ASEAN Identity: Now and Beyond

ASEAN Identity:Now and Beyond Post Publication of the Symposium on ASEANIdentity and Strengthening ASEAN-ROKCooperation: Now and Beyond The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was established on 8 August 1967. The MemberStates are Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic,Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam. The ASEAN Secretariat is based in Jakarta, Indonesia. For inquiries, contact:The ASEAN SecretariatCommunity Relations Division (CRD)70A Jalan SisingamangarajaJakarta 12110, IndonesiaPhone : (62 21) 724-3372, 726-2991Fax : (62 21) 739-8234, 724-3504E-mail : public@asean.org Catalogue-in-Publication Data ASEAN Identity: Now and Beyond – Post-Publication of the Symposium on ASEAN Identity andStrengthening ASEAN-ROK Cooperation: Now and BeyondJakarta: ASEAN Secretariat, October 2023 ASEAN: A Community of Opportunities for All The text of this publication may be freely quoted or reprinted, provided proper acknowledgement is givenand a copy containing the reprinted material is sent to Community Relations Division (CRD) of theASEAN Secretariat, Jakarta. General information on ASEAN appears online at the ASEAN Website: www.asean.orgCopyright Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) 2023. All rights reserved. This publication was produced by the ASEAN Secretariat with the support from the Mission of theRepublic of Korea to ASEAN through the ASEAN-Korea Cooperation Fund (AKCF). It is with great pleasure to present the“ASEAN Identity: Now and Beyond”,a post-publication of theSymposium onFostering ASEAN Identity and Enhancing ASEAN-ROK Cooperation: Now andBeyondwhich had gathered scholars, the media, creative practitioners, youth, and officials to discussways to further amplify ASEAN awareness and foster ASEAN Identity. The think pieces in thispublication lend multiple perspectives on how we can foster ASEAN Identity,and represent the aspirations and hopes of the contributors on what this means to them, as well ashow we can deepen the“we”feeling in making ASEAN our home. Contributors to the publication alsohighlightedthe importance in deepening youth engagement and promoting people-to-peopleexchanges in creating a greater regional sense of belonging, and stressed the strong correlationbetween promoting shared values and identity-building through culture and the arts. The think pieces also drew on lessons that we could learn from the experiences of the Republic of Korea (ROK), and includescomparative analyses of the efforts of other regional inter-governmental organisations in fostering a shared identity. It furtherprovides substantive recommendations and proposed new ways to reframe and recalibrate ASEAN Identity, as ASEAN forges anew vision beyond 2025. This publication underscores the longstanding cooperation with our valued partner, the Republic of Korea, who was a strongsupporter to the Symposium last year. Several contributors from the ROK shared their insights and thoughts on the lessons wecan draw from the success ofHallyu,and proposed ways to forge greater mutual cooperation especially in the creative sectors tocelebrate all things between ASEAN and ROK. I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to the Government of the Republic of Korea, through the ROK Missionto ASEAN and the ASEAN-ROK Project Management Team, for their strong support in organising the Symposium and for thispost-Symposium publication. I am confident that this publication will enrich our conversations to foster a deeper sense of regionalbelonging among the ASEAN peoples, as we continue to strengthen and build ASEAN asA Community of Opportunities for All. ASEAN considers the identity as one of the key foundations of ASEAN integration. According to thenarrative of ASEAN identity adopted by the 37th ASEAN Summit in 2020, ASEAN identity shallstrengthen the ASEAN community and will enhance common values with a higher degree ofwe-feeling and sense of belonging and sharing in all the benefits of the regional integration. It has been 16 years since 10 ASEAN Member States adopted the ASEAN Charter in 2007 along withthe commitment to “One vision, One identity, One community”. Nevertheless, ASEAN identity stillremains unexplored and needs more efforts to be cultivated, especially in young generation. We cannot neglect the fact that there are many differences in religion, political system and culture inthis region. However, it is not our differences that divide us but our inability to recognise, accept, andcelebrate those differences. In this context, ASEAN is already aware that cultural approach is of greatsignificance in consolidating ASEAN identity. For instance, I take note of the ASEAN Puppet play performed to commemorate ASEAN’s 50th anniversary in 2017. Puppetry hasexisted in many forms including water puppetry of Viet Nam and shadow play of Indonesia. Under the ASEAN Puppets ExchangeProgramme implemented by the ASEAN Fou