ASEAN Culture and It’s Challenge in the Age of Globalization
“Strength lies in differences, not in similarities”
Stephen R. Covey.
(Source: https://m.facebook.com/pg/aseancop/posts/)
Today, Southeast Asia regarded as the most diverse region in the world. This diversity is seen from the existence of various culture among its member countries. For example, Thailand has a culture influenced by Buddhist value and has been manifested from architecture (Temple of Emerald Buddha) into dance (Lakon Chatri). Meanwhile, Indonesia has a more diverse and distinctive culture from Sabang to Merauke. These difference between Thailand and Indonesian culture can be traced from the history of Southeast Asia itself, where cultural heritage from ancestors has shaped Southeast Asia today.
Generally, Southeast Asian has two grand cultures, which are Malay and Indo-China culture. Malay lies from Malaysia into Indonesia which consists of Malayan culture, meanwhile Indo-China lies from Myanmar into Vietnam which consists of assimilation between Indian and Chinese culture. Those culture are formed by historical journey of Asian people, and culture they inherited make this region as a “hidden miracle in Asia” and become a stronger basic for nation-building across the region. Blessed with that, ASEAN has made “ASEAN Way” as a principle to promote a non-interventionist, diversity, and eternal peace around the world. This principle also manifested on cultural approach as a framework to ensure solidarity and strengthen cultural heritage besides of significant difference on both culture.
This framework known as ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community which stand as an example of ASEAN’s effort to nurture cultural heritage in ASEAN and support cultural development. This objective has been fulfilled on some program – start from ASEAN Culture Week, and so on – where this program has effects on its people such as UNESCO recognition on Thailand dance and so on. However, Southeast Asian culture is under threat from external challenge. Globalization identic as homogenization and modernization, which both of them mostly from the West. Liberal values and Western culture included the main example of cultural globalization and there’s no country who could resist its influence.
This influence will lead on standardization from society to adapt a new culture. As a result, expansion of global culture lead to an uneven cultural competition. For example, 11 Indonesian region language have been declared extinct, such as Kajeli, Palumota, etc, and this extinction caused by globalization. Besides language, foreign culture such as Western music has also contributed on little recognition of local culture. Therefore, it’s important for us to strengthen our identity as a plural and resilient society. This could be achieved in two ways, which are culture acculturation and strengthen ASEAN identity. Acculturation can be done by integration of culture and media, which not only benefited on cultural recognition but also synchronize local culture with modernization so cultural heritage could be maintained. The successful of Korean wave could be main example to implement acculturation, so Southeast Asian culture will go global. Besides, sense of multiculturalism such as “gotong-royong” should be internalized into ASEAN society so ASEAN Way can be implemented totally.
Hopefully, this effort will make cultural heritage still existed and ASEAN society could become a multicultural and resilient society.
Total words (excluding title, quotes, and bibliography): 495 words
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