The 2026 Digital Rights Asia-Pacific Assembly (DRAPAC26) is rooted in the Filipino spirit of bayanihan, the community practice of neighbours working together in times of disaster or relocation to carry their houses to safer ground. Drawing inspiration from bayanihan, DRAPAC26 is co-owned and co-led by a coalition of organisations with years of experience advancing digital rights across the Philippines and the wider region.
Before the three-day convening this June 8 to 10 in Manila, Philippines, we invite you to get to know the organisations behind DRAPAC26, and the sessions they will be hosting.
Foundation for Media Alternatives (FMA)
FMA assists civil society organisations (CSOs) and other development stakeholders in promoting and defending the right to information and communication by advocating for openness in the governance of information societies, working for human rights in digital environments, and ensuring strategic access and responsible use of ICTs while optimising such technologies for sustainable development, and addressing gender concerns in the information society.
At DRAPAC 2026, FMA will host the session From Patchwork to Framework: Bridging ASEAN’s Data Protection Divide —The Role of Civil Society, which will explore how civil society can help ASEAN move from fragmentation toward meaningful, people-centered data protection—not only through policy influence, but through the co-creation of practical tools that enable real-world compliance and rights protection.
DAKILA – a Philippine Collective for Modern Heroism
An organisation building a movement of modern heroism by innovating platforms for human rights advocacy, social change campaigning, and creative activism. Founded in 2005 by a group of artists and activists, DAKILA uses the power of art, culture, and community to creatively spark social consciousness formation towards social transformation rooted in human rights and democracy.
At DRAPAC26, DAKILA is organising Exploring the Narrative Frontiers in Co-creating Movement Infrastructure and Common Resources, exploring how narratives shape the intersection of technology, human rights, and democracy, and how movements can co-create shared narrative infrastructure and common resources to shape a rights-respecting digital ecosystem. This session paves the way for narrative labs centering actions and interventions around democratising democracy narratives, shifting pop culture through storytelling, and reclaiming public discourse through homeless media.
EngageMedia
EngageMedia is proudly bringing Open Tech Jam: Privacy-respecting, secure, and open digital technology for human rights defenders, to DRAPAC26. The session is designed to move away from theoretical discourse and focus on applied technology. We will explore how privacy-respecting, secure, and open technology is adapted to meet the specific social, political, and infrastructural challenges faced by HRDs in the region.
We will also organise a Digital Security Peer Lab – a no-fuss, collaborative sandbox where anyone with a concrete idea, whether a finished product, a prototype, a research project, or a community‑run programme, gets a rapid, honest review and a chance to lock in real resources for the Myanmar context
In line with our work on rights-based governance of emerging technologies and digital consumers in Southeast Asia, we are leading a side event on Shaping ASEAN’s Digital Future: Rights, Trade, and Regional Cooperation in the Cross-Border Data Era. This closed-door event will feature a multistakeholder discussion that will promote constructive dialogue on ethical considerations, regulatory measures, and best practices in other digital trade agreements.
Held alongside DRAPAC26, we will be hosting Cinemata Community Convening 2026 – bringing together the Cinemata community to share work, reflect on practice, and collectively shape how social issue storytelling, technology, and collaboration can expand civic space and support filmmakers across the region. The convening also opens a space to explore collaborative approaches to community governance, including how shared stewardship and community participation can shape sustainability, curation, and technology development.
Join us for DRAPAC26
These session highlights represent just a taste of the 60+ activities planned across the three days. Log in to your DRAPAC26 account to explore the complete programme here.
To attend the event, get your ticket at https://drap.ac/26/attendees/ before June 7th, 2026. Tickets are free for all grassroots human rights defenders.
We’re thrilled to welcome you all to Manila.