ANFREL senior program officer for outreach and communication John Reiner Antiquerra participated in the 8th Asia Young Leaders for Democracy (AYLD) program from 18-25 August 2024 in Taipei, Taiwan.

AYLD, a program organized by the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy (TFD), hosted 16 young and empowered individuals from different countries representing organizations that push to strengthen and protect democracy and human rights in Asia.

Antiquerra, along with other participants, attended discussions on emerging democracy and human rights issues as well as the democratization process and corresponding challenges in Taiwan. They also visited sites that provide a background on Taiwan democracy including the Nylon Cheng Liberty Foundation and Jing-mei Human Rights Memorial & Cultural Park. The participants also got the chance to network with like-minded groups in Taiwan.

“It was an incredible experience to connect with young, like-minded and empowered individuals whose work and experience spark hope to further protect and strengthen human rights and democracy,” Antiquerra said reflecting on his experience with the program.