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In the midst of Russia’s full-scale war, the Palme Center’s partner SD Platform brought together European social democrats in Kyiv for the first EUkraine Summit – the largest gathering of progressive forces in Ukraine to date.
The summit marked an important step in the work to build a strong progressive movement – with the aim of forming a new political party.
The Palme Center co-organised the summit, and participated with a Swedish delegation.
By strengthening progressive forces, the collaboration helps to promote a political alternative, where reconstruction is not just about investment and infrastructure but also about democracy, social justice and human rights.
SD Platform is an important progressive voice in a political landscape long dominated by the centre and the right.
By bringing together civil society, trade unions, the public sector and academia, they are working towards a society built on freedom, justice and solidarity, and for a just reconstruction of Ukraine.
Updating the paralegal manual in South Africa – rights in practiceIn South Africa, the Palme Center’s partner organisation, the Education and Training Unit (ETU), has updated the Paralegal Manual this year.
The manual provides practical guidance on laws and legal processes that affect people’s daily lives, and is specifically designed for counselling offices, civil society organisations, trade union representatives and others who support vulnerable groups.
The manual comprises over 1,000 pages and is available online, via the Legal Fundi app and in print.
The material is used by civil society, government bodies and local representatives to provide practical support on issues relating to working conditions, social security and legal processes.
By further developing these much-needed methodological resources in collaboration with other actors, ETU is helping more people to assert their rights in practice.
40 000 Burmese refugees granted the right to work in ThailandTens of thousands of people who have fled the war in Myanmar have long lived in camps in Thailand without the opportunity to work legally and support their families. As international aid has decreased sharply, the uncertainty is increasing further for these already vulnerable communities.
Through joint advocacy efforts by a progressive parliamentary partner in Thailand, civil society organisations and the SocDem Asia network, the situation has begun to change.
In December 2024, policy workshops were organised where Thai politicians, researchers and representatives of Burmese communities met. In March 2025, a conference on Myanmar was held in the Thai parliament, focusing on living conditions and security in Thailand’s border areas.
This resulted in more concrete policy proposals regarding access to the labour market, education, healthcare and legal status for people from Myanmar in the country.
The Palme Center’s Thai partner organization adopted the proposals as part of their parliamentary agenda and pushed the issue alongside civil society.
When the Thai government finally took action, the result became that around 40 000 refugees from Myanmar got granted work permits in Thailand.
For many, this decision means legal income for the first time, greater security and increased dignity. At the same time, it opens the door to further discussions on education for children, access to healthcare and more long-term social inclusion.
Youth mobilisation paved the way for new female leader in the PhilippinesIn San Jose del Monte, local politics has long been dominated by political dynasties, large campaign budgets and traditional electoral machinery.
In the most recent local election, a new generation of voters showed that politics can also be built from the bottom up. With the support of hundreds of young volunteers, human rights lawyer Atty Ronalyn Pordan succeeded in winning a seat on the city council through a campaign built on dialogue and grassroot mobilisation.
Ronalyn Pordan was no typical candidate. For several years she has, as a lawyer, offered free legal advice to vulnerable groups in for example land- and labour disputes, and cases of violence against women.
When she decided to run in the election, she lacked both financial resources and the backing of a political dynasty. Instead, her campaign was built on a growing a network of young people inspired by her work.
Through the Palme Center’s partner organisation, the Active Citizenship Foundation (ACF), several of the young volunteers received training in how to run so-called grassroots campaigns – campaigns based on dialogue and organisation rather than money. Young activists organized themselves into local teams, went door-to-door, visited small shops and spoke with families in their neighborhoods.
The campaign’s motto became “Kwento, hindi kwarta” – “Stories, not money”.
The campaign quickly grew into a broad movement – the Purple Movement – which symbolised her feminist values and vision of a more inclusive political realm. When the votes were counted, it was clear that the grassroot mobilisation had succeeded. Despite limited resources, Ronalyn Pordan won a seat on the city council. The victory marks more than just an election result.
It shows that young people can change politics through organisation and participation. Today, many of the volunteers continue to work alongside Pordan on issues such as education, social services, youth participation and the protection of vulnerable groups.
Legal Aid strengthen legal protection for trans women in TurkeyIn 2025, Palme Center’s partner organisation Legal Aid helped to strengthen legal protection for trans women subjected to violence and arbitrary arrests. Ahead of Trans Pride Week in Istanbul, the organisation, together with the human rights organisation HRA Istanbul, coordinated on-site legal support during the demonstrations. Lawyers were present as observers and were able to intervene immediately when trans women were arrested.
These efforts led to faster releases and encouraged more trans women who had been subjected to violence to report abuse and initiate legal proceedings. The organisation also documented violations of human rights during arrests and in custody, which strengthened the legal possibilities of pursuing the cases further.
Through joint actions with other human rights organisations, violence against trans women was highlighted through social media, panels and public discussions. Several cases were subsequently raised politically and brought to the attention of the Turkish parliament through questions and interpellations from MPs.
