The World We Want To Live In: The Asian Perspective

Moderator: Surendra Munshi

Panelists: Yohei Sasakawa, Dewi Fortuna Anwar, Martin Davidson, Keizo Takemi, Daud Khattak, Tain-Jy Chen

 

 

 

A diverse panel of speakers from different Asian countries and experiences discussed the challenges and opportunities which Asia is currently dealing with, and stressed the importance of the region’s diversity and dynamism. Yohei Sasakawa, Chairman of the Nippon Foundation, launched the discussion by explaining that the challenges which Asia faces are those that the whole world must work on together. “Asia cannot solve these problems by itself. But the world cannot solve them without Asia.”

 

In her keynote speech, Dewi Fortuna Anwar, Deputy Chair of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences, described Asia as a “region of superlatives and contradictions”. She stressed the importance of greater cooperation and integration among the various Asian countries in order to avoid conflicts caused by religious extremism or nationalism. In particular, she suggested the ban of weapons of mass destruction was one way to avoid imminent warfare. Anwar also expressed her hopes that Asia would adopt universal human rights and that economic growth would not be achieved at their expense. Lastly, she suggested that Asia can learn from the history of the West to move forward.

 

Martin Davidson, Chief Executive of the British Council, discussed how the West should respond to the rise of Asia. He belived that the West should approach Asia with humility and seek to understand its complexity. In particular, he suggested that Westerners need to learn Asian languages, practice empathy, and explore Asia’s diverse cultures. “The division will not be between old Europe and new Asia, but those with the right skills and those without them” he said.

 

Mr. Keizo Takemi, Former State Secretary for Foreign Affairs in Japan, explored the concept of “new power politics” in the 21^st century, based on dealing with global issues such as climate change and pandemics. He then suggested that policies should focus on human security, especially for the socially vulnerable. He also referred to the issue of ageing populations and suggested that Japan can share its experience of dealing with this social phenomenon.

 

Daud Khattak talked about the ethnic and religious problems in the Pakistani/Afghan region. He believed that outsiders, predominantly Arabs, have a negative influence on local communities, causing instability and violence. Khattak suggested that a major solution, among many, is education, because “where there is no education, people are easily attracted to the Taliban agenda”.

 

Tain-Jy Chen pointed out that Asian values are in fact not that different from European values; rather, it is the institutions which differ from each other. China and South Korea, for example, prove that economic development can be achieved with different political and economic institutions. He expressed his belief that Asian countries should “bear more responsibility” in global institutions that have so far been dominated by the West.

 

Moderator Mr. Munshi concluded the panel by saying that “humanity is faced with massive opportunities and challenges. Today, Asians and others have the possibility to work together either for extinction or greater prosperity.”