Combating Authoritarian Narratives: Rehumanizing Resistance through Art and Creativity
Event details
In the current global battle of narratives, the victories of the far right and authoritarian leaders are attributed to a narrative playbook that successfully articulated a resonating rhetoric and politics. The Philippines, once known as the bastion of democracy in Asia, is said to be “patient zero” of the global disinformation epidemic employed by the populist-authoritarian playbook, which managed to shrink civic spaces, demonize human rights, delegitimize free press, distort historical truths, and pave the way for the estimated 27,000 state-sponsored killings from the bloody drug war in the country.
In an era of disinformation, artists, activists, and scholars are at the forefront of the battle for truth. In this talk, Leni Velasco, Co-founder and Secretary General of the artist-activist collective DAKILA, will dissect the authoritarian narrative playbook, probe the strategies and approaches for human rights advocacy, and offer alternative pathways of resistance through art and creativity.
Leni Velasco
Leni Velasco is a Filipina artist-activist, feminist, and human rights advocate. She co-founded DAKILA and serves as its Secretary-General and Executive Director of its Active Vista Center. She has worked on advocacy communications, social movement building, creative campaigning, and narrative changemaking. Leni is currently a Fellow at the Centre for Applied Human Rights.