate\, Lilian\nfound a job in government that she then gave up to join the political movement\nto fig ht for human rights\, democracy and justice. She headed the public\ninform ation and education arm of the largest political alliance at that time\,\n helped mobilize masses of people to protest in the streets\, and contribut ed to\nthe building of coalitions. In 1986\, we won and the dictatorship f ell. In 1988\,\nin a tragic turn of events\, Ms. Mercado was falsely accus ed of being a spy by\nthe Communist Party of the Philippines of which she was then a member. Lilian\nwas held captive and tortured for five months\, only to be released after the\nparty realized their accusations had no ba sis. She left the party soon after.\nThese years of political activism ind elibly shaped her career path\, and the\nlessons on civic engagement and p articipation continued to influence not only\nher choices of organizations to work with but also what to work on.For more information\, contact Shau na Soljour at kesoljou@syr.edu.Co-sponsored by the Moynihan Institute\, Tr ansnational NGO Initiative\, and the South Asia Center. DTEND:20190328T180000Z DTSTAMP:20260512T221947Z DTSTART:20190328T163000Z LOCATION: SEQUENCE:0 SUMMARY:Reclaiming and Defending Civil Society Space: INGOs in Asia UID:RFCALITEM639142067876425139 X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:

In the process of developing Oxfam’s region al\nstrategy for Asia\, Mercado examined the rise of conservatism\, intole rance and\nauthoritarian regimes that use state power to close down civil society spaces.\nThese key trends shape the future of Asia and consequentl y\, inform Oxfam’s\nstrategy. A deeper analysis and understanding of this context will strengthen\ninternational NGOs working in Asia to become more effective in the field.


Lilian Mercado has\nserved as the Asia Regional Director for the past two years. She has worked\nwith Oxfam in a variety of positions over the last 19 years\, risi ng through the\nranks from being a campaign officer to Country Director\, to Deputy Regional\nDirector\, to global Deputy Director for Advocacy and Campaigns Ms. Mercado has\nbeen a long-time activist for human rights\, de mocracy and justice in addition\nto a career as an investigative journalis t that campaigned for the Beijing\nPlatform for Action and the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of\nDiscrimination Against Women (CEDAW). Her activism began in 1982 during the\nMarcos dictatorship in the Philippi nes. A fresh university graduate\, Lilian\nfound a job in government that she then gave up to join the political movement\nto fight for human rights \, democracy and justice. She headed the public\ninformation and education arm of the largest political alliance at that time\,\nhelped mobilize mas ses of people to protest in the streets\, and contributed to\nthe building of coalitions. In 1986\, we won and the dictatorship fell. In 1988\,\nin a tragic turn of events\, Ms. Mercado was falsely accused of being a spy b y\nthe Communist Party of the Philippines of which she was then a member. Lilian\nwas held captive and tortured for five months\, only to be release d after the\nparty realized their accusations had no basis. She left the p arty soon after.\nThese years of political activism indelibly shaped her c areer path\, and the\nlessons on civic engagement and participation contin ued to influence not only\nher choices of organizations to work with but a lso what to work on.


For more information\, contact Shaun a Soljour at ke soljou@syr.edu.

Co-sponsored by the Moynihan Institute\, Transna tional NGO Initiative\, and the South Asia Center.

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