Lee Yoong Yoong*
International Youth Day is well known annually on August 12. Growing up as a teen in Singapore within the Eighties and Nineteen Nineties, I used to be more attuned to the art, music and literature of American and British influences than to local and regional popular culture. I used to be also more accustomed to monuments from the West, comparable to the Eiffel Tower, than those from Southeast Asia, comparable to the Borobudur Temple. Thus I used to be unaware of the region wherein I lived.
Although I knew who Singapore’s closest neighbors were, I used to be unaware of the inter-historical connections between them. The only inkling I had about Singapore’s ties to countries within the region was in regards to the Singapore-Malaysia relationship and my limited knowledge of the biennial SEA Games. I learned to acknowledge the flags of the corresponding Southeast Asian countries after they appeared on television next to the names of competing athletes. It never occurred to me that I must be ashamed of my lack of regional knowledge.
I started to learn more about Southeast Asia when my highschool taught the fashionable history of Indonesia (then often called the Dutch East Indies), Burma (then often called Burma), and Thailand (then often called Siam). All my classmates thought the teachings were dry and boring. They were unable to know why the British and Dutch East India Companies had decided to exchange Bencoolen (Bengkulu) for Malacca, in order that no a part of the territory can be excluded from the colonizing sphere of influence of each powers. Similarly, my class cannot understand why this region was so attractive to Western powers that that they had to travel far and wide over the course of months on ship expeditions to seize the lands of Southeast Asia within the name of trade and development.
Looking back, I also discovered how Indian Hindu and Buddhist influences spread throughout the region, leaving traces in the shape of monuments and inscriptions. I studied how indigenous rulers in ancient Southeast Asia adopted practices of Indian kingship to develop territories and economies. South Asia’s sphere of influence in ancient Southeast Asia is clearly visible within the ruins of Ayutthaya in Thailand and Angkor Wat in Cambodia, but what number of young people within the region knew about it?
By the time I climbed the ladder of my educational journey, I not checked out Southeast Asia as an alien entity. Through my very own research and travel, I learned in regards to the shared experiences of Southeast Asians in decolonization and nation-building, in addition to their shared stance in resisting external threats. I wondered why I didn’t know anything about this region before? The only answer I could get was the apathy that was common amongst my generation of young individuals who had turn into accustomed to the spoon-feeding culture. Young people in my day only paid attention to what was in front of us, whether it was education, entertainment or experience.
As a part of my current duties as Director of Social Affairs on the Jakarta-based ASEAN Secretariat, I recurrently visited schools and universities across Southeast Asia. Many of them organized impressive exhibitions yearly to mark ASEAN Day on August 8. The exhibits provided a wealth of data about ASEAN member states, including history, national flags, geography, monuments, currencies, traditional dress and economic progress. I used to be impressed with the research these students invested in. Despite this, I do know that ASEAN Member States and the ASEAN Secretariat can still do quite a bit to lift awareness of ASEAN amongst our students and youth while they’re still at an influencing age.
For me, just learning about ASEAN through armchair Internet research isn’t enough. Young people should be given a more in-depth understanding of the regional grouping to focus on its importance to residents. Beyond a superficial understanding of individual Member States, young people must know why it is necessary for the region to stay cohesive and robust. They must understand that peace and stability within the region will not be given once and for all, but exist through collective efforts to advertise them; that ASEAN’s quiet diplomacy has its unique way of resolving tensions arising from bilateral disputes, and that ASEAN has greater economic power than fragmented markets. Only then would young people appreciate the common thread connecting the region.
The only possible obstacle to achieving these goals is the tendency of young people to view such topics as “dry”, “boring” and “too technical”. Reading about multilateral diplomacy of their textbooks is bound to make them yawn, no less than it did for my son after I looked through his history and social studies. This is because my son learns in regards to the region either from the Internet or from textbooks. The information presented is especially based on memory, based on key dates, major events or anniversaries.
Although ASEAN implements programs to advertise increased youth involvement in regional activities, these are limited to small groups of student leaders. The multiplier effect of those chosen groups is solely insignificant after we compare the variety of participants with the full variety of young people in ASEAN. These youth should be engaged on a unique level. Just as countries encourage nationalistic sentiments amongst their residents through Independence Day celebrations, parades and songs, it might be way more effective to appeal to young people in a comparable way. A youngster who likes the music of a pop singer will search the Internet to seek out out more information in regards to the artist and his works. A boy fascinated by the style trends of a selected group of individuals will imitate them in his outfits. Teenagers of all generations are similar in that they prefer to follow the most recent music and fashion information within the media.
This raises the query: “What aspect of ASEAN culture would appeal to young people in Southeast Asia?” Over the years, I even have witnessed commendable efforts to advertise ASEAN culture, comparable to the ASEAN Rocks music festival and the ASEAN Film Fair. To arouse more interest in ASEAN amongst young people, a more sensational option to gain supporters is required. Popular artists or old-time football heroes in each Member State could come together yearly to tour the region. An ASEAN Idol reality singing competition may very well be organized wherein only nationals of member states would participate. We could organize an annual fun parade in each capital city where other ASEAN residents living, studying and dealing within the host country would represent their home countries of their contingents. Participants could sing and dance, play musical instruments or appear on a chat show. It is essential that the motion has a large reach, no matter its form, and that folks should enjoy participating in it.
Today, young individuals are interested in popular culture that is simple to know and appeals to them. They avoid what they consider high culture. It could be way more effective to create a buzz from the underside up, where a spontaneous sense of unity is generated, quite than a top-down approach where individuals are told what to feel and easy methods to feel it. Young people of this generation can smell propaganda from a mile away. This approach can be counterproductive.
Moreover, today’s youth have more expectations, worries and anxieties, but at the identical time they need to have a greater share in deciding about their future. Therefore, I would love to inform young people who ASEAN is for them. In the meantime, these young people have a task to play in supporting ASEAN. They can be the driving force of this region and can sooner or later define the ASEAN agenda. It is essential that they begin learning more about ASEAN and support ASEAN activities.
ASEAN continues to be within the early stages of developing a regional identity. Developing a way of belonging to any community takes time and collective effort. Trust should be built; common experiences should be shared. It’s only after we truly feel connected that bonds begin to develop. When that point comes, young ASEAN residents will not ask in regards to the importance of ASEAN. Instead, they’ll advocate creating the backbone of a powerful and dynamic ASEAN Community.
*The creator is Director of Community Affairs on the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta. The opinions expressed in this text are those of the creator and don’t reflect the opinions or views of the ASEAN Secretariat.
