SEAPA | Southeast Asian Press Alliance

An ASEAN Community by 2015: Vision or Delusion?

The theme revolved around ASEAN's direction to develop "One Community", founded on, among other things, a new charter, aspirations for a common market, with more liberal trans-boundary labor movement, and even a push for a common understanding of human rights.

Fellows were encouraged to further review recent developments in ASEAN, including the passage of a new ASEAN Charter, the convening of an ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights, the formation of an ASEAN Committe on Women and Children, and the initiatives for an ASEAN body that will look into matters of migration and labor. SEAPA explored the realities, challenges, promise, difficulties, politics, and economics of the very notion of an ASEAN Community with shared values, aspirations, and norms.