A convergence of the old and the new
The Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) is an informal process of dialogue and cooperation bringing together the 28 European Union member states, 2 other European countries, and the European Union with 21 Asian countries and the ASEAN Secretariat. The ASEM dialogue addresses political, economic and cultural issues, with the objective of strengthening the relationship between our two regions, in a spirit of mutual respect and equal partnership.
ASEM was officially established on 1 March 1996 at its first summit in Bangkok, Thailand, as an exclusively Asian-European forum to enhance relations and various forms of co-operation between the EU and its Commission, ASEAN, and the individual countries of China, Japan and South Korea. A series of enlargements saw additional EU members join as well as India, Mongolia, Pakistan, and the ASEAN Secretariat in 2008, Australia, New Zealand and the Russian Federation in 2010; Bangladesh, Norway and Switzerland in 2012; Croatia and Kazakhstan in 2014.
The main components of the ASEM process rest on the 3 foundations of Political, Economic, Social, Cultural and Educational pillars.
The process of ASEM is considered by the parties involved to be a way of deepening the relations between Asia and Europe at all levels, which is deemed necessary to achieve a more balanced political and economic world order. The process is enhanced by the biennial meetings of Heads of State and Government, alternately in Europe and Asia, and biennial meetings of Foreign Ministers as well as political, economic, and socio-cultural meetings and events at various levels.
During the past two years, numerous initiatives towards the promotion of Asia-Europe connectivity like the ASEM Think Tank Symposium, the ASEM Industry Dialogue on Connectivity, the ASEM Symposium on Eurasia Transport and Logistics Network, the Seminar of ASEM at 20-The Challenges of Connectivity took place. All these initiatives produced a wide range of thought-provoking ideas and proposals which reflected the common drive of all parties in enhancing ASEM connectivity cooperation. At these events, the role of media was highlighted in fostering public awareness as well as people to people connectivity.
The missing link in all these enterprises however was media. Without the support of media, ASEM appeared to be wandering in the wilderness. Thus the realization of the efficacy of media gave rise to the current initiative.
The ASEM media dialogue on connectivity took place from May 9-10, 2016 in Guangzhou, China. Co-sponsored by Bangladesh, Mongolia, Pakistan, New Zealand and Singapore; the main host was China. Set in the backdrop of the 20th anniversary of ASEM, the dialogue provided a platform for media representatives of ASEM members and other stakeholders to review the progress of ASEM connectivity and share their insights on the way forward in the realm of ASEM’s outreach.
The theme of the dialogue was “Promoting Public Awareness and Partnership”. Meticulously planned by the hosts, the dialogue afforded the participants to tour the historic metropolis of Guangzhou, visiting avenues of trade, commerce, education, science, technology, education and research for two days prior to the event. The visit prepared the dialogue participants to not only appreciate the relevance of the selection of Guangzhou as an apt choice of venue but also receive valuable inputs pertaining to trade, commerce, technology, education, research, history, ecology, information technology and media practices before the event kicked off.
Following an impressive opening ceremony, the first Plenary Session discussed “ASEM Connectivity Today and Tomorrow”. The keynote speakers highlighted the initiatives towards the promotion of Asia-Europe connectivity and the prospects for future developments. The Chinese President’s mega initiative of One Belt One Road resonated in all the presentations as a flagship project of connectivity, cooperation and infrastructure building to bring Asia and Europe closer.
Since the dialogue involved media, the first two dialogue sessions comprised “The Relevance and Role of Media as a Major Stakeholder” and “Harnessing the Power of New Media”. Both the sessions produced a lively debate as the major participants were media practitioners themselves, albeit from different parts of the globe, bringing their varied experiences and views to the table.
A second plenary session involved “Dialogue between Media and Business”. This discussion engaged participants from the business community and the media. The ensuing debate called for the involvement of media in enhancing the connectivity with the business supporting the cause. Interestingly, the One Belt One Road initiative reverberated in this session too.
The final session pertained to “Visibility and Sustainability”. It addressed two vital questions: “How ASEM can improve its visibility?” and “How Media can Help Sustain ASEM?”
All in all, the ASEM media dialogue on connectivity produced animated discussions. Instead of chest thumping and self praise, there was a conscious effort towards soul searching. Pertinent questions were asked if ASEM was on the right track towards achieving connectivity and whether course corrections were required. Since the participants were all mature and experienced media practitioners, ASEM officials, diplomats and business professionals, sound reasoning was presented. Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threat were assimilated with a modus operandi to turn the threats and weaknesses into opportunities and opportunities into strength.
Interesting recommendations were made which included asking the media to “make the invisible—visible”, creating an information portal, initiating scholarships and providing ASEM branding on scholarships, organizing sports fixtures and even supporting events for the handicapped. The emphasis remained on retaining focus, determining priorities and maintaining people to people contact. In fact the initiative was taken a step further, creating “heart to heart contact”. It was generally agreed upon that common challenges and opportunities should be tackled while sharing universal vales and repositioning and revitalizing the ASEM.
The human dimension is an important part of the ASEM process and includes various forum offshoots such as: Asia-Europe Business Forum (AEBF), which is a meeting of business leaders from Asia and Europe, created by the ASEM to strengthen economic cooperation between the business sectors of the two regions; the Asia-Europe Parliamentary Partnership Meeting (ASEP), which promotes cooperation between parliaments in Europe and Asia and offers parliamentarians an opportunity to influence the ASEM process; the Asia-Europe People’s Forum (AEPF), which is an inter-regional network of civil society and social movements across Asia and Europe.
Amidst all the dimensions, the common denominator is media, which if it plays its role effectively, can tell the story of ASEM to the media users. The convergence of old and new, traditional and social media is essential so that all the media tools may be employed to enhance the connectivity of ASEM, in order to promote public awareness and partnership.
