ASEAN is taking concrete steps to create meaningful conversations on ASEAN Identity, in both official and public discourse.
The ASEAN Foundation understands the importance of developing the youth as leaders of tomorrow.
Allow me to begin with an anecdote that I believe sums up my concern in this article: Several years ago, while filming a documentary series about our common Southeast Asian history and identity, I persuaded the TV crew to indulge me in a social experiment of sorts.
Seeking information in the digital era is as easy as clicking a link on our mobile phone. But during the current health crisis, clicking one might lead to misinformation.
The word “identity” was stated for the first time in the document of Bali Concord II in 2003. It has become a commonly-used term, but has yet to be defined. Indonesia has taken the initiative to formulate the Narrative of ASEAN Identity. The Definition of ASEAN Identity will be adopted by the ASEAN Leaders during the 37th ASEAN Summit in November 2020 in Viet Nam.
Indonesia’s Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi shares how shaping this identity, from the grassroots, can make ASEAN
more relevant to its people.
I have always been a bit of a polyglot. Ethnically, my mother is half-Malay and almost half-Pakistani—with a smattering of Chinese from her great-grandmother (who was adopted and raised by their Pakistani family).
