The Network for Social Democracy in Asia (Socdem Asia) trained communication and campaign officers from all over the region on political communications, polling, and data analysis from July 26-28 in Makati City, Philippines.

The Academy of Progressive Politics- Executive Course program gathered party officers from Indonesia, Malaysia, Timor Leste, Burma, Thailand, and the Philippines where they discussed with political campaign experts and reported on their experiences and accomplishments.

The course invited Kent Rowe of the Australian Labour International and Josel Gonzales, the chief of staff of Dinagat Island Gov. Kaka Bag-ao to discuss about winning campaign strategies in a panel on the first day.

Socdem APP Executive Course 1: Ideas, Policy, and Education aims for a rethinking of social democracy in the rise of authoritarian and populist leaders. It challenges participants to evaluate how their proposed policies realize social democratic values and build a social welfare society. It looks at good practices and new innovations and tools can be incorporated in developing and further strengthening party education programs.

Leading the discussions on ideology are German social democratic thinker Professor Thomas Meyer, Filipino Feminist Professor Sylvia Estrada Claudio.  Philippine Commission on Human Rights Chairperson Luis Martin Gascon, UNI- Asia Pacific Regional Coordinator Christopher Ng share the challenges and learning for promoting the values of democracy and human rights, and the need for closer cooperation between political parties and the trade union movements, respectively.