ASEAN was founded at the height of the cold war when conflicts largely defined relations between Southeast Asian states in the aftermath of post-colonial realignment, and domestic insurgencies and counter-insurgencies fuelled by external powers threatened the stability and security of individual states. Fifty years later, Southeast Asian countries still have unresolved disputes and persistent insurgencies, but instead have friendly, stable, and beneficial relationships. The ability to effectively manage disputes and prevent intra state instability from spreading is due in no small part to the inculcation of specific values, norms and principles that are often described as the ASEAN way.
This closed-door workshop will explore the intrinsic value of the ASEAN way of dealing with inter- and intra-state conflict in Southeast Asia. Asking critical questions about how individual states manage their differences, participants will consider whether ASEAN plays a central or peripheral role in managing disputes between countries and unrest within them, and which principles and values shared by states in the region significantly contribute to building peace and resiliency. Participants will also be asked to consider what has enabled long-standing dispute and crises to persist, and what security crises are likely to threaten stability in the mid- to long-term.