YCAPS held the ‘Ocean dependent communities in Southeast Asia’s Maritime Security Governance: Reflections and Actionable Pathways’ in-person dialogue workshop in Makassar, Indonesia in Feb 2025.
The workshop was co-organised through an institutional partnership between the Yokosuka Council on Asia Pacific Studies (YCAPS) and The Hollings Center for International Dialogue (formally the International Center for Middle Eastern-Western Dialogue). - both United States-based organization-, as well as, Segara Nusa Nawasena – an Indonesian organization.
The workshop assessed in a more rigorous manner the implications of involving marginalized stakeholders in Southeast Asian maritime security governance.
Marginalized communities who rely on the ocean, including women, indigenous peoples and other minority ethnic/religious groups, youth, and low-income groups are disproportionately impacted by maritime insecurities, including those arising from often competing and conflicting ocean economy. These groups also play critical roles in ocean and coastal development and security. Despite this, their role is often not fully understood, and they are often marginalized from decision-making processes and maritime security governance provision
As such, the workshop was embedded in the intersection between maritime security, development, and justice, and aimed to generate actionable pathways for future engagement with the region.
The research team (Scott Edwards (YCAPS/University of Reading); Amparo Pamela Fabe (Philippine Public Safety College/National Police College); Senia Febrica (Segara Nusa Nawasena/University of Lancaster); Tharshini Krishnan (National Defence University Malaysia) & Ivy Kwek (YCAPS/Aurora Consulting) will go on to organise a larger online forum.