Through the project of ASEAN Community Establishment 2015, ASEAN is now significantly transforming into a more integrated and futuristic phase of cooperation. The acceleration of its establishment from 2020 to 2015 requires its member states with whole of its society components to simultaneously strive for facing the challenges of this project, especially the challenge to adapt the ASEAN countries’ development with the proliferation of other countries’ development, as also the challenge to increase ASEAN peoples’ awareness and a “we-feeling” to ASEAN, in order this kind of international cooperation will totally transform into people-centered organization in the upcoming years.
An ASEAN Community itself, as mentioned in the Cha-am Hua Hin Declaration, stands with its noble goals which comprise three pillars, namely political-security community, economic community and socio-cultural community, all of which are closely intertwined and mutually reinforcing for the purpose of ensuring durable peace, stability and shared prosperity in the region.
ASEAN-Indonesia Youth Ambassador and the Power of Youth
I do agree on what Kinanti Wicaksono said in her statement at the ASEAN Foundation 10th Anniversary Forum on last 16th of January 2008, that as a youth, we should certainly convey our highest appreciation to Department of Foreign Affairs for initiating such smart event of ASEAN-Indonesia Youth Ambassador Election, in order to get more youth involved in ASEAN integration and community building process. In which we can frankly assess that by walking this way, Department of Foreign Affairs, with its position as ASEAN cooperation’s focal point, has been able to empower youth’s remarkable potencies within its country by treating youth as an inseparable part and a real stakeholder of it.
And involving the youth is always a right decision in holding any kind of crucial agendas, with the consideration that youth, as one of crucial society components, basically own their propensity to take initiative and be open-minded, idealist, active, energetic, dynamic, tolerant and optimistic. As also basically own their proved-significant positions as an agent of changes, future leaders and region’s key stakeholder.
So, what plan of actions should be outlined for youth to play all their active roles in this ASEAN integration and community building process?
Firstly, it is important to be insisted that the acceleration of ASEAN Community’s Establishment by 2015 requires ASEAN to balance the attainment of its three pillars, in order those pillars will be closely intertwined and mutually reinforcing as commanded in Bali Concord II. Hence, what we are going to outline as youth’s roles should certainly support what Bali Concord II commanded and be in accordance with it. Which means that we should categorize youth’s roles according to those three pillars beside we should also notice every single of those roles as an action plan priority without any distinctions, in order to support the establishment of ASEAN Community 2015 that is politically cohesive, economically integrated and socially responsible. Well, here is the outline:
1. Youth’s Roles in Building the ASEAN Political-Security Community (APSC)
Adapted on what APSC Blueprint and Joint Statement of the ASEAN University Youth Summit 2008 outlined, we can note some following plan of actions for youth to play all their active roles in building the APSC:
a. Taking part in promoting the understanding and appreciation of political systems, culture, history, and security issues of ASEAN Member States. Beside also actively involved in some ASEAN youth cultural and historical exchange in order to enhance popular and broader participation.
b. Taking part in promoting good government, principles of democracy, preventing and combating corruption and terrorism, include also peace and stability in the region.
c. Promoting the effort of ASEAN for the protection of youth’s rights and also promoting the vigilance among youth against security treats.
d. Encouraging youth friendship across borders in preventing conflicts between ASEAN Member States, as also promoting a culture of tolerance and acceptance of differences among those ASEAN Member States.
e. Taking part on some ASEAN humanitarian assistance and volunteering in some post conflicts areas.
2. Youth’s Roles in Building the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC)
To support the realization of the end goal of economic integration, youth can implement some following youthful plan of actions, which is also adapted from AEC Blueprint and Joint Statement of the ASEAN University Youth Summit 2008:
a. Taking part in promoting the understanding and the importance of equitable economic development through ASEAN Economic Community and Regional Economic Integration, as also promoting the understanding and the importance of integration into the global economy, in order to expand both economic growth and development in the region.
b. Encouraging ASEAN Member States to promote single market and production base, comprising its five core elements, include promoting the sustainable development.
c. Supporting and promoting the principles of Competition Policy, Consumer Protection, Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), Taxation, and E-Commerce.
d. Bridging the economic development gap in the region, as like being a volunteer that provide technical assistance to Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam (CLMV countries).
e. Supporting and strengthening the entrepreneurship in the region.
f. Calling on ASEAN Member States to increase infrastructure development and skilled employment opportunities in order to retain human capital.
3. Youth’s Roles in Building the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC)
Adapted on what ASCC Blueprint and Joint Statement of the ASEAN University Youth Summit 2008 outlined, we can also note some following plan of actions for youth to play all their active roles in building the APSC:
a. Conducting various kinds of capacity building and human development programs to support effective youth participation and leadership in ASEAN, as like taking part in investing the human resource development through leadership training, promotion of English as a common language, teacher exchange, etc. Include also taking part in promoting of decent work, promoting Information and Communication Technology (ICT), strengthening entrepreneurship skills for women, youth, elderly, and person with disabilities, etc.
b. Taking part in enhancing social welfare and protection through actively involved in promoting the spirit of poverty alleviation, food security and safety, ensuring a-drug free ASEAN, etc.
c. Taking part in enhancing social justice and rights through promoting and protecting the rights and welfare of women, children, the elderly, and person with disabilities, also the rights and welfare of migrant workers. Include also encouraging the ASEAN Member States to pay more attention to human trafficking, in particular woman and children, and enforcement of legislation to combat human trafficking.
d. Taking part in fostering the environmental sustainability through conducting many “green” activities, as like addressing global environmental issues, promoting the sustainability of freshwater resources, responding to climate change and addressing its impacts, etc.
e. Taking part in building the ASEAN identity through promoting the ASEAN awareness and a sense of community, preserving and promoting the ASEAN cultural heritage, and promoting the cultural creativity and industry.[]
