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Asia-Europe
Bridges are Now Built by People
BY
SHADA ISLAM (IDN)
BRUSSELS (IDN) - Times
change. Foreign relations used to be the exclusive domain of
governments. Foreign ministries operated behind closed doors. Diplomats
met other government officials, attended receptions and once in a while
hosted a "cultural event" showcasing national folk music and
dance.
Contrast that with the vast array of non-state actors which drive and
influence relations among countries in today's globalised and
inter-connected world.
Diplomats can still do their bit on behalf of governments. But with 24/7
news channels, the Internet, Twitter and other social networking tools,
state representatives are fast losing their monopoly on fashioning
public attitudes and perceptions.
Today, the reputation of nations can be built or destroyed by the
activities of a host of other actors, including business leaders,
journalists, academics and scholars, non-governmental organizations,
youth associations, faith groups, sportsmen and women, political
parties, parliamentarians, trade unions and social activists.
Epitomising a nation's "soft power", these are the people who
can also foster -- or block -- understanding and cooperation between
states and regions.
People-to-people links are no longer exclusively about encouraging youth
exchanges, learning foreign languages and visiting cultural exhibitions.
In today's fast changing world, non-state actors have a vital role to
play in discussions on a range of questions which go far beyond the
narrow definition of "socio-cultural issues".
Efforts to craft a global consensus on questions like economics, trade,
climate change, security and peace cannot be achieved without mutual
understanding between people.
As Asian and European leaders prepare to meet in Brussels on October 4-5
for ASEM 8, they must recognize that building a real strategic
Asia-Europe partnership will require out-of-the box thinking, involving
people, not just officials.
Summit meetings, communiqués and ministerial visits may be important,
but relations within ASEM cannot really deepen and move forward without
building trust and confidence among the people of Asia and Europe.
There is no shortage of ASEM initiatives to involve civil society
actors. In fact, ASEM’s "three pillars" for cooperation
include political dialogue and economic cooperation as well as
socio-cultural and intellectual exchange. The ASEM summit in Beijing in
2008 pointed to the role played by parliaments, NGOs and civil society
in "promoting dialogue among cultures and civilizations and mutual
understanding between the people of Asia and Europe."
However, ASEM policymakers' references to engaging civil society need to
move beyond routine rhetoric to real engagement. Discussions on
promoting people-to-people exchanges are often an add-on and an
after-thought, dealt with only after policymakers have discussed other
issues which are deemed more important.
The role of non-state actors must be made part of an overall strategy to
revive and re-energise the Asia-Europe relationship, making ASEM more
participatory, democratic and focused on societal challenges.
The Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF), established in Singapore in 1997 and
funded by voluntary contributions from ASEM governments, is certainly
doing a great deal to connect civil society representatives across Asia
and Europe. Over the years, ASEF has implemented over 450 projects,
engaging over 15,000 direct participants.
'A PASSAGE TO ASIA'
Among important ASEF initiatives are the ASEF University which promotes
intercultural exchanges among top university students from Asia and
Europe. Seminars on human rights, editors' roundtables, inter-faith
discussions and civil society seminars are held regularly. ASEF has also
played a key role in organizing an exhibition entitled 'A Passage to
Asia: 25 Centuries of Exchanges between Asia and Europe' which has
opened in Brussels as part of preparations for the ASEM 8 meeting.
The Asia-Europe People's Forum (AEPF), which met for the time in 1996 in
Bangkok in parallel with the first ASEM summit, brings together NGOs and
social justice networks across Asia and Europe to discuss areas of
common concern such as human rights and democracy and to press for the
integration of people's rights into ASEM. AEPF has contributed to
building stronger networks at national and regional levels and has
implemented cross regional initiatives on peace and security, economic
and social justice, democratisation and human rights.
AEPF’s last meeting in Beijing in 2008 was the biggest NGO conference
ever to take place in China since the Fourth World Conference on Women
in 1995. Over 500 participants from 40 countries participated, including
over 200 from China. A series of events are planned during the ASEM
summit in Brussels, with focus on the relation of corporate power to:
trade/investment, food sovereignty, climate change, decent work
(including social protection) and peace and security.
Asia-Europe business leaders also have their own forum (AEBF) which
convenes in parallel with the ASEM Summit and makes recommendations to
Asian and European governments on enhancing economic co-operation
between the two regions.
Meanwhile, an ASEM public conference has been organised in Brussels by
the European Commission on 'Europe-Asia Inter-Regional Relations' on
July 12-13 to allow academics, experts and others to input into the key
policy challenges facing Asia-Europe relations.
Stepping up academic exchanges is clearly one important way of promoting
contacts between young people in Asia and Europe. This is one of the
aims of Europe’s Erasmus Mundus programme which seeks to promote the
EU as a centre of excellence in learning around the world and to
encourage intercultural understanding through cooperation with third
country partners.
EU Centres, set up in 26 universities in the U.S., Canada, Australia,
New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Taiwan, are also designed
to increase awareness about the political, economic and cultural
importance of relations between the EU and specific countries.
Other initiatives should be considered, including the organisation of
ASEM executive training programmes, regular meetings of parliamentarians
from ASEM states, the organisation of think tank meetings and networks
and regular and sustained exchanges between media representatives.
If ASEM is to gain credibility and become more visible and relevant to
its members, it is important that linkages to civil society are
officially acknowledged, made part of the mainstream and further
developed. The Asia-Europe relationship is too important to be left in
the hands of only governments and officials.
[Source:
IDN-InDepthNews
| Analysis That Matters]
_____________
Shada
Islam is a journalist in Brussels with a long experience of EU-Asia
relations. This is a part of a series of articles being published by 'Particip'
an independent, internationally-recognised consultancy, which is under
contract to the European Commission, to look at different aspects of the
multi-faceted Asia-Europe relationship. This article represents the
views of the author.
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