Mr. James Ryan Raj

K. Eruthaiaraj @ James Ryan Raj is a seasoned community development practitioner, researcher, and leadership trainer with more than 32 years of experience in grassroots empowerment, social development, and community mobilization. He currently serves as the Deputy Executive Director of the All-Party Parliamentary Group Malaysia on Sustainable Development Goals (APPGM-SDG), an initiative established by the Malaysian Parliament with the support of the Ministry of Finance Malaysia.

He holds a Master’s Degree in Human Capital Development from New Delhi, India, and has dedicated his career to advancing inclusive development, empowering marginalized communities, and promoting participatory democracy at the grassroots level. 

James Ryan Raj has extensive expertise in community development, grassroots leadership, organizational capacity building, and stakeholder engagement. He has played a pivotal role in training community workers, volunteers, civil society organizations, and NGOs across Malaysia through community-based development programs and action-oriented learning initiatives. His work has focused particularly on empowering B40 communities by building local leadership capacity, strengthening community networks, and developing sustainable neighborhood solutions.

In addition to his grassroots work, he brings over 18 years of professional training experience in areas such as management development, leadership, project management, Change Mangement, monitoring and evaluation, impact assessment, and strategic problem-solving. He is also recognized for designing and facilitating behavioural transformation programs for high-risk youth, helping young people build resilience, discipline, and positive life pathways.

As a researcher and co-trainer, James Ryan Raj has contributed to national studies on strengthening grassroots leadership and participatory democracy. He has co-authored several publications with Prof. Datuk Denison Jayasooria, including works on urban community neighbourhoods, social cohesion, quality of life, and the socio-economic role of Christian communities in Sabah.

He has also co-developed impactful training modules such as Love Your Neighborhood (Program Sayangi Komuniti) and MITRA, which focus on social cohesion, community empowerment, and sustainable development. His insights and practical experiences in grassroots mobilization have been presented through articles and papers at both national and international conferences.

Driven by a strong commitment to social justice, his mission is to raise awareness of human rights among marginalized communities through innovative, SDG-aligned solutions. He continues to lead coaching, monitoring, and action research initiatives that create measurable community impact through solution-driven grassroots programs. His areas of expertise also include designing and facilitating behavioural transformation programs for high-risk youth, focusing on personal development, positive mindset change, discipline, resilience, and social reintegration.