north south initiative

North-South Initiative (NSI) is a Malaysian-based non-profit organization that aims to promote solidarity and sustainable development in Malaysia and other developing countries. It was founded in 2011 by Adrian Pereira and Anne Beatrice Yacob as a Youth-Adult partnership initiative.

One of NSI’s thematic programs is with migrant workers where we aim to empower migrant workers and other actors using the rights-based framework as a respond to the violation of their rights.

Some of the current tools and methods used by NSI to engage the Business sector includes helpline systems, smartphone applications, remediations, hostel inspections, social audits & dialogues, strategic litigation, workers empowerment, community organising, shelter for male migrants in distress, middle management training, data collection and evidence-driven digital systems. Most of this is driven by internal data from cases, community engagement and research we conduct. 

We believe in the empowerment of the marginalized/ disenfranchised and we do not intend to represent them nor be their voice as when given the correct tools, they can challenge oppressive structures themselves. Our model of social change is also inspired by South to South Solidarity (S2S) movement where people of developing nations come together in solidarity to decide the agenda and path of progress.

Vision & Mission

Our vision is to build a society that prioritizes social justice. Our mission; to empower marginalized communities in order to achieve sustainable development.” 

Objectives

 

  •  Analyze the current political economy model and propose new sustainable systems 

 

  • Marginalized communities must have direct access to development planning and policy making.

 

  • Build cross-sector and interdisciplinary collaborative networks to ensure sustainable social justice.

“Our experts on supply chain consultancy have over 20 years of experience on forced labour issues within the ASEAN region, and beyond!” 

We assist supply chains and companies and brands to assess forced labour conditions and propose steps for remediation. When needed we do investigations and social audits. 

Meet The Team

Adrian Pereira

Adrian Pereira

Executive Director & Co-Founder

 

Adrian Pereira, Executive Director & Co-Founder

Adrian Pereira assumes the pivotal role of Executive Director and co-founder at North-South Initiative (NSI), a Malaysia-based organization dedicated to advancing Human Rights and Social Justice causes. 

Adrian Pereira’s career path was marked by significant contributions to two UN-accredited international organizations: Pax Romana International Movement of Catholic Students (IMCS) and Dignity International. Adrian’s commitment to advocacy is further evidenced by his longstanding involvement with the ASEAN Forum of Migrant Labour (AFML) since 2012, serving as the official platform within ASEAN for deliberating on labor migration policy.

Beyond his roles at NSI and academic contributions as an Adjunct Professor at Taylor’s University, Adrian Pereira extends his expertise as an External Panel Member on the University Ethics Committee (Human) at the Research Management Centre of Management and Science University (Malaysia). Additionally, he serves as a board member for CARAM Asia and proudly holds alumni status from the Diplomacy Training Program (DTP) at the University of New South Wales, Law Faculty. Notably, Adrian is also an alumnus of the esteemed International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) facilitated by the U.S. Department of State.

 

Anne Beatrice, Programmes Director & Co-Founder

As a Program Manager, Anne is responsible for managing and implementing NSI’s programs and projects, which aim to address issues such as access to healthcare and education, environmental sustainability, and economic development. She also works to develop partnerships with businesses, governments, and civil society organizations to promote sustainable development and build a network of individuals and organizations committed to social justice and human rights.

Anne’s work with NSI has been instrumental in advancing the organization’s mission and vision, and she has been actively involved in promoting social justice and human rights in Malaysia and internationally. 

Anne Beatrice

Anne Beatrice

Programmes Director & Co-Founder

Dr. Asha Rathina Pandi

Head of Research and Lead Analyst

Politeia Kody

Research & Digital Advocacy

Manishankar Prasad

Organisational Development Consultant

Aaron Dinesh

Documentation & Analyst

Rory Ong

EVT Project Manager

OUR PARTNERS

Forming strong partnerships is crucial to sustainability. We appreciate the relationships formed over the years with multiple universities, INGOs and intergovernmental agencies to produce critical analysis and policy interventions. Let’s continue building together.

Responsible Business Alliance

Pax Romana – IMCS

Elevate

Caram Asia

Labour Solidarity and Learning Resources Association

ACADEMIC ENGAGEMENT

NSI works with various Colleges & Universities in lending our expertise through lectures, research interviews, and data collection points. 

Together with Management and Science University (MSU) Malaysia, we have developed a Migrant Workers Health Research Network to further study the impact of harsh working and living conditions on migrants. Together we organize the annual Migrant Workers Health Congress.  

We also currently have an MOU with the Prince of Songkla University, Patani for Cooperative Education Collaboration.

Prince of Songkla University

Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia

Monash University

Management & Science University

Taylors University