Reducing Poverty, Uplifting Lives

ASEAN has made great strides in reducing extreme poverty. The region’s prospects for growth signal that the tide is turning after the COVID-19 pandemic. The International Monetary Fund forecasted that economies in ASEAN will see growth of 4.2 per cent in 2023 and 4.6 per cent in 2024.

Rural development is a top priority in the Southeast Asian region, where more than 60 per cent of the ASEAN population resides in rural areas. Recognising rural development’s pivotal role in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Indonesia, with its expansive rural landscapes, champions the ASEAN Village Network (AVN) as an innovative strategy.

Every two years, ASEAN hands out the ASEAN Rural Development and Poverty Eradication Leadership Awards to outstanding private sector and non-government or civil society actors in each ASEAN Member State. Winners are chosen for their impact on rural communities and poverty reduction; innovative approaches to addressing rural development challenges; sustainability, scalability, and replicability of anti-poverty initiatives; and partnership with government and other institutions. “The outstanding p

While we often describe or ascribe income values when discussing poverty, there is a recognition that poverty is a multidimensional concept (Saidatulakmal Mohd et al, 2018). Income can be useful as an indicator to capture general trends. In Malaysia, the income-based categories of wealth, such as the T20, M40, or B40, are also useful for locating one’s household income. These categories represent the top 20 per cent (T20), middle 40 per cent (M40), or lower 40 per cent

Poverty in Old Age The current method of tracking old-age poverty involves disaggregating the current poverty measure according to age. However, poverty in later life is not the same as it is in youth and early adulthood. Older people are less likely to emerge from long-term poverty because of receding capability, deteriorating health, and limited access to financial resources. Thus, research on poverty must analyse old-age poverty within a context-specific framework.

The 31st ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) Council Meeting was convened on 24 March 2024 in Luang Prabang, the Lao PDR. It was attended by ministers and representatives from 10 ASEAN Member States, including Timor-Leste as Observer and the Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn. The meeting deliberated on the Lao PDR ASCC chairmanship priorities in 2024 and strategic directions for the ASCC, especially in light of the ASEAN Community Vision 2045.

The ASEAN Socio-cultural Community (ASCC) Blueprint 2025 is a comprehensive roadmap towards realising an ASEAN Community that engages and benefits the peoples and is inclusive, sustainable, resilient, and dynamic by 2025. It is guiding policy frameworks and institutions for ASEAN Member States, and enhancing and strengthening their commitments and activities to achieve their targets across the ASCC sectors.

by Gopi Krishnan (C&G Analytica), Sonia Kumari (Universiti Malaya), VGR Chandran Govindaraju (Universiti Malaya), and J.S. Keshminder (Universiti Teknologi MARA) Climate change is an existential threat that poses catastrophic environmental impacts and exacerbates poverty, health issues, and social inequalities. A product of the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) Research and Development Platform on Climate Change, this policy brief offers critical insights and recommendations on the clima

The tourism sector is a significant contributor to the ASEAN Economy. Before the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the travel and tourism industry generated approximately 12 per cent of ASEAN’s combined GDP and provided jobs to 42 million ASEAN people (ADB, 2022). Nonetheless, international tourist arrivals plummeted by more than 80 per cent, and tourism revenue dropped by 75 per cent during the pandemic (Lin, 2022). After the World Health Organization (WHO) announced the end of the pandemic in May 202

Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, recently delivered a lecture at Nalanda University in India, focusing on “The Future of ASEAN” amidst the evolving strategic landscape. Dr. Kao highlighted ASEAN’s enduring relevance and resilience, emphasising ASEAN Centrality and the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) as guiding principles for regional engagement.

In May 2023, the Business Insider published an article titled “RIP Metaverse: An Obituary for the Latest Fad to Join the Tech Graveyard,” signalling the gloomy future of the industry. The metaverse was on everyone’s lips just two years before, bolstered by promising claims. Back in 2021, it was almost a daily feature on various media outlets, showcasing its benefits for medical students, its potential for government and private sector applications, and more. However, the buzz around the metavers

First-time visitors to Southeast Asia often find themselves mystified by local names. They ask: Are one-word names considered given names or surnames? Which part denotes the surname in multi-word names (the current record is 12 words)? Why do spouses, and even parents and children, have different names? This article explores some of the common naming conventions in Southeast Asia shaped by a blend of history, culture, and external influences. The list is by no means exhaustive since ethnolinguis

Minister Zulkifli highlights ASEAN’s achievements in poverty reduction and emphasises the need for continued cooperation to ensure a stable and prosperous region. He says that Singapore has focused on the role of families and communities in tackling poverty and promoting social inclusion, particularly among vulnerable groups.

Fifty-two-year-old Touch Phalla dropped out of school when she was 12, just after finishing primary school. It was in the 1980s when her father had abandoned the family, leaving her mother to fend for Touch and her sister. Young Touch needed to become the family’s breadwinner. She baked traditional Khmer cakes and sold them on foot in the streets around her neighbourhood in Phnom Penh. Growing up as a cake vendor, she set aside her dream of becoming a doctor.

Gemma Ambuyoc, 38, did not have an easy life growing up. Born out of wedlock, Gemma was raised by her grandmother, who struggled to support her. “I would not have been able to finish high school without my teacher, who gave me a job and a place to live,” Gemma recalled.

Imagine going to your grandma’s home for a good meal and a warm hug. This appeal made Uma Oma (Grandmother’s House) Cafe the talk of the town when it first opened in September 2023 in Jakarta. Social media posts about the cafe went viral. Within six months, framed articles about the business and its employees adorned the cafe’s walls.

Forty-year-old Nguyễn Trần Thủy Tiên’s lifelong dream was to become a teacher. Shortly after completing her master’s degree in Sign Language Education at Gallaudet University, United States, through the World Deaf Leadership Scholarship in 2016, she landed her dream job. Yet, upon returning to Viet Nam, she was confronted with the persistent barriers facing the Deaf community, leading her to pivot from her original dream.

As the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community maps its vision to respond to trends and challenges in the next twenty years, The ASEAN continues the conversation on people’s concerns and hopes for the future. The team aimed to involve various perspectives in this endeavour, reaching out extensively to gather insights. We received responses from our readers, social media followers, youth delegates in various ASEAN-related events, and members of youth organisations. The collected responses give us a glimps