Across East and Southeast Asia, civic space is increasingly restricted by pervasive surveillance, abusive security frameworks, legal harassment targeting activists and journalists, and manipulation of elections. Civic space in the region is further constrained by fragmented support structures, shrinking resource pools, and critical gaps in access to sustainable security resources. These pressures especially affect marginalized communities and grassroots civil society actors who lack access to sustainable resources, secure technologies, and digital skills.

To address these challenges, the Digital Democracy Initiative (DDI) aims to support local civil society actors who are leveraging digital technologies to protect civic space and promote inclusive, participatory, rights-respecting democracy through a combination of financial and non-financial support mechanisms. As the regional implementing partner of DDI in East and Southeast Asia, Tifa Foundation will coordinate the implementation of these mechanisms, facilitate regional collaborations and strategic convenings between local civil society actors, and support collective advocacy efforts toward rights-based digital policies and regulatory frameworks that advance open civic spaces.