Why ASEAN and Asia?

Some of us at the Singapore Institute of International Affairs decided we need an avenue to air our thoughts.

I mean, we love our jobs - we come to work everyday working on issues that we feel passionately about. The news that we hear/watch/read (who knows how each of us get our daily dosage of news), the air that we breathe(trans-boundary haze issues, anyone?), the things that we see on the street (demonstration by 5 students for democracy for Burma on the way to lunch) all inevitably influence and affect the amount of work we do, the type of programmes we think up of and the people we have to meet.

But, through the course of our work, we've also come to form our own opinions about what is happening around us. We want a place where we can voice our thoughts and this is the genesis of a project which will eventually, we hope, lead to a more significant place on the world wide web where we can voice our opinions, share resources and get to know other people from this part of the world that is becoming a more significant player in the global arena.

Our world is becoming more and more interconnected and globalization is the inevitable process and outcome of our society. Countries will have to cooperate with each other to ensure survival. ASEAN has taken the definitive step towards an ASEAN community with the signing of the ASEAN Charter. Of course, there are challenges and issues to consider in our attempt to come together as a community, but I believe wee should also understand and live up to the challenge of being a global citizen as an ASEAN citizen. Only then can we progress and grow as a competitive participant of globalization.

But ASEAN, as a economic bloc and community, does not stand alone. ASEAN, together with the growing influence, economies and strength of its neigbours, India and China, can turn Asia into the world’s most influential region. It is a new era for ASEAN and Asia, and citizens of this region should come together to share information, exchange cultural stories and create a regional effort in promoting themselves.

Here are the SIIA, we are fortunate to have so many friends from ASEAN and Asia to join us on this adventure. The journey has just begun, walk with us while we try to find our identity in ASEAN and Asia in this global society together.

Elaine is Senior Executive, Environment and Public Education, of the SIIA by day, and West Wing groupie by night. Everything she knows and loves about public policy, politics and foreign affairs, she learned from the West Wing and executes it with passion at the SIIA. On weekends, she also tries to be a good wife by baking, visiting various nature reserves in Singapore and reading great works of literature.