New Mandala

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• 1 varaporn // Jul 1, 2006 at 2:29 pm

  Hi Nick,

  I’ve just returned from an ASEAN workshop in Kuala Lumpur with the presence of governments’ delegations (meaning men in dark suits). This is my first time witnessing the “we-ASEAN” spirit in action. Very interesting! This ASEAN block of nations is getting more cozy by the day with the official rhetoric of “community” such as in the goal to turn ASEAN into “a community of caring societies” and in the way the different aspects of inter-governmental cooperation are described as “political community”, “economic community” and “socio-cultural community”. Can we say this is a manifestation of local (governmental) wisdom?

  Your whimsical photo of the signposts seems to confirm this ASEAN community spirit. It says something like: “At last, we are not so imagined a community any longer. Go a bit further down this road (a mere 1,840-km. drive) and you’ll sure hit the KL Twin Towers!”

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