From paleo diets to veganism, the relationship that human beings have with food is multifaceted and cuts across different social underpinnings and economic considerations. As such, food production is an important consideration in the sustaining of any particular society.
Over the past week, Indonesia has witnessed two terrorist attacks. On 9 May, a family of six, including a nine-year-old girl, targeted three churches in Surabaya killing at least 13 and injuring over 40 people. Less than a week later, on 14 May, another family of terrorists attacked the police headquarters in the same city, resulting in at least four police officers and six local residents being injured.
There are many sectors within ASEAN that have propelled the region to greater heights in terms of economic development and general prosperity. One of the sectors that Southeast Asia takes great pride in is its automotive industry, which has seen an increase in interest from investors, specifically from the Asian giant that is China.Based on a report by Frost & Sullivan, no ASEAN country is in the Top 10 for global automotive sales as of Q1 2018.
In December last year, Sri Lanka formally handed over its strategic port of Hambantota to China on a 99-year lease after failing to pay its debt to Chinese firms. The port was first developed in 2008 with the financial backing of Chinese banks. However, it soon developed a reputation as a white elephant due to mounting losses.
Petroleum is known as liquid gold due to its utility to various segments in society, making it a sought-after commodity the world over. ASEAN’s petroleum potential is quite impressive, with the sector positioned for further expansion in coming years. The question is, how can the harnessing of petroleum contribute to a sustainable energy future?
Located in north-eastern India, Assam is one of the fastest-growing states in the country, lying at the heart of India’s Act East Policy. Spread over 78,000 square kilometres, it is fast becoming India’s expressway to Southeast Asia.Due in part to its strategic location, Assam is now looking to attract investors from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to fuel its development.
Mary Wollstonecraft’s A Vindication on the Rights of Woman and Simone de Beauvoir’s The Second Sex were ground-breaking texts that dealt with the perceptions and roles of women in a patriarchal world. Both books remain relevant today, as the struggle for gender parity is still very much an ongoing concern. In Southeast Asia, the lack of gender diversification in the workplace is still a visible problem in both, local and international companies throughout the region.
Now more than ever, Southeast Asia has to be united on all fronts, with cooperation in defence and security a pivotal cog in the machinery that is ASEAN. Among the many concerns that have to be addressed are China’s persistent encroachment into the South China Sea, the creation of terrorist cells in the region, as well as the rise of cyber-attacks on ASEAN’s digital frontier. Although these apprehensions are not new, the threats to regional order from these worries are growing.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Great White North go way back – 41 years back to be exact.Last year, both ASEAN and Canada marked 40 years of dialogue relations and expressed confidence in a relationship that would hopefully continue to shape “a better, safer, and more prosperous world” for its peoples.Enduring benefits of ASEAN-Canada dialogueCanada first became an ASEAN dialogue partner in 1977.
The Coral Triangle, a marine region stretching across Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Timor Leste, is endangered by extensive human activities. According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), this marine region encompasses portions of two biogeographic regions: the Indonesian-Philippines Region, and the Far Southwestern Pacific Region, endowing it with the world’s richest marine biodiversity.
This weekend saw Singapore host the second ASEAN Media Forum (AMF), where almost 30 media leaders, journalists and social media influencers congregated to have a dialogue with the region’s thought leaders on various important issues affecting the region. The AMF is a new effort by ASEAN to reach out to the media to help them better understand the region and its complexities.
Since its inception in 1967, ASEAN’s growth trajectory has been nothing short of impressive. The economic, social, and political dimensions within the region have been refined, leveraging on nascent interest from other global players. New Zealand is just one of the players which have established rapport with the monolith that is ASEAN.The ASEAN-New Zealand bond is not new, with both parties having celebrated 40 years of diplomatic relations in 2015.
