Hey Upper Sec Marists,
ASEAN should be familiar with you - Ch 6 Diplomacy and Deterrence.
See below for the 2008 ASEAN Day message.
INTRODUCTION
1. We are commemorating the 41st Anniversary of ASEAN tomorrow. ASEAN, or the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, was established on 8 August 1967, with five founding members – Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. Since then, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam have joined to form a ten-member ASEAN today.
2. What is ASEAN’s relevance to us? ASEAN plays an important role in promoting regional peace and stability so as to achieve economic growth, social progress and cultural development for the 500 million people who live in this region. If all the members of ASEAN work together towards a common goal, we would be a significant group that others would not take lightly. Unity is strength.
3. Singapore assumed the chair of ASEAN last August and the past year has been an exciting one. The ASEAN Charter was signed in Singapore in November last year, marking a new chapter in the history of ASEAN. Before the Charter, ASEAN member countries were not bound by legal obligations, and implementation of decisions was not always consistently enforced. When the ASEAN members signed the ASEAN Charter, they agreed to make ASEAN a legal entity with rights and obligations. What this means is that ASEAN will become an organisation with members who agree to abide by its rules, structure and guiding principles in the way they conduct their affairs. This is roughly similar to a group of students with common interests coming together to form a CCA in school, agreeing to be bound by the rules, structures and responsibilities that come with it.
4. The ASEAN charter reflects the commitment of member countries to the group, and their desire to maintain the peace, stability and prosperity of Southeast Asia. Hence, the signing of the Charter marks a historic event for ASEAN as it seeks greater recognition around the world.
5. Aside from the charter, ASEAN also played a key role in the relief efforts in Myanmar, in the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis. Under the leadership of Singapore, ASEAN helped to establish teams from ASEAN, the UN and Myanmar, to manage the relief efforts so that aid could reach devastated areas.
6. What about the youths in ASEAN? You have not been left out. In the last two months alone, we have had the ASEAN Youth Science Summit in Manila and ASEAN+3 Youth festival here in Singapore, among other activities.
7. Seeds of friendships, which will blossom and bloom in the future, were also sown during activities such as the ASEAN Youth Camp held in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, in February. The Youth camp brought about greater understanding and mutual respect as youths from ASEAN countries learnt more about the culture and history of member countries.
8. These activities gave ASEAN youths from diverse fields and backgrounds an opportunity to interact and forge closer relations with one another. They also raise awareness about how closely the region is interlinked and how important it is to have good relations with our neighbours. As future leaders, you have a big role to play in Singapore’s efforts towards building an ASEAN community.
9. As we pass the ASEAN chair over to Thailand, we must continue to work towards greater integration, cooperation and development throughout ASEAN. Singapore is part of this ASEAN family, and all Singaporeans must continue to play our part in building a region that is safe, peaceful and progressive. 10. I wish everyone a happy and meaningful ASEAN day.
MISS SEAH JIAK CHOO DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF EDUCATION 7 AUGUST 2008
ASEAN should be familiar with you - Ch 6 Diplomacy and Deterrence.
See below for the 2008 ASEAN Day message.
INTRODUCTION
1. We are commemorating the 41st Anniversary of ASEAN tomorrow. ASEAN, or the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, was established on 8 August 1967, with five founding members – Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. Since then, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam have joined to form a ten-member ASEAN today.
2. What is ASEAN’s relevance to us? ASEAN plays an important role in promoting regional peace and stability so as to achieve economic growth, social progress and cultural development for the 500 million people who live in this region. If all the members of ASEAN work together towards a common goal, we would be a significant group that others would not take lightly. Unity is strength.
3. Singapore assumed the chair of ASEAN last August and the past year has been an exciting one. The ASEAN Charter was signed in Singapore in November last year, marking a new chapter in the history of ASEAN. Before the Charter, ASEAN member countries were not bound by legal obligations, and implementation of decisions was not always consistently enforced. When the ASEAN members signed the ASEAN Charter, they agreed to make ASEAN a legal entity with rights and obligations. What this means is that ASEAN will become an organisation with members who agree to abide by its rules, structure and guiding principles in the way they conduct their affairs. This is roughly similar to a group of students with common interests coming together to form a CCA in school, agreeing to be bound by the rules, structures and responsibilities that come with it.
4. The ASEAN charter reflects the commitment of member countries to the group, and their desire to maintain the peace, stability and prosperity of Southeast Asia. Hence, the signing of the Charter marks a historic event for ASEAN as it seeks greater recognition around the world.
5. Aside from the charter, ASEAN also played a key role in the relief efforts in Myanmar, in the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis. Under the leadership of Singapore, ASEAN helped to establish teams from ASEAN, the UN and Myanmar, to manage the relief efforts so that aid could reach devastated areas.
6. What about the youths in ASEAN? You have not been left out. In the last two months alone, we have had the ASEAN Youth Science Summit in Manila and ASEAN+3 Youth festival here in Singapore, among other activities.
7. Seeds of friendships, which will blossom and bloom in the future, were also sown during activities such as the ASEAN Youth Camp held in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, in February. The Youth camp brought about greater understanding and mutual respect as youths from ASEAN countries learnt more about the culture and history of member countries.
8. These activities gave ASEAN youths from diverse fields and backgrounds an opportunity to interact and forge closer relations with one another. They also raise awareness about how closely the region is interlinked and how important it is to have good relations with our neighbours. As future leaders, you have a big role to play in Singapore’s efforts towards building an ASEAN community.
9. As we pass the ASEAN chair over to Thailand, we must continue to work towards greater integration, cooperation and development throughout ASEAN. Singapore is part of this ASEAN family, and all Singaporeans must continue to play our part in building a region that is safe, peaceful and progressive. 10. I wish everyone a happy and meaningful ASEAN day.
MISS SEAH JIAK CHOO DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF EDUCATION 7 AUGUST 2008
1 comment:
Your blog is good!
http://penchenk.blogspot.com
Post a Comment