How Many Countries Are in ASEAN

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is a group of ten member countries that encourages political, economic, and social cooperation in the region. In 2006, ASEAN tied together 560 million people, about 1.7 million square miles of land, and a total gross domestic product (GDP) of US $1.1 trillion. Today, the group is considered one of the most successful regional organizations in the world, and it seems to have a brighter future ahead. History of ASEAN Much of Southeast Asia was colonized by western powers prior to World War II. During the war, Japan took control of the region,  yet was forced out afterwards as Southeast Asian countries pushed for independence. Once independent, the countries found that stability was hard to come by, and they soon looked to each other for answers. In 1961, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Thailand came together to form the Association of Southeast Asia (ASA), a precursor to ASEAN. Six years later, in 1967, the members of ASA, along with Singapore and Indonesia, created ASEAN, forming a bloc that would push back at the dominating western pressure. The Bangkok Declaration was discussed and agreed upon by the five leaders of those countries over golf and drinks (they later dubbed it sports-shirt diplomacy). Importantly, this informal and interpersonal manner characterizes Asian politics. Brunei joined in 1984, followed by Vietnam in 1995, Laos and Burma in 1997, and Cambodia in 1999. Today the ten member countries of ASEAN are Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. ASEAN Principles and Goals According to the groups guiding document, the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC), there are six fundamental principles members adhere to: Mutual respect for the independence, sovereignty, equality, territorial integrity, and national identity of all nations.The right of every State to lead its national existence free from external interference, subversion or coercion.Non-interference in the internal affairs of one another.Settlement of differences or disputes by peaceful manner.Renunciation of the threat or use of force.Effective cooperation among themselves. In 2003, the group agreed on the pursuit of three pillars or communities: Security Community: No armed conflict has taken place among ASEAN members since its inception four decades ago. Each member has agreed to resolve all conflicts by use of peaceful diplomacy and without use of force.Economic Community: Perhaps the most vital part of ASEANs quest is to create a free, integrated market in its region, much like that of the European Union. The ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) embodies this goal, eliminating virtually all tariffs (taxes on imports or exports) in the region to increase competitiveness and efficiency. The organization is now looking towards China and India to open up their markets in order to create the largest free market area in the world.Socio-cultural Community: To combat the pitfalls of capitalism and free trade, namely disparity in wealth and job loss, the socio-cultural community focuses on disadvantaged groups such as rural workers, women, and children. Various programs are used to this end, including those for HIV/AIDS, higher education, and sustainable development, among others. The ASEAN scholarship is offered by Singapore to the other nine members, and the University Network is a group of 21 higher education institutes that aid each other in the region. Structure of ASEAN There are a number of decision-making bodies that comprise ASEAN, spanning from international to the very local. The most important are listed below: Meeting of the ASEAN Heads of State and Government: The highest body made up of the heads of each respective government; meets annually.Ministerial Meetings: Coordinates activities in many areas including agriculture and forestry, trade, energy, transportation, science and technology, among others; meets annually.Committees for External Relations: Made up of diplomats in many of the worlds major capitals.Secretary-General: The appointed leader of the organization empowered to implement policies and activities; appointed to ​five-year term. Currently Surin Pitsuwan of Thailand. Not mentioned above are over 25 other committees and 120 technical and advisory groups. Achievements and Criticisms of ASEAN After 40 years, many consider ASEAN to be very successful in part because of the ongoing stability in the region. Instead of worrying about military conflict, its member countries have been able to focus on development of their political and economic systems. The group has also made a strong stance against terrorism with regional partner, Australia. In the wake of the terrorist attacks in Bali and Jakarta in the past eight years, ASEAN has focused its efforts to prevent incidents and capture perpetrators. In Nov. 2007, the group signed a new charter that established ASEAN as a rule-based entity that would promote efficiency and concrete decisions, rather than simply a large discussion group as it has sometimes been labeled. The charter also commits members to advocate democratic ideals and human rights. ASEAN is often criticized for saying on one hand that democratic principles guide them, while on the other allowing human rights violations to occur in Myanmar, and socialism to rule in Vietnam and Laos. Free market protestors who fear the loss of local jobs and economies have appeared all over the region, most notably at the 12th ASEAN summit in Cebu in the Philippines. Despite objections, ASEAN is well on its way to full economic integration, and is making great strides to fully assert itself on the world market.

Poem Analysis I m Nobody ! Who Are You - 894 Words

â€Å"I’m Nobody! Who are you?† Poem Analysis The poem, â€Å"I’m Nobody! Who are you?† a poem by Emily Dickinson explains that in life it is best to be a humble person than a proud person who need spend their life maintaining their status in front of others. The central focus of this poem is just being humble and being yourselves. By reading her poem she is likely talking about herself also it can inferred she is reclusive and it is supported by Betsy Erkkila in her article discussing about Emily Dickinson, â€Å"Spent her entire life in the household of her parents.† (Erkkila 98). Another thing that can be inferred in this poem that she is eccentric and different from the people around her. Lastly you can also infer she is an arrogant person by the tone of the poem. I’m Nobody! Who are you?† is labeled as lyrical poem which it is defined as a poem with deep feelings and emotions of the poet for in this case Emily Dickson expressed her emotion and her opinion in this poem. Emily Dickson expresses her opinion about the subject â€Å"seeking fame† she explains she is not a fan of it and rebels toward seeking fame. The reader can assume the speaker does not want to be famous and it’s also states in Erkkila article, she explains how Emily Dickinson showed rebellious nature and decided to rebel the norms of her local Congregational Church. Erikkila states, â€Å"But she , alone among her family, never underwent the experience of conversion†¦ By the late 1850s, she had stopped attending churchShow MoreRelatedMy Reflection On My Job1500 Words   |  6 PagesIt being a Saturday morning and I, having nothing to do, figure the most productive use of my time is to do my weekly blog post that has unfortunately turned into a sort of bi-weekly blog post. I just completed my first week as a camp counselor and I m loving it, but boy does my job give me sympathy for anyone who has to work with children; I didn t realize just how hard it is. 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Debut Free Essays

Guests arrive Introduction EMCEE: Good evening to all of us. Welcome to Mapayapa Village,Clubhouse. Welcome to the party of our charming debutant who is now turning into a fine lady. We will write a custom essay sample on Debut or any similar topic only for you Order Now This is quiet a very important event in her life and she is very much honor for your presence. She is now a real lady as she stepped onto the much higher level of what we call LIFE. Ladies and gentlemen, sit back as we groove, jive and enjoy her party for tonight†¦ EMCEE: But before we go on, it is my great honor to introduce all her special guests for tonight. Dad- Mr. Eduardo Benitez Mom- Mrs. Marilyn Benitez Sister- Maybelle Benitez Brother- Joemark Benitez Without them, her life would be empty and unhappy. Let us all give a big round of applause to honor all the people whom she truly loved. Sabi nga, marami tayong mahahanap na kapuso, pero iisa lang ang ating kapamilya. GRAND ENTRANCE of debutante EMCEE: And now†¦. guests, friends, ladies and gentlemen, let us all stand as we welcome the debutant as a woman of grandeur. Let’s give a big round of applause Ms. Mary Jane Benitez. TOAST IN HONOR OF THE DEBUTANTE INVOCATION OR PRAYER EMCEE: To spiritually open the program, may I ask everybody to please stand for the Lord’s Moment for our guidance and blessings to be led by DINING EMCEE: Now,I would like to announce that we will have our dinner this time. After the dinner, the family would like to request everybody to please remain for a while for the continuation of our program. Thank you. (after dinner) EMCEE: Once again, a sumptuous evening to one and all! It is my delight that you remain and let us rejoice for that. 18 Candles And to represent Jane’s Circle of Important People of her Life, let us welcome the following persons who will share their wishes and offer Ring of Enlightenment which symbolizes friendship which binds two persons together, and the different colors of light from the ring represents all aspects of hardship and joy to make them closer together. Of course these people will be the ones who will give her advices and kind words along the way on how to become a perfect woman. * Leah Mae Benitez * Dawn Garvida * Cristine Garvida * Francee Cutamora * Maybelle Benitez * Angelica Benitez * Nerili Garcia * Reyeen Vergara * Regina Mitra * Angielly Decoy * Grace Villena * Precious Feliciano * Jinky Aquino * Cha Sumacot * Donna Inguito * Christine Encomienda Jam Ballos 18 Treasures EMCEE:  Gifts symbolize ever flowing love, caring and admiration. * Mrs. Kristina Benitez * Mrs. Erlyn Villaruel * Mrs. Menchie Diaz * Mrs. Janeth Garvida * Mrs. Alma Illazar * Ms. Ruby Nacario * Mrs. Rosa Castillo * Mrs. Belen Navarro * Mrs. Fe Bulangis * Amy * Nanay Sally * Lita Cutamora * Tita Lon EMCEE: After the offering of the gifts, let us now proceed to th e most important part of this should we call it rituals of turning 18? Let us now acknowledge one of the most loved and important persons in Jane’s life. This time to dance with her, let’s welcome her father†¦.. Mr. Eduardo Benitez (after the dance) EMCEE: Mr. Benitez,Jane’s loving father will be followed by Jane’s Circle of 18 gentle bachelors who will offer to her roses that symbolize love. Love which Jane has for her family and all the people in her life. Each bachelor after giving Jane a rose will dance with her for about 1 or two minutes with the background music dedicated by each guy to the debutante†¦ let us start with†¦ (Modern Dance) SPECIAL NUMBER OF THE CELEBRANT EMCEE: Sharing is one of the virtues Jane possesses because it is what her parents taught her. To share to us one of her talents, let us hold our breath and fix our attention to what she will be given to us, ladies and gentlemen, let’s welcome Ms. Mary Jane Benitez! TOAST FOR A SUCCESSFUL LIFE EMCEE: Are you amazed with what she has performed to us? Jane is really such a talented woman, full of art and wonderful ideas for herself and of course for all the people whom she truly loved. The wine symbolizes commitment and triumph. Jane is considered victorious because she is able to reach the debutant age and it is a great time for this kind of celebration. To toast with her the wine for a long lasting victory of her life, let us all call in the following special persons who are in one way or another became a part of her life through thick and thin, ups and downs, right and wrong and sometimes good and bad times of life. Once again Jane’s Family to be with here for the wine toast. DEBUTANTE’S SPEECH EMCEE: To officially confirm the heat and legality of this party, at para na rin ipaliwanag ang lahat ng kaganapang ito†¦ let us now hear the speech to be given of course by our gorgeous debutante†¦ no other than†¦ Ms. Mary Jane Benitez! PARTY TIME!!! How to cite Debut, Essay examples

Whap ccot free essay sample

1. Has acceptable thesis †¢ The thesis accurately addresses and qualifies change and continuity in trade networks between Africa and Eurasia from circa 300 C. E. to 1450 C. E. †¢ The thesis must be explicitly stated in the introduction or the specified conclusion of the essay. †¢ The thesis may appear as one sentence or as multiple consecutive sentences. †¢ A thesis that is split among multiple paragraphs, or merely restates the prompt, is unacceptable. †¢ The thesis cannot be counted for credit in any other category. 2. Addresses all parts of the question, though not necessarily evenly or thoroughly For 2 points: †¢ The essay addresses both change and continuity in trade networks between Africa and Eurasia in the relevant time period. †¢ May not necessarily relate to the majority of the time period. We will write a custom essay sample on Whap ccot or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page For 1 point: †¢ The essay accurately addresses either change or continuity in trade networks between Africa and Eurasia in the relevant time period. †¢ May not necessarily relate to the majority of the time period. 3. Substantiates thesis with appropriate historical evidence For 2 points: †¢ The essay provides a minimum of five pieces of evidence that support discussion of change and/or continuity in trade networks between Africa and Eurasia within the time period. †¢ Evidence provides supporting examples. For 1 point: †¢ The essay provides a minimum of three pieces of evidence that support discussion of change and/or continuity in trade networks between Africa and Eurasia within the time period. †¢ Evidence provides supporting examples. 4. Uses relevant world historical context effectively to explain continuity and change over time †¢ The essay accurately describes change or continuity, or both, in trade networks between Africa and Eurasia across the majority of the time period. 5. Analyzes the process of continuity and change over time †¢ The essay analyzes continuity or change, or both, in trade networks between Africa and Eurasia in the time period. Subtotal 0–7 Points 1 Point 2 Points 2 Points 1 Point 1 Point 7 Points