Articles Category: Culture

Just a few short months ago, we went about our lives celebrating festivals, partaking in traditional feasts, and watching cultural performances. But all these activities—classified as intangible cultural heritage or ICH—came to a grinding halt with the

As we move into a new technological age with new challenges, the ability to read, write, and understand information has become a crucial component for survival. In addition, our rapidly changing world demands that we embrace new forms of literacies, su

Imagine a world where economies put a premium on sustainability through the elimination of waste and the efficient use of resources. Young entrepreneurs in ASEAN are not only imagining such a world, but are also coming up with innovative ideas to take

Transitioning from school to work is an important stage in a young person’s life. Matching what young people learn at school with the skills employers need helps youth to transition more quickly and into a better job. Increasing the share of training t

Breathing life into ASEAN’s intersecting commitments on higher education and the youth is an overwhelming task, but thankfully, ASEAN has found a partner in the European Union.

There was a time when job ads were a lot shorter. Those ads would not take up more than three or four lines in a newspaper, and typically sought candidates with “a pleasing personality.”

Transforming education is both an imperative and an opportunity. Our region’s net enrolment and completion rates in primary and secondary education have markedly increased. Substantial progress has also been made towards achieving gender parity in gros

As the Lao PDR assumes the Chairpersonship of ASEAN and your Ministry leads the ASCC, could you share Lao PDR’s top priorities for the ASCC?

Bullying of children is becoming a pervasive concern in the region. Director General Luu Quang Tuan shares with The ASEAN, some of the initiatives started by ASEAN to protect children from bullying, both online and offline.

Tourism has been one of the hardest- hit sectors by the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic. Secretary Romulo-Puyat talks to The ASEAN about the pandemic’s impact on the Philippines’ tourism industry, on jobs and businesses, and how the country is working towa

Minister Phoeurng discusses Cambodia’s key policies and programmes to develop and support its creative industries, the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the role that the creative industries play in the country’s post-pandemic recovery pla

The UNESCO Regional Bureau for Education in Asia and the Pacific, and UNESCO as a whole, and the UN system worldwide, have taken comprehensive action to address the COVID-19 pandemic’s impacts on education systems while acknowledging continuing challen

A group of mothers and grandmothers from Wates village, Majalengka, West Java, who bear the financial responsibility of keeping their households afloat, have banded together to form Mother Bank. Co-created by the artist Bunga Siagian, 37, Mother Bank i

Since its inception in 2007, Maya Dance Theatre (MDT) has been faithful to its philosophy: bridging the space between audience and artist to provoke thought and dialogue about pressing social issues. In 2018, MDT’s artistic director and co-founder, Kav

Dadan Mochamad Rhamdan, or Damar (35), is an Indonesian Language and Literature teacher at SMP Negeri [Public Junior High School] 20 Bandung, Indonesia. He was born with cerebral palsy, which affected the development of his hands. The condition also im

The ASEAN asked some of our ASEAN youth to share their motivations for studying and experience studying in a neighbouring ASEAN country. The respondents also reflect on how the experience shaped their perspectives of ASEAN and influenced their sense of

Fifty-two-year-old Saur Marlina Manurung, better known as Butet Manurung, is the woman behind Sokola Institute. The organisation implement literacy programmes targeting various underserved and marginalised communities in Indonesia, including ethnic gro

Jenilyn de la Cruz—Teacher Jen—is in her ninth year as a multigrade teacher at Lopero Elementary School. The job is demanding and requires multi-tasking skills, flexibility, and improvisation.