buy custom Challenges International Students Face essay

buy custom Challenges International Students Face essay Studying abroad is a common practice for many students all around the world. It gives the opportunity to exchange experiences and expand the academic circle of acquaintances. Moreover, after getting a good education, students can significantly contribute to their alma maters, preserving vital knowledge obtained abroad (zturgut and Murphy 375). The stream of potential students, who cross the borders, is a part of the inevitable process of world globalization. For many of them, life in a foreign country can be a primary challenge, due to a difficult financial situation. Their families may not have enough resources to meet the costs of studying abroad. International students care about a quality of education, campus life issues, as well as about safety and security. According to federal laws, most of them have no privilege of applying for financial aid (Bista and Foster 3). However, the biggest challenges, which international students face, are usually related to language, cultural, and academic contexts. Educational and General Social Standards Challenges for International Student in Something Inside is Saying No Students, who study abroad, could be considered as the most capable ones in their motherlands. Thus, when they are confronted with language and academic problems, and no longer keep positions among the best students, it can make them fall in a depressive state and provoke the inner desire to resist changes. The social environmental challenges that are faced by the international postgraduate students could be categorized into the following groups: cultural difficulties, language difficulties and communication problems (Talebloo and Bin Baki 141). Academic complexities can be defined as a separate group, which considers the features of the academic system, teaching methodology and faculty supervisor (Talebloo and Bin Baki 142). This type of challenge concerns, first of all, postgraduate students because it is particularly difficult for them to adapt to an unfmiliar system, given their experience in the framework of native traditions and concepts. Helen Fox has closely communicated with one of such students. In the part of her book Listening to the World: Cultural Issues in Academic Writing, which is named Something inside is Saying No (65), the author talked about her friend from Nepal, who experienced severe disappointment at the fact that his style of writing was not assessed by professors. Surya attended Helenas classes during some period of time and was her fellow student in other ones; thus, she was deeply interested to know the reasons of Suryas attitude towards the criticism of professors. Surya was a well-mannered, polite, but proud and self-sufficient man. He told Helen that in Nepal, she could read his articles in newspapers and even a book (Fox 65). He considered himself an experienced and accomplished writer. Helena was surprised because she never heard about him as the well-known author. Years ago, Surya was presented to her by professors as the potential student with some writing problems. It clearly showed the differences in educational levels and general social standards between Nepal and the United States. However, Surya was convinced that his writing style did not require any substantial improvements. His attitude can be explained by the fact that he had no opportunity to receive a full secondary education. Nevertheless, Surya had a Masters degree in economics. Obviously, it was the object of his pride. He grew up under the influence of his elder brother and parents, who took care of his development, instilled love towards traditions, and encouraged his read ing religious tracts. The student positioned himself as a person, who achieved a lot in life without the help of others, except his parents and elder brother. Surya explained Fox: I can write, Helen. It may not seem so here, but I am a writer, (Fox 68). Therefore, comments of professors caused lots of embarrassment to him. Academic Writing and Culltural Challenge in Something inside is Saying No Surya faced not only academic and social inconsistencies, but cultural as well. Helen highlighted that Surya has never spoke about anyone or anything negatively. However, he was deeply disappointed and saddened when he was advised to improve his writing style. In fact, Surya understood it as if he has to make it more American. It became an additional reason for annoyance. From the Suryas point of view, a way of criticism was the fundamental cultural difference between Nepal and America. Surya explained Helene that, from the viewpoint of Nepalese readers, any story or article cannot be written directly and harshly. The writer must describe the background of an event, should explore the historical aspects and only then, and very delicately, proceed to the main idea. In the Suryas culture, there was no place for direct criticism, which was abusive for those to whom it was addressed. In his home country, he was considered as a good writer, as he followed the Nepal traditions of writing. In America, he faced criticism and misunderstanding. Professors wanted him to present more direct statements in articles. It went counter to personal beliefs of Surya. Fox acknowledged that Western professors did not differentiate cultural inconsistencies and problems in the writing style. Their criticism showed that both aspects were complementary, according to their perception. Fox explained: Nobody wanted to suggest openly that it might be a deficit in intellectual preparation, a thinking problem, (70). Thus, it was difficult to understand for her or other American scholars that improving style meant for Surya breaking something important inside him. The education was not aimed at disclosing his unique potential, accompanied by distinctive style and developing his personal skills. It promoted the distinct academic standards, which challenged Suryas ideology, and forced him to overcome painful inner transformations. Buy custom Challenges International Students Face essay

Social Media Advocacy How to Develop a Successful Program For Your Brand

Social Media Advocacy How to Develop a Successful Program For Your Brand Social media employee advocacy. It’s a buzzword that has been floating around marketing teams for the past couple of years. While these types programs can be dramatically effective for a plethora of different reasons, including†¦ Brand awareness Sales connections Building company trust teams are still hesitant to adapt them  because†¦ There is risk of posting inappropriate content They are afraid the team won’t want to participate They already have enough work on their plate Whether you’ve started a program with your team and it’s turned into a chaotic mess, or you’re simply not sure how to start, you’ll learn about the resources and tools you need to turn your own employees into your biggest brand advocates. How To Develop A Successful Social Media Advocacy Program That Will Increase Brand AwarenessFirst Things First: Get Your Free Social Media Employee Advocacy Startup Package Before we start, make sure you download our Social Media Employee Advocacy Startup Package. When you download it, you’ll get: An pre-set email template to help you ask your co-workers to join the program A PowerPoint deck to help introduce and train your new employee advocates A brainstorming worksheet that advocates can use to determine their online voice A worksheet that your employees can use to remind themselves of when they need to send social messages That’s right, we did all the work for you. You’re welcome. What Is Social Media Employee Advocacy? A social media employee advocacy program allows you to use your employee’s vast social networks to help promote your company or brand. These employees are called "social employees" or "employee advocates." There are a lot of definitions of social employees, but the definition  that captures it best is from The Social Employee  by Mark and Cheryl Burgess: â€Å"Social Employees can utilize social media tools to act as authentic brand ambassadors in order to cultivate unique relationships with individuals where the end goal isn’t simply a purchase action but a dynamic exchange of ideas.† It’s a long definition, I know. But, the definition above captures both what a social employee is, and their purpose within your organization. It’s also important to note before we continue that when we refer to social media employee advocacy platforms, we’re talking about Twitter and LinkedIn. Let’s continue, shall we? What is social media employee advocacy (and is it right for your brand)?10 Steps To Starting Your Own Employee Advocacy Program Now that you know what an employee advocacy program is we’re going to move on to how to start your own program. The following steps will walk you through how to convince your team to join you, and the process you need to follow in order to get your program off on the right foot. Step 1: Identify Strong Candidates for Your Employee Advocacy Program Whether you’ve started your program and it flopped, or you’re just trying to get your feet off the ground, having the right people on your team is crucial to the initial success of your program. Therefore, check off the following before you  start: Pick a group of 10 people who you think would be good initial adopters of the program Narrow that list down to five Send the introductory email to those five people Depending on the size of your organization, the number of your initial adoptors may vary. We would recommend starting off with five, and growing the program from there. Five may seem like a small number, but there’s a lot of work that goes into setting up this program. Start small, you can always grow. Not to mention, you could run into a too many cooks in the kitchen type of problem. Don’t create that problem for yourself, trust me on this one. Now, I know what you’re thinking. What qualities should I be looking for the initial adopters of my employee advocacy social media program? A potential employee advocate should check off at least three of the following: Eager to learn Social media savvy Passionate about their job Great writing skills Has a wide knowledge base about the company Is already active on LinkedIn, Twitter, or both Is actually excited about the program and the potential it can bring to their department These are just a few of the qualities you will want to look for in your new social media employee advocacy program participants. Remember, you want to narrow it down to the best of the best so your program has a great jumping off point. A quick warning before you start your list. Do not, under any circumstances, force an employee to be a part of your employee advocacy program. No one likes being forced to do anything. It's like forcing a 4 year old to eat anything that's green. It's not gonna happen. If you force your employees to become your brand advocates, your program becomes in-genuine, and your potential consumers will see that coming from a mile away. So how do you approach your employees so that’ll they come and hear you out? Grab your free email template that complements  this post to customize and send to potential employee advocates. Feel free to personalize it to each person you’re sending it too. It may take a bit more time, but the personal touch really helps. Or you could just copy and paste the email from the social media employee advocacy kit. To Do: Make a list ten employees who you believe would be a good fit for your program Narrow the list down to five Send initial introduction email (Grab it from the kit that complements this post) Step 2: Introduce The Employee Advocacy Program To Your Team Why do you need to introduce the program to your employees? Well, first of all, you need to ask them if they want to participate.  Check out that email template from above to help get your started. Secondly, think about their schedule. They’re probably already swamped with a giant list of things to do. Imagine if your boss came to you and said, "Hey, I need you to spend about 3 hours a week tweeting about our company." You’d probably say no. Who wants extra work? No one. Being an employee advocate is not an easy task. It’s one that requires dedication and time. Most importantly, it’s a task that needs to be taken on voluntarily. So how do you convince your employees to take on extra work? Incentivize it. How do you convince your employees to take on extra work? Incentive it.I'm gonna get personal here for a second. When someone puts a competitive twist on things I’m immediately hooked. I have to win. I want to come out on top. Obviously, I'm pretty competitive person. Maybe your employees are the same way, and if so you can capitalize on that. Whether it’s a bonus, fun retreats, or even company swag, having a way for your employees to get rewarded will help them be more open to the possibility of participating in the program. So you've got everyone in the room. Now what? A presentation, maybe? You don't have time to create that. Don’t worry, we did that for you. Download it here. To Do: Download the PowerPoint slide deck from the social media employee advocacy starter kit Brainstorm ways to incentivize your employee advocacy program Get clearance from upper management for those incentives Schedule a meeting with your select five employees to go through presentation Step 3: Determine The Voice Of The Employees Who Will Be Participating In The Program If your employee advocates sound like a corporate robot, that’s what your consumer/customer fan base is going to think of them as. That’s not a good thing. Your employees need to bring their unique voice and perspective in order to breathe fresh life into your content. So how do you do this? Bring your employees to the  table. Schedule a short meeting, 15 minutes maximum to brainstorm and finalize an employee voice. You could even just swing by their desk when they have a minute or two to spare. Remember you want these meetings to be effortless and easy. The less this program interferes with their daily schedule the better. Once you’re in your meeting ask the following two questions and have them record their answers on the one-pager that is in the attached kit. What are five personality traits that make you great at your job? What are five personality traits that are not you? Once they have those written down have them pick their top three. Those become the voice of the employee online. An example is below. For a sales manager (let’s call him Bill), his list could look like: Confident but not arrogant Silly but not unprofessional Informative but not pushy Here's how to help your team develop their social media voice:Still stuck? Let me use myself as an example. I created my professional Twitter profile during my senior year of college because I wanted my potential new employers to know that: I was knowledgeable about social media and knew how to use it. I wanted to stand out among other applicants and find additional ways to showcase my personality. So when it came to creating my voice I had to answer the following three questions: Who am I and what is my personality like? Am I passive in my opinions or unafraid to state them clearly? If a potential employer or professional took thirty seconds to look at my profile what would they think about me? Have your employees try and think along the same mindset. Remember, don’t give them the answers. This is all about them. Have them fill out the worksheet in the kit that complements this blog post, and attach it to a desk, cubicle wall, or wherever they will see it often. This will act as a gentle reminder in case they get stuck on what to post. To Do: Print out voice brainstorming worksheet from kit Schedule a short meeting with participating employees or drop by there desk Brainstorm what their voice will be Finalize voice structure and record on worksheet Step 4: Create A Username  Convention When most companies start their social media employee advocacy program, they’ll usually identify their employees with a naming convention. Usually this means incorporating the company name into the Twitter handle somehow. It is important to note that once you pick a naming convention,  you stick with it. Once you pick a company-wide social media naming convention, stick with it.For example, our friends at Onsharp, a digital marketing and website development company in our home state of North Dakota, has an active social employee program. The handles for each of their employees is @Onsharpname. They cover a wide variety of topics, and are also able to show off their company culture. This not only helps increase their overall credibility,  but if you have a potential employee looking into the company, they have a chance to see genuine interactions that happen within the team. But it’s not just small businesses using username conventions. Discovery  Benefits is making a huge mark on the insurance industry. We recently interviewed their marketing manager,  Abby Boggs-Johnson,  for our Actionable  Marketing Podcast. In it,  Abby mentions how her sales team has started a series of social media employee advocacy profiles that are helping them connect to their customer base. By creating these unique connections between the sales team and their customers, Discovery Benefits is able to showcase genuine interactions which can allow people to build trust  in the company. Like Onsharp, Discovery Benefits has a naming convention @DBIname. It would be easy to say, â€Å"Well, these are smaller companies.†Ã‚  What about big Fortune 500s? Have they tried a social media employee advocacy program? Actually, some Fortune 500s were a few of the earliest adopters. One of them was Adobe. Adobe’s program still exists but unlike Discovery Benefits and Onsharp, Adobe doesn’t have a naming convention. Most of their employees have the @Adobe programming they work for listed in their handle. Why would Adobe forgo a naming convention? The company is huge,  and because there are so many different official Adobe product accounts, it would be impossible to keep one single convention among  all the different products. So if you’re a smaller company with one main Twitter account,  you should have a naming convention.  But if you’re marketing for a major corporation with multiple official Twitter accounts,  use your bio to identify which major company profile you are associated with. But Breonna, how do I create my naming convention? Don’t worry, I have you covered. Here's how to create a naming convention for your social media employee advocacy program:Below is a list of ten naming conventions. Pick one that you think will work best for your company. Some names will be too long. Remember, Twitter has a character limit for it’s usernames, so don’t be afraid if you have to use initials or abbreviations. @CompanyName @Company_Name @CompanyAcroynmName @CompanyInitialsName @Name_CompanyName @NameCompanyName @NameAtCompany @NameFromCompany @NameFrom_Company Company handle in bio To Do: Go through naming convention list Choose a convention and make sure it fits under Twitter’s 15 character handles Step 5: Create Consistent  Profile and Cover Photo Images One of the great ways that you can help distinguish your social media employee advocates is to have a matching profile style image and cover photo. Not only does this help distinguish your actual social employees online, it gives it a nice, clean, polished and professional look to your social accounts. Profile images should be: Headshot style- shoulders and above Contain the same background Any editing style applied to the headshot photo should be the same throughout Here are a couple examples from our team. This is Chris St. Amant, UI/UX Desginer: And Tyler Brazier, Software Engineer: Like the profile images, cover photos should be: Clean and informative Inviting The same throughout all profiles They should look like this: Or this: Everything is clean and consistent. Just the way we like it. It’s important to note that once the standard is set for the profiles, it needs to be followed throughout every single one of them. Why is this consistency  important? It helps users and your customers find your profiles. It also acts as a minor defense system against people who may try to impersonate the account. Once you’ve got your headshots and cover images created,  you can move on to account set up. To Do: Meet with graphic designer and document headshot and cover photo requirements Schedule time for employees to have headshots taken Review headshots and cover photos for final approval Step 6: Set Up Your Social Accounts Now that you’ve got your team on board and their voice has been determined, you’re ready for the fun part. Setting up your profiles. Whether your team is working with Twitter, LinkedIn or both, how you set up the accounts is incredibly important. For some people, this will be the first interaction they ever have with one of your employees. You want your bios to be short and sweet, as well as original. Everyone talks about how they love coffee and traveling. Challenge your employee advocates to think outside the box with another brainstorm session. Have them write down or think about the following: What does their online voice sound like? How can their bio reflect that? They may love coffee and traveling but what is something unique about them? What position do they hold within the company? Do they have a hobby, favorite book series etc, that they will sometimes tweet about? Have them think about some of these questions so they can incorporate them to make a unique bio for their profiles. For example, my professional Twitter bio looks like this: In it, I talk about my field of experience, my passion for theatre, my current position, my alma mater and for good measure I throw in a bit about my Harry Potter obsession. This simple bio does a few things: It establishes my area of expertise and the repertoire I tweet about. It adds personality. Not only do you know that I’m a Content Writer for , you also know that I love theatre and Harry Potter, among other things. This can help establish a connection to a potential client or customer. It makes me approachable. You know,  without a doubt, there is a real human behind that profile. This can make approaching me with a question about our product easier than approaching a company account. Some of you may have noticed there’s something missing in my bio. Can you see it yet? I don’t have a disclaimer in my online bio. Many people will tell you that your professional social accounts need a disclaimer that runs something along the lines of: Opinions are my own Retweet does not = endorsement Many people will add these disclaimers to their social bios in order to protect themselves and the company they work for. It seemed like a simple solution that would protect the employee in case they tweeted something that their employer disagreed with. It’s also thought that adding this disclaimer would protect the employer from public backlash if an employee tweeted something inappropriate. I’m sorry to say that these phrases will rarely protect either the employee or their employer  from backlash if something inappropriate is posted on social media. What can protect me, you might be thinking to yourself? Honestly, nothing but solid common sense. And on that happy note, we’ll continue into step 7. To Do: Brainstorm traits for your employee bios Edit and finalize bios. Add to social profile Step 7: Determine Your Posting Rules If I had to tell you to take away one vitally important piece of information away from this blog  post,  it would be that if you decide to develop your own social media employee advocacy program, determine your posting rules before you start. It may seem like a nonsense task. Why would I have the team take time to write everything down? Because, while great, social media can turn on you within seconds if you or a team member sends the wrong tweet  or message. It doesn’t take much to remember some of the biggest blunders that a company has made on social media. United, Cracker Barrel,  or Pepsi  ringing a bell at all? The internet can be a merciless place, and will never forget anything you posted. Yes, even if you delete it. Social media can turn on you in seconds if you send the wrong tweet or message.Having established rules in place can help you avoid those costly mishaps and give you the peace of mind that content being sent by your team is appropriate, timely and most importantly, connects with your customer base in ways your normal advertising won’t. With that in mind here is an example list of posting do’s that your team can start with and expand on: Post about company milestones Post/Retweet great reviews from other customers Have a blog? Have your employees tweet links back to new content Hosting an event? Have your advocates help promote it? The same goes when you’re attending an event or conference. Make your presence known by tweeting about it If you have fun office traditions, like our #BratwurstBlowout, tweet about it to show off your culture Hiring? Having your advocates post about new positions is a great way to help recruit people to your team Launching a new product or have some big news coming out? Extend the reach of your launch by having employees tweet to If your company is industry specific, have employees share new news or industry trends This is just a starting list. As your program continues to grow, your list will change and grow as your employees find their niche.

Your position on priated movies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Your position on priated movies - Essay Example Pirated movies might be great for some consumers, but they have a negative impact on the film industry, can influence consumers to pay good money for horrible quality, and is considered a form of theft. Since pirated movies are stolen movies, those who create and distribute pirated movies should be treated and punished as criminals. One of the greatest misconceptions of movie piracy is that wealthy filmmakers cannot possibly be affected by losing sales on their films. Indeed, many people who engage in film piracy condone their actions by pointing out that members of film crews make more money than is necessary and can afford to allow a few movies to be released without requiring pay (Aicher 61). What they do not realize is that the profits made from films do not simply line the pockets of the filmmakers, but are also used for future film productions. This negative financial impact on the film industry will result in fewer high budget films, including many of the popular franchises, such as Marvel’s The Avengers, Star Trek, and The Hunger Games, and a significant decrease of releases in general. Furthermore, movie theaters throughout the world would feel the repercussions of film piracy if the film industry ceased to release movies to be shown at the theaters. Theaters would then lose sales, make no return profit, and be forced to shut down business. Though it may be unfathomable, film piracy has the ability to completely destroy the renowned success of the world’s collective film industry (Segrave 115). Regardless of whether or not people think filmmakers make too much money, it needs to be known that for any industry, an individual person or any entire company requires payment to continue doing what they do best. If those heavily engaged in film piracy persist on taking and selling product that are not their own, they will not only rob the film industry of its legacy but destroy entertainment for people worldwide. The filmmakers are not the only

Consulting Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Consulting Report - Essay Example The global economic recession has reduced the number of readers and has significantly reduced the advertising revenues. The publishing cost has been increased and major of the newspaper publishing organizations have increased the price level. Therefore, the readers are going for free online news contents. The study will analyze the recent trends in the newspaper industry. Moreover, the study will analyze and evaluate the strategies that have been adopted by the leading organization within the US newspaper industry. The study will provide details of the adopted strategies by the publishing industry in order to overcome the current losses. By implementing internal and external analysis of this industry, the study will reveal the measures to be adopted and implemented by the Chronicle Gazette in order to increase its subscription and advertising revenues. State of the Newspaper publishing Industry Within the US newspaper publishing industry, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times a nd USA Today are three leading players. Data on Declining Circulation The Wall Street Journal is the leading newspaper in US considering the daily sales figure. Apart from the US editions, the newspaper also has European and Asian Edition. For the six months till March 31, 2010, the number of daily week day circulation was a base of 2,092,523 readers. On the other hand, for the same period the figure of circulation base has decreased to 1,913,284 readers. New York Times is another leading newspaper within US. The circulation figure of New York Times’ weekday edition has failed by 8.5% to approximately 950,000 subscriptions. Moreover, the study edition of this specific newspaper has failed by 5.2% at end of 2010. USA Today is one of the major daily selling newspapers in US. During the last six months since March 31, the sale of newspaper has declined by 13.6%. Status of Newspaper leaders Recently the wall street journal has accepted an effective price based model of paid and f ree access in order to overcome these challenges. Now-a-days, they used to publish their news content through online. Several news cover ages including sports news, political news, and entertainment and art news are being available for free to the each and every online reader. The journal has able to attract the focus of potential target segment to the organization website by providing niche news contents. Reason behind Declining Circulation and Revenue An external and internal assessment has been developed in order to reveal the reasons behind declining revenue and circulation of newspaper publication organizations. External assessment This part will implement PESTLE and Porter’s five force model in order to determine the external assessment. PESTLE Analysis PESTLE analysis will determine the impact of political, social, economical, legal, technological and environmental factors on the newspaper publication industry in US. Political Several political parties are influencing and providing money to online sources. Moreover, they are not supporting the newspaper publication companies. Economical Recent recession has affected the buying behavior of customers. Due to low disposable income, people are shifting towards online news contents. Social, Cultural and Demographical Current social trend towards the online news sources, reduced women subscribers and availability of advanced

Dissemination of Data Essay Example for Free

Dissemination of Data Essay Freemantle and Watt (1994) suggest dissemination is the mechanisms and strategies by which specific groups become aware of, obtain, and make use of information. This definition introduces the notion of targeting specific groups with information that may be relevant, but also highlights the necessity of such groups being able to make use of the information once received. A goal of the researcher according to Pellecchia (1999) should be â€Å"to disseminate the findings, thereby adding new knowledge to the field†. Researchers have an array of presentational styles and formats to choose from that best fit their research purposes (Sandelowski, 1998) but the key point is to choose the most appropriate method for displaying particular research findings (Saldana, 2003). In paying attention for the above research, the most popular way to reach desired target audiences is to give a paper or show a poster in lobby influential individuals through conferences, seminars or meetings, write press articles for publications that are read by policy-makers, send a targeted mailings containing relevant findings and recommendations in the form of a newsletter, letter or leaflet and by using visual and multimedia formats such as DVD’s can enhance the impact of research findings however, the costs associated with multimedia production can be higher than other methods of dissemination. Freemantle N, Watt I (1994) Dissemination: implementing the findings of research Health Libraries Review; 11: 2, 133-137. Pellecchia LG (1999) Dissemination of research findings: Conference presentations and journal publications. Topics in Geriatric Rehabilitation; 14: 3, 67-79. Sandelowski, Margarete (1998). Writing a good read: Strategies for re-presenting qualitative data. Research in Nursing and Health, 21(4), 375-382 Saldana, Johnny (2003). Dramatizing data: A primer. Qualitative Inquiry, 9(2), 218-236. Research Design -1500 Methodology refers to the philosophical framework, the fundamental assumptions and characteristics of a human science perspective van Manen (1997). It is the theory behind the method, including the study of the method one should follow and why. To answer the research question, this study was guided by the philosophy of hermeneutic phenomenology that sought to address the experiences of women regarding reconstructive surgery. According to Rossman and Rallis (1998), phenomenology pursues to develop an understanding of lived experience. The first-hand report or description of one’s experience of the phenomenon is central to the understanding of the phenomenon. The focus of a phenomenological study according to Patton (1990) lies in the descriptions of what people experience and how it is that they experience. The goal of phenomenological research is to describe and identify precisely the essence of a person’s lived experience in relation to what is being studied and not to develop a model or describe a grand theory (Oiler, 1982). Phenomenology, as a research method, is a rigorous, systematic investigation of phenomena which approach is descriptive, retrospective, in-depth analysis of a conscious lived experience, which is everyday experiences that are real and true to the individual. Every time a participant’s view is expressed, the researcher may see the interpretation as an answer to the question that is being asked (van Manen, 1997). Thus, the conversation has a hermeneutic orientation â€Å"to sense-making and interpreting of the optic that drives the conversation†(van Manen, 1997, p.98). The adoption of hermeneutic phenomenology was based on several factors. Since the objective of the study was to determine how satisfied women are with the reconstructed breast after surgery. Hermeneutic principles facilitated the interpretation and meaning of these women’s experiences and took into account the influences of social factors. It acknowledges that understanding is influenced by both internal and external factors, and is guided by language which leads to the creation of new meanings or understanding through dialogue (Vis, 2005). Hermeneutic phenomenology involves the process of interpretation and the interaction between the researcher and the participants, requiring the researcher to be reflective, insightful, sensitive to language and open to new experiences (van Manen, 1997). It afforded the opportunity to explore and gain better appreciation of the researcher‟s cultural heritage, which enriched the depth of interpretation and understanding of the phenomenon. Sample The study was conducted at the Spire Cardiff Hospital, which caters specialist cancer care within Wales. Nurses and psychosocial professionals identified the potential participants who met the eligibility criteria and provided the researcher with their telephone numbers. The researcher approached identified participants during clinic visits or contacted them by telephone to introduce herself and provide a detailed explanation of the study. Ten participants will be recruited since there is a limited number of women that have undergone breast reconstruction within the specified year. A number of eight to ten sample size was appropriate for a phenomenological study (Morse, 2000; Starks Trinidad Brown, 2007) and achieved the goal of obtaining a varied, rich and deep understanding, or essence, of their lived experience (Creswell, 1998). The specific criteria for selecting the participants include women who received any type of breast reconstructive surgery due to breast cancer, who are older than 18 years of age, can speak and write English, and had no history of major mental illness, and those who have received breast reconstructive surgery from last year (2011) up to this year (2012). Purposive sampling will be used in this study. Verbal consent was obtained from those willing to participate in the study. Thereafter, an interview was scheduled at a mutually suitable time at the hospital or the participant’s home at which time written consent was obtained following review of the consent form. The consent form was written in English and describes the study and its objectives, outlines the potential risks and benefits to participants, as well as the safeguards to maintain confidentiality of data. The consent form also advises participants they may withdraw from the study at any time without compromising their clinical care. Data Collection Data collection consisted of patient demographic profiles and audio-taped face-to-face interviews which were subsequently transcribed. A semi-structured interview guide was constructed to facilitate data collection; the questions were partially derived from existing psychosocial literature on the concept of self-identity (Mathieson Stam, 1995) and modified for the purpose of this study. These questions were constructed to seek meaning and significance of a phenomenon (van Manen, 1997). The interviews were digitally audio-taped and transcribed. Each interview lasted about 1 – 1  ½ hour. In hermeneutic phenomenology, an interview serves as a vehicle to explore, gather and develop a conversation with the participants to gain an understanding of the meaning of the lived survivorship experience (van Manen, 1997). According to van Manen (1997), the art of the researcher in a hermeneutic interview is to keep open the question of the meaning of the phenomenon and as well to keep the researcher and the participant oriented to the idea of being questioned. As Gadamer (1975) states, â€Å"The art of questioning is that of being able to go on asking questions, i.e. the art of thinking† (as cited in van Manen, p.330). In keeping with the hermeneutic inquiry, the interview began with a broad question which asked each participant to describe what it was like around the time of breast cancer diagnosis. Thereafter, the researcher sat back and listened, allowing the participants to tell their story and the process to evolve. Following the hermeneutic circle of questioning, the researcher went back and forth, deconstructing and reconstructing meanings, while paying particular attention to not only what was said, but also and more importantly, to what was not said to uncover the true essence of the experience (McConnell-Henry et al., 2009a). Additionally, the researcher introduced ideas and concepts expressed from one interview to the next to validate common or varied themes. Attention was directed to whole or overall meanings, and at the same time, the whole or overall meanings were examined by its parts (van Manen, 1997). Field notes and memos were recorded immediately following each interview, with notations on the location of the interview, the participant’s home environment, as well as participant’s body language, facial expressions and emotional responses, such as tone of voice and affective changes observed during the interview. The researcher’s impressions and feelings during the interview and preliminary thoughts on emerging themes and theoretical assumptions were recorded in a reflexive journal. Nvivo 2.0 qualitative software was used for coding of the data. Descriptive statistics (mean, median, SD) were calculated for all demographic variables. Data analysis was conducted based an inductive iterative approach. In qualitative research, a transcript is necessary to achieve the research goal of capturing participants‟ reconstruction of their lived experience in their own words (Sandelowski, 1994) and to complement the level of analysis involved (Drisko, 1997). Sandelowski (1994) believes that a transcript becomes the researcher‟s raw data by preserving the interview event and which could be utilized for member checking and expert peer review. If the focus of an analysis is to provide an in-depth description of the knowledge, attitudes, values, beliefs or experiences of an individual, or a group of individuals, then a lengthier and more extensive text is required for the transcript. The interest of researchers goes beyond identifying patterns and salient themes; they also seek to demonstrate variations in the way a phenomenon is framed, articulated and experienced, as well as the relationships within and between particular elements of such a phenomenon (MacLean, Meyer, Estable, 2004). As the aim of this hermeneutic phenomenological research was to gain a deeper understanding of women’s feeling after breast reconstruction, every effort was made to capture not only spoken words but also the emotional content of the interviews. Transcripts were transcribed verbatim and included mispronunciations, grammatical errors, vernacular expressions, intonations, slang, and emotional sounds; these were denoted in the transcripts as [crying softly], [laughing softly] or [sounds like nervous laughter] (MacLean et al., 2004). Attention to the expression of idioms is particularly important in phenomenology as they are born out of lived experience (van Manen, 1997). To improve understanding of the content and affect of the interviews, transcripts included contextual information such as silences or pauses in conversation and background noises, as well as inaudible segments, which were documented in the transcripts as [cannot hear] or [inaudible] (MacLean et al., 2004; McLellan, MacQueen, Neidig, 2003). Interviews conducted in English were transcribed verbatim by an English-speaking transcriber, The researcher clarified and verified the English transcripts against each interview and made changes as required. For accuracy and quality control purposes, spot-checks were conducted on all transcripts and translated transcripts (McLellan et al., 2003). Preparation for data analysis begins by orienting oneself to the phenomenon (van Manen, 1997). To accomplish this, the researcher emerged herself in the data by listening to each tape purposefully and reflectively, paying attention to each participant‟s human existence. While listening, the researcher mentally re-lived the interview process; Multi-layered readings allowed a wholistic feeling of the „big picture‟ and ensured no aspects of the phenomenon were omitted. The researcher individually coded all the transcripts. During the readings, significant phrases, sentences and statements were highlighted and coded, with particular attention paid to recurrent images, repeated words, metaphors or analogies, and contradictions and transitions in the narratives (Ryan Bernard, 2003); emerging themes were categorized according to the four structures of the lifeworld. Interpretation and meanings were proposed for each statement employing words as close as possible to those voiced by the participants. Common themes were integrated into the four existential structures that describe the phenomenon , thereby generating a clear structured cognitive framework of the emergent themes; a distinction was made between incidental themes versus essential themes(van Manen, 1997). Constant comparison of the text was undertaken to identify negative cases and compare thematic patterns and commonalities that characterized the phenomenon being studied, and to explain individual variations within each interview as well as all interviews as a whole (Thorne, Kirkham, OFlynne-Magee, 2004). Phenomenological investigation entails the art of sensitivity to the subtle undertones of language; this requires the researcher to be a true listener to attune to the deep tonalities of language that normally fall out of the range of accustomed hearing (van Manen, 1997). Data Analysis 5.3.1 Thematic Analysis This study employed thematic analysis to describe and interpret the internal meaning structures of lived experience or lifeworld. In qualitative research, thematic analysis is the most common approach for data interrogation (Creswell, 1998). According to Luborsky (1993), the significant benefit of utilizing thematic analysis is its direct representation of an individual‟s point of view and descriptions of experiences, beliefs and perceptions. In phenomenology, themes, or existential themes, are viewed as the structures of experience and often described and interpreted within the structures of the four existentials of lifeworld lived space (spatiality), lived time (temporality), lived body (corporeality), and lived relation (relationality) as the means to ground human experience (van Manen, 1997). In other words, recognizing how and where the data was to be categorized thematically not only helped to integrate the themes into a structured meaning, but also provided a clear structured cognitive framework for the researcher and the reader to understand the textual data (Vis, 2005). Unlike quantitative research which seeks causal determination, prediction and statistical generalization of findings, the aim of a naturalist, constructive and interpretative inquiry is to solicit rich illumination, understanding and extrapolation from the data generated (Hoepfl, 1997; Polkinghorne, 1989). The issues of validity and reliability are just as important in qualitative studies as in quantitative research to establish truth-value; in qualitative investigations, however, validity and reliability are achieved through the concepts of credibility, transferability, dependability and confirmability (Guba Lincoln, 1985). For hermeneutical research, the multiple stages of interpretation that allow patterns to emerge, the discussion of how interpretations arise from the data, and the interpretive process itself are critical ways to ensure rigor (Koch, 1995).Rigor was further enhanced by having two English transcripts randomly selected and reviewed by the thesis supervisor (CW) and a committee member (DH). They each read the transcripts to verify coding accuracy, reviewed the extracted statements as well as the formulated meanings and themes, and provided additional interpretation of the coded data as necessary. In this study, trustworthiness was addressed through reflexivity, prolonged engagement, interdisciplinary triangulation, negative case analysis, peer debriefing/support and audit trail (Padgett, 1998). Prior to detailed discussion of the techniques employed to establish trustworthiness, I pause to acknowledge the current debate and tension regarding the appropriateness of applying quantitative terminology to establish rigor in qualitative research (Golafshani, 2003) . While prolonged engagement, triangulation and negative case analysis are acceptable techniques to establish rigor in qualitative research (Guba Lincoln, 1985), there is, however, an acknowledged need for qualitative researchers to define the meanings of these techniques within the paradigm (Babour, 1998). Therefore, interpretation of the techniques applied in this hermeneutic phenomenological research is explained. Ethical Considerations Ethics approval was sought and obtained from the Research Ethics Board to conduct the thesis research at Spire Cardiff Hospital. Administrative ethics approval was also sought and obtained from the Office of Research Ethics in Wales for thesis research. Participants who met the inclusion criteria were contacted by the researcher to introduce the study, provide written details of the investigation and obtain their consent to participate in the study. The consent form in English described the study and its objectives, the potential risks and benefits to participants, and the safeguards to maintain confidentiality of data. The consent form also advised participants that they could withdraw from the study at any time without compromising their clinical care. The risk to the participants in this study was limited to possible psychological or emotional discomfort when sharing their experiences; in such cases, the interview would be suspended and participants offered the option of continuing or terminating the interview, as well as a referral to the Spire Cardiff Hospital Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care Program for professional support. Benefits of the study are its contribution to both the development of culturally sensitive psychosocial/supportive care interventions and the knowledge-building process regarding the women’s experiences after breast reconstruction. To protect the confidentiality of participants, an identifying number was assigned to digitally recorded interviews. All patient identifying information was deleted before they were forwarded to a secured e-mail account for transcription. To ensure security, digital audio recordings were stored in the researcher’s locked office and transcribed data password protected. Participants were assured that their decision to participate, or not would in no way affect their follow up or future treatment and care at the hospital. Participants were referred to another breast site social worker for psychosocial care as appropriate. van Manen, M. (1997). Researching lived experience: Human science for an action sensitive pedagogy (2nd ed.). London, Ontario: The Althousen Press. Oiler, C. (1982). Phenomenological approach in nursing research. Nursing Research, 5, 49-63. Vis, J.-A. L. (2005). Exploring the lived experience following trauma: A hermeneutic phenomenology study. Unpublished Dissertation, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Morse, J. (2000). Determining sample size. Qualitative Health Research, 10(1), 3-5. Starks, H., Trinidad Brown, S. (2007). Choose your method: A comparison of phenomenology, discourse analysis, and grounded theory. Qualitative Health Research, 17(10), 1327-1380. Creswell, J. W. (1998). Qualitative inquiry and research design. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. Mathieson, C., Stam, H. J. (1995). Renegotiating identity: Cancer narratives. Sociology of Health Illness, 17(3), 283-306. McConnell-Henry, T., Chapman, Y., Francis, K. (2009a). Husserl and Heidegger: Exploring the disparity. International Journal of Nursing Practice, 15, 7-15. Sandelowski, M. (1994). Notes on Transcription. Research in Nursing Health, 17, 311-314. MacLean, L., Meyer, M., Estable, A. (2004). Improving Accuracy of Transcriptsin Qualitative Research. Qualitative Health Research, 14(1), 113-123. Drisko, J. W. (1997). Strengthening qualitative studies and reports: Standards to promote academic integrity. Journal of Social Work Education, 33(1), 185-197. McLellan, E., MacQueen, K., Neidig, J. L. (2003). Beyond the Qualitative Interview: Data Preparation and Transcription. Field Methods, 15(1), 63-84. Ryan, G. W., Bernard, H. R. (2003). Techniques to identify themes. Field Methods, 15(1), 85-109. Thorne, S., Kirkham, S. R., OFlynne-Magee, K. (2004). The analytic challenge in interpretive description. Retrieved November 12, 2008, from Http://www.ualberta.ca/~iiqm/backissues/3_1/pdf/thorneetal/pdf Luborsky, M. R. (1993). The identification and analysis of themes and patterns. In J. Gubrium A. Sankar (Eds.), Qualitative Methods in Aging Research (pp. 189-210). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Hoepfl, M. (1997). Choosing qualitative research: A primer fpr technology edcuation researchers. Retrieved April 2, 2008, from http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/JTE/jte-v9n1/JTEv9n1.pdf#page=49 Polkinghorne, D. E. (1989). Phenomenological research methods. In R. S. Valle S. Halling (Eds.), Existential Phenomenological perspectives in psychology (pp. 41-60). NY: New York: Plenum Press. Guba, E., Lincoln, Y. S. (1985). Naturalisitc Inquiry. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications, Inc. Koch, T. (1995). Interpretative approaches in nursing research: The influence of Husserl and Heidegger. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 21, 827-836. Golafshani, N. (2003). Understanding reliability and validity in qualitative research. The Qualitative Report, 8(4), 597-607. Padgett, D. (1998). Qualitative methods in social work research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc. Babour, R. S. (1998). Mixing qualitative methods: Quality assurance or qualitative quagmire? Qualitative Health Research, 8(3), 352-361. Levine, E. G., Eckhardt, J., Targ, E. (2005). Change in post-traumatic stress symptoms following psychosocial treatment for breast cancer. Psycho-Oncology, 14, 618-635. Smith, M. Y., Redd, W. H., Peyser, C., Vogl, D. (1999). Post-traumatic stress disorder in cancer: A review. Psycho-Oncology, 8, 521-537. Kornblith, A. B., Herndon, J. E., Weiss, R. B., Zhang, C., Zuckerman, E. L., Rosenberg, S., et al. (2003). Long-term adjustment of survivors of early-stage breast carcinoma, 20 years after adjuvant chemotherapy. Cancer, 98(4), 679-689.

The Chrysler Building Essay -- Architecture Structure Building Essays

Today technology allows us to construct structures that we would never have been able to make in the past. Some of the creations are impressive based on what they accomplish but others are masterpieces in themselves. Man’s capability to build such tall buildings, as the skyscrapers we are familiar with covering our cities today, is a major expression of the advancements we have made as a culture. The power necessary to build such tall structures inspired competition between architects to see who could build the tallest one. One skyscraper that has inspired many and served as a model, for high rise buildings that were created after, is the Chrysler Building. The Chrysler Building serves as an identifying mark to anyone that views the New York City skyline. The history surrounding the Chrysler Building is almost as intricate as the artwork and engineering of the building itself. Today it elicits a reaction from anyone who passes by just as it did when it was f irst created. The term skyscrapers has become the term used for tall, multi-storied buildings that have a height of at least 152 meters or 500 feet. The term was originally used to refer to a tall mast on a sailing vessel. Skyscrapers were first introduced in the 19th century. Prior to the 19th century a high rise building was thought of as unrealistic because it was irrational to have people walk up multiple flights of stairs. There was also the problem of providing the top floors with water pressure. Early on they only had the technology to provide water up to 50 feet or 15 meters. These problems were soon rectified by the invention of the elevator and also with the development of a water pumps that were made of steel and reinforced w... ...i-bin/articles/partners/cbs/search.cgi>. 3. Chrysler Building- SkyscraperPage.com. 2004. SkyscraperPage.com. 7 Nov. 2014 . 4. Chrysler Building and 42nd Street: New York History. 7 Nov. 2014 . 5. Chrysler Building, New York City. 2004. 7 Nov. 2014 . 6. Icon of the Modern. 7 Nov. 2014 . 7. Skyscraper. 7 Nov. 2014 . 8. The Chrysler Building. 2003. Daniel's Manhattan Architecture. 7 Nov. 2014 . 9. The Midtown Book- The Chrysler Building. The City Review. 7 Nov. 2014 .

Economics- Asean

History of ASEAN: ASEAN was originally formed out of an organization called the Association of Southeast Asia (ASA), an alliance consisting of the Philippines, Malaysia, and Thailand that formed in 1961. As such, ASA is considered the predecessor to ASEAN. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is a political and economic organization of countries located in Southeast Asia. ASEAN was formed on August 8, 1967 by the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, as a display of solidarity against Communist expansion in Vietnam and insurgency within their own borders. ASEAN itself was established on August 8, 1967, when foreign ministers of five countries— Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand met at the Thai Department of Foreign Affairs building in Bangkok and signed the ASEAN Declaration (also known as the Bangkok Declaration). The five foreign ministers, considered the organization's Founding Fathers, were Adam Malik of Indonesia, Narciso R. Ramos of the Philippines, Tun Abdul Razak of Malaysia, S. Rajaratnam of Singapore, and Thanat Khoman of Thailand. The founding fathers envisaged that the organization would eventually encompass all countries in Southeast Asia. Brunei Darussalam became the sixth member of the ASEAN when it joined on January 8, 1984, barely a week after the country became independent on January 1. It would be a further 11 years before ASEAN expanded from its core six members. Vietnam became the seventh member—and the first Communist member of ASEAN—on July 28, 1995, and Laos and Myanmar joined two years later in July 23, 1997. Cambodia was to have joined the ASEAN together with Laos and Myanmar, but was deferred due to the country's internal political struggle. Cambodia later joined on April 30, 1999, following the stabilization of its government. Thus was completed the ASEAN-10 —the organization of all countries in Southeast Asia. The ASEAN region has a population of about 500 million, a total area of 4. 5 million square kilometers, a combined gross domestic product of almost US$ 700 billion, and a total trade of about US$ 850 billion. Members of ASEAN: Member Countries | |[pic] |[pic] |[pic] |[pic] |[pic] | |Brunei Darussalam |Cambodia |Indonesia |Laos |Malaysia | | | | | | | |[pic] |[pic] |[pic] |[pic] |[pic] | |Myanmar |Philippines |Singapore |Thailand |Vietnam | The ASEAN was founded by five states, mostly from maritime Southeast Asia: the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. The British protectorate of Brunei joined the ASEAN six days after the country became independent f rom the United Kingdom on January 8, 1984. The mainland states of Vietnam, Laos and Myanmar were later admitted. Vietnam joined the ASEAN on July 28, 1995. Laos and Myanmar were admitted into the ASEAN on July 23, 1997. Cambodia became the newest member when it was admitted on April 30,1999. The Melanesian state of Papua New Guinea has observer status in the ASEAN. East Timor on the other hand is expected to formally apply for full membership at the 2006 39th Annual Ministerial Meeting of ASEAN Foreign Ministers in Kuala Lumpur. The association includes about 8% of the world's population and in 2003 it had a combined GDP of about USD$700 billion, growing at an average rate of around 4% per annum. The economies of member countries of ASEAN are diverse, although its major products include electronics, petroleum, and wood. The ASEAN countries are culturally rich. It includes more Muslims than any other geopolitical entity. About 240 million Muslims live mostly in Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei. Buddhism constitutes the main religion of mainland Southeast Asia and there are about 170 million Buddhists in Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and Singapore. Roman Catholicism is predominant in the Philippines. Through the Bali Concord 11 in 2003, Asean has subscribed to the notion of democratic peace, which means all member countries believe democratic processes will promote regional peace and stability. Also the non-democratic members all agreed that it was something all member states should aspire to. Objectives of ASEAN: The ASEAN Declaration states that the aims and purposes of the Association are: (1) To accelerate economic growth, social progress and cultural development in the region and 2) To promote regional peace and stability through abiding respect for justice and the rule of law in the relationship among countries in the region and adherence to the principles of the United Nations Charter. FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES ASEAN Member Countries have adopted the followi ng fundamental principles in their relations with one another: †¢ 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; and †¢ Effective cooperation among themselves. General information of ASEAN: Members |[pic]  Brunei | | |[pic]  Cambodia | | |[pic]  Indonesia | | |[pic]  Laos | | |[pic]  Malaysia | | |[pic]  Myanmar | | |[pic]  Philippines | | |[pic]  Singapore | | |[pic]  Thailand | | |[pic]  Vietnam | |Seat of Secretariat |Jakarta | |Secretary General |Ong Keng Yong | |Area |4,480,000 km2 | |Population | | |  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Total  (2004) |592,000,000 | |  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Density |122. 3 peop le/km? | |GDP (2003) | | |  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Total |$2. 72 trillion (PPP) | |  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Total |$681 billion (Nominal) | |  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ GDP/capita |$4,044 (PPP) | |  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ GDP/capita |$1,267 (Nominal) | |Formation |Bangkok Declaration | |  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Signed | | | | | | |  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ 8 August 1967 | |Currencies |Bruneian Dollar (BND), | | |Rupiah (IDR), Riel (KHR), | | |Kip (LAK), Kyat (MMK), | | |Ringgit (MYR), Peso (PHP), | | |Singapore Dollar (SGD), | | |Baht (THB), Dong (VND) | The ASEAN Summit: The organization holds annual meetings in relation to economic, and cultural development of Southeast Asian countries. The ASEAN Leaders' Formal Summit was first held in Bali, Indonesia in 1976. At first there was no set schedule due to domestic issues in the member countries. In 1992, leaders decided to hold meetings every three years; and in 2001 it was decided to meet annually to address urgent issues affecting the region. Member nations were assigned to be the summit host in alphabetical order except in the case of Myanmar which dropped its 2006 hosting rights in 2004 due to pressure from the United States and the european union. The formal summit meets for three days. The usual itinerary is as follows: ? ASEAN leaders hold an internal organization meeting. ASEAN leaders hold a conference together with foreign ministers of the ASEAN Regional Forum. ? Leaders of 3 ASEAN Dialogue Partners (also known as ASEAN+3) namely China, Japan and South Korea hold a meeting with the ASEAN leaders. ? A separate meeting is set for leaders of 2 ASEAN Dialogue Partners (also known as ASEAN-CER) namely Australia an d New-Zealand. At the 11th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, new meetings were scheduled. ? East Asia Summit – converging ASEAN and six dialogue partners namely China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and India. ? ASEAN-Russia Summit – meeting between ASEAN leaders and the President of Russia. ASEAN Formal Summit | |Number |Date |Country |Place | |1st |1976 February 23 – February 24 |[pic]  Indonesia |Bali | |2nd |1977 August 4 – August 5 |[pic]  Malaysia |Kuala Lumpur | |3rd |1987 December 14 – December 15 |[pic]  Philippines |Metro Manila | |4th |1992 January 27 – January 29 |[pic]  Singapore |Singapore | |5th |1995 December 14 – December 15 |[pic]  Thailand |Bangkok | |6th |1998 December 15 – December 16 |[pic]  Vietnam |Hanoi | |7th |2001 November 5 – November 6 |[pic]  Brunei |Bandar Seri Begawan | |8th |2002 November 4 – November 5 |[pic]  Cambodia |Phnom Penh | |9th |2003 Oc tober 7 – October 8 |[pic]  Indonesia |Bali | |10th |2004 November 29 – November 30 |[pic]  Laos |Vientiane | |11th |2005 December 12 – December 14 |[pic]  Malaysia |Kuala Lumpur | |12th |2006 December 11 – December 14 |[pic]  Philippines |Metro Cebu | |13th |2007 |[pic]  Singapore |Singapore | |14th |2008 |[pic]  Thailand | |15th |2009 |[pic]  Vietnam | | Logo and Flag of ASEAN: [pic] The New ASEAN logo represents a stable, peaceful, united and dynamic ASEAN. The colors of the logo — blue, red, white and yellow — represent the main colors of the crests of all the ASEAN countries. The blue represents peace and stability. Red depicts courage and dynamism. White shows purity and yellow symbolizes prosperity. The ten stalks of padi represent the dream of ASEAN's Founding Fathers for an ASEAN comprising all the ten countries in Southeast Asia bound together in friendship and solidarity. The circle represents the unity of ASEAN. [pi c] Flag of ASEAN In 2003, the ASEAN Leaders resolved that an ASEAN Community shall be established comprising three pillars, namely, ASEAN Security Community, ASEAN Economic Community and ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community. ASEAN SECURITY COMMUNITY To build on what has been constructed over the years in the field of political and security cooperation, the ASEAN Leaders have agreed to establish the ASEAN Security Community (ASC). The ASC shall aim to ensure that countries in the region live at peace with one another and with the world in a just, democratic and harmonious environment. It has the following components: political development; shaping and sharing of norms; conflict prevention; conflict resolution; post-conflict peace building; and implementing mechanisms. It will be built on the strong foundation of ASEAN processes, principles, agreements, and structures, which evolved over the years. ASEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY Its goal is to create a stable, prosperous and highly competitive ASEAN economic region in which there is a free flow of goods, services, investment and a free flow of capital, equitable economic development and reduced poverty and socio-economic disparities in year 2020. The ASEAN Economic Community shall establish ASEAN as a single market and production base, turning the diversity that characterizes the region into opportunities for business complementation and making the ASEAN a more dynamic and stronger segment of the global supply chain. ASEAN’s strategy shall consist of the integration of ASEAN and enhancing ASEAN’s economic competitiveness. In moving towards the ASEAN Economic Community, ASEAN has agreed on the following: †¢ Institute new mechanisms and measures to strengthen the implementation of its existing economic initiatives including the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA), ASEAN Framework Agreement on Services (AFAS) and ASEAN Investment Area (AIA); †¢ Accelerate regional integration in the following priority sectors by 2010: air travel, agro-based products, automotives, e-commerce, electronics, fisheries, healthcare, rubber-based products, textiles and apparels, tourism, and wood-based products. Facilitate movement of business persons, skilled labor and talents; and strengthen the institutional mechanisms of ASEAN, including the improvement of the existing ASEAN Dispute Settlement Mechanism to ensure expeditious and legally-binding resolution of any economic disputes. Other major integrati on-related economic activities of ASEAN include the following: †¢ Roadmap for Financial and Monetary Integration of ASEAN in four areas, namely, capital market development, capital account liberalization, liberalization of financial services and currency cooperation; †¢ Trans-ASEAN transportation network consisting of major inter-state highway and railway networks, including the Singapore to Kunming Rail-Link, principal ports, and sea lanes for maritime traffic, inland waterway transport, and major civil aviation links; †¢ Roadmap for Integration of Air Travel Sector; Interoperability and interconnectivity of national telecommunications equipment and services, including the ASEAN Telecommunications Regulators Council Sectoral Mutual Recognition Arrangement (ATRC-MRA) on Conformity Assessment for Telecommunications Equipment; †¢ Trans-ASEAN energy networks, which consist of the ASEAN Power Grid and the Trans-ASEAN Gas Pipeline Projects; †¢ Initiative for ASEA N Integration (IAI) focusing on infrastructure, human resource development, information and communications technology, and regional economic integration primarily in the CLMV countries; †¢ Visit ASEAN Campaign and the private sector-led ASEAN Hip-Hop Pass to promote intra-ASEAN tourism; and †¢ Agreement on the ASEAN Food Security Reserve. ASEAN SOCIO-CULTURAL COMMUNITY The ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community envisages a Southeast Asia bonded together in partnership as a community of caring societies and founded on a common regional identity. The Community shall foster cooperation in social development aimed at raising the standard of living of disadvantaged groups and the rural population, and shall seek the active involvement of all sectors of society, in particular women, youth, and local communities. ASEAN shall ensure that its work force shall be prepared for, and benefit from, economic integration by investing more resources for basic and higher education, training, science and technology development, job creation, and social protection. ASEAN shall further intensify cooperation in the area of public health, including in the prevention and control of infectious and communicable diseases. The development and enhancement of human resources is a key strategy for employment generation, alleviating poverty and socio-economic disparities, and ensuring economic growth with equity. Among the on-going activities of ASEAN in this area include the following: †¢ ASEAN Work Programme for Social Welfare, Family, and Population; †¢ ASEAN Work Programme on HIV/AIDS; †¢ ASEAN Work Programme on Community-Based Care for the Elderly; †¢ ASEAN Occupational Safety and Health Network; ASEAN Work Programme on Preparing ASEAN Youth for Sustainable Employment and Other Challenges of Globalization; †¢ ASEAN University Network (AUN) promoting collaboration among seventeen member universities ASEAN; †¢ ASEAN Students Exchange Programme, Youth Cultural Forum, and the ASEAN Young Speakers Forum; †¢ The Annual ASEAN Culture Week, ASEAN Youth Camp and ASEAN Quiz; †¢ ASEAN Media Exchange Programme; and †¢ Framework for Environmentally Sustainable Cities (ESC) and ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution. EXTERNAL RELATIONS: The ASEAN Vision 2020 affirmed an outward-looking ASEAN playing a pivotal role in the international community and advancing ASEAN’s common interests. Building on the Joint Statement on East Asia Cooperation of 1999, cooperation between the Southeast and Northeast Asian countries has accelerated with the holding of an annual summit among the leaders of ASEAN, China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea (ROK) within the ASEAN Plus Three process. ASEAN Plus Three relations continue to expand and deepen in the areas of security dialogue and cooperation, transnational crime, trade and investment, environment, finance and monetary, agriculture and forestry, energy, tourism, health, labor, culture and the arts, science and technology, information and communication technology, social welfare and development, youth, and rural development and poverty eradication. There are now thirteen ministerial-level meetings under the ASEAN plus Three process. Bilateral trading arrangements have been or are being forged between ASEAN Member Countries and China, Japan, and the ROK. These arrangements will serve as the building blocks of an East Asian Free Trade Area as a long term goal. ASEAN continues to develop cooperative relations with its Dialogue Partners, namely, Australia, Canada, China, the European Union, India, Japan, the ROK, New Zealand, the Russian Federation, the United States of America, and the United Nations Development Programme. ASEAN also promotes cooperation with Pakistan in some areas of mutual interest. Consistent with its resolve to enhance cooperation with other developing regions, ASEAN maintains contact with other inter-governmental organizations, namely, the Economic Cooperation Organization, the Gulf Cooperation Council, the Rio Group, the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, the South Pacific Forum, and through the recently established Asian-African Sub-Regional Organization Conference. Most ASEAN Member Countries also participate actively in the activities of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), and the East Asia-Latin America Forum (EALAF). ASEAN Vision â€Å"2020†: This was said at one of its summit. We, the Heads of State/Government of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, gather today in Kuala Lumpur to reaffirm our commitment to the aims and purposes of the Association as set forth in the Bangkok Declaration of 8 August 1967, in particular to promote regional cooperation in Southeast Asia in the spirit of equality and partnership and thereby contribute towards peace, progress and prosperity in the region. We in ASEAN have created a community of Southeast Asian nations at peace with one another and at peace with the world, rapidly achieving prosperity for our peoples and steadily improving their lives. Our rich diversity has provided the strength and inspiration to us to help one another foster a strong sense of community. We are now a market of around 500 million people with a combined gross domestic product of US$600 billion. We have achieved considerable results in the economic field, such as high economic growth, stability and significant poverty alleviation over the past few years. Members have enjoyed substantial trade and investment flows from significant liberalization measures. We resolve to build upon these achievements. Now, as we approach the 21st century, thirty years after the birth of ASEAN, we gather to chart a vision for ASEAN on the basis of today's realities and prospects in the decades leading to the Year 2020. That vision is of ASEAN as a concert of Southeast Asian nations, outward looking, living in peace, stability and prosperity, bonded together in partnership in dynamic development and in a community of caring societies. ASEAN shall have, by the year 2020, established a peaceful and stable Southeast Asia where each nation is at peace with itself and where the causes for conflict have been eliminated, through abiding respect for justice and the rule of law and through the strengthening of national and regional resilience. STRUCTURES & MECHANISMS: The highest decision-making organ of ASEAN is the Meeting of the ASEAN Heads of State and Government. The ASEAN Summit is convened every year. The ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (Foreign Ministers) is held annually. Ministerial meetings on the following sectors are also held regularly: agriculture and forestry, economics (trade), energy, environment, finance, health, information, investment, labor, law, regional haze, rural development and poverty alleviation, science and technology, social welfare, telecommunications, transnational crime, transportation, tourism, youth. Supporting these ministerial bodies are committees of senior officials, technical working groups and task forces. To support the conduct of ASEAN’s external relations, ASEAN has established committees composed of heads of diplomatic missions in the following capitals: Beijing, Berlin, Brussels, Canberra, Geneva, Islamabad, London, Moscow, New Delhi, New York, Ottawa, Paris, Riyadh, Seoul, Tokyo, Washington D. C. and Wellington. The Secretary-General of ASEAN is appointed on merit and accorded ministerial status. The Secretary-General of ASEAN, who has a five-year term, is mandated to initiate, advise, coordinate, and implement ASEAN activities. The members of the professional staff of the ASEAN Secretariat are appointed on the principle of open recruitment and region-wide competition. ASEAN has several specialized bodies and arrangements promoting inter-governmental cooperation in various fields including the following: ASEAN Agricultural Development Planning Centre, ASEAN-EC Management Centre, ASEAN Centre for Energy, ASEAN Earthquake Information Centre, ASEAN Foundation, ASEAN Poultry Research and Training Centre, ASEAN Regional Centre for Biodiversity Conservation, ASEAN Rural Youth Development Centre, ASEAN Specialized Meteorological Centre, ASEAN Timber A Partnership in Dynamic Development: We resolve to chart a new direction towards the year 2020 called, ASEAN 2020: Partnership in Dynamic Development which will forge closer economic integration within ASEAN. We pledge to sustain ASEAN's high economic performance by building upon the foundation of our existing cooperation efforts, consolidating our achievements, expanding our collective efforts and enhancing mutual assistance. We will create a stable, prosperous and highly competitive ASEAN Economic Region in which there is a free flow of goods, services and investments, a freer flow of capital, equitable economic development and reduced poverty and socio-economic disparities. We resolve, inter-alia, to undertake the following: †¢ Maintain regional macroeconomic and financial stability by promoting closer consultations in macroeconomic and financial policies. Advance economic integration and cooperation by undertaking the following general strategies: fully implement the ASEAN Free Trade Area and accelerate liberalization of trade in services, realize the ASEAN Investment Area by 2010 and free flow of investments by 2020; intensify and expand sub-regional cooperation in existing and new sub-regional growth areas; further consolidate and expand extra-ASEAN regional linkages for mutual benefit cooperate to strengthen the multilateral trading system, and reinforce the role of the business sector as the engine of growth. †¢ Promote a modern and competitive small and medium enterprises (SME) sector in ASEAN which will contribute to the industrial development and efficiency of the region. †¢ Accelerate the free flow of professional and other services in the region. †¢ Promote financial sector liberalization and closer cooperation in money and capital market, tax, insurance and customs matters as well as closer consultations in macroeconomic and financial policies. Accelerate the development of science and technology including information technology by establishing a regional information technology network and centers of excellence for dissemination of and easy access to data and information. †¢ Establish interconnecting arrangements in the field o f energy and utilities for electricity, natural gas and water within ASEAN through the ASEAN Power Grid and a Trans-ASEAN Gas Pipeline and Water Pipeline, and promote cooperation in energy efficiency and conservation, as well as the development of new and renewable energy resources. †¢ Enhance food security and international competitiveness of food, agricultural and forest products, to make ASEAN a leading producer of these products, and promote the forestry sector as a model in forest management, conservation and sustainable development. meet the ever increasing demand for improved infrastructure and communications by developing an integrated and harmonized trans-ASEAN transportation network and harnessing technology advances in telecommunication and information technology, especially in linking the planned information highways/multimedia corridors in ASEAN, promoting open sky policy, developing multi-modal transport, facilitating goods in transit and integrating telecommunica tions networks through greater interconnectivity, coordination of frequencies and mutual recognition of equipment-type approval procedures. †¢ Enhance human resource development in all sectors of the economy through quality education, upgrading of skills and capabilities and training. †¢ Work towards a world class standards and conformance system that will provide a harmonized system to facilitate the free flow of ASEAN trade while meeting health, safety and environmental needs. †¢ Use the ASEAN Foundation as one of the instruments to address issues of unequal economic development, poverty and socioeconomic disparities. promote an ASEAN customs partnership for world class standards and excellence in efficiency, professionalism and service, and uniformity through harmonized procedures, to promote trade and investment and to protect the health and well-being of the ASEAN community, †¢ enhance intra-ASEAN trade and investment in the mineral sector and to contribute towards a technologically competent ASEAN through closer networking and sharing of information on mineral and geosciences as well as to enhance cooperation and partnership with dialogue partners to facilitate the development and transfer of technology in the mineral sector, particularly in the downstream research and the geosciences and to develop appropriate mechanism for these. USE OF THE NAME â€Å"ASEAN†: The Presidium Minister for Political Affairs/Minister for Foreign Affairs of Indonesia, the Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia, the Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Singapore, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand do hereby declare the establishment of an association for regional cooperation among the countries of Southeast Asia to be known as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). – ASEAN Declaration, Bangkok, 8 August 1967 I. NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS The ASEAN Standing Committee, at its meeting in Manila on 16-18 June 1986, adopted the Guidelines for ASEAN Relations with Non-Governmental Organizations, which included a provision on the use of the name â€Å"ASEAN. † The relevant provision states that, an affiliated NGO â€Å"may use the name ‘ASEAN’ and display the official ASEAN emblem in correspondence, communications, and at its official meetings so long as the displaying of such emblem is non-commercial in nature. † II. PRIVATE SECTOR The ASEAN Standing Committee, at its meeting in Jakarta on 10 January 1979, adopted the Guidelines on the Use of the name â€Å"ASEAN† by the Private Sector. Below are the main points: Member countries shall exercise some measure of control on the use of the name â€Å"ASEAN† by the private sector for business purposes. This administrative control shall be exercised where official registration is required by law for setting up a company, such as a trading company, whether as a corporation or sole proprietorship. Any request for the use of the name â€Å"ASEAN† should satisfy the following conditions: (i)The entity should be regional in character involving all members of ASEAN; (ii)The name â€Å"ASEAN† should not be brought into disrepute by its usage; iii)The entity should be indigenous to ASEAN; (iv)The usage of ASEAN should not have any negative effect on the aims and objectives of ASEAN; The entity should have the sponsorship of any of the ASEAN Nation al Secretariats. ASEAN Regional Forum: [pic] ASEAN Regional Forum: —  ASEAN countries —  Other ASEAN Regional Forum participants. ASEAN regularly conducts dialogue meetings with other countries and an organization, collectively known as the ASEAN dialogue partners during the ASEAN Regional Forum(ARF). The ASEAN Regional Forum is an informal multilateral dialogue of 25 members that seeks to address security issues in the Asia-Pacific region. The ARF met for the first time in 1994. The current participants in the ARF are as follows: ASEAN, Australia, Canada, People's Republic of China, European Union, India, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Mongolia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Russia, East Timor, and the United States. Bangladesh was added to ARF as the 26th member, starting from July 28, 2006. Outlook of ASEAN: Realizing the vision of ASEAN’s founding fathers of an association of all Southeast Asian countries is thus hardly the end of ASEAN history. It is rather a call for a renewed commitment to broader regional solidarity among the peoples of Southeast Asia. ASEAN has learned to draw strength from unity not only among governments but also among its diverse peoples. The ASEAN experience and the ASEAN process must reach out to all spectra of our societies,† said former Foreign Minister Prachaub Chaiyasan of Thailand in 1997. â€Å"Through ASEAN this region will become a grassroots-supported and close-knit community bound together no t only by common interests but by shared values, identity and aspirations among our peoples. † ASEAN faces the future with confidence. Its strong foundation and remarkable achievements will serve Southeast Asia well as it pursues higher goals in the new millennium. ASEAN’s leaders have reaffirmed that co-operative peace and shared prosperity should be the association’s basic goals. Towards these goals ASEAN shall remain a driving force in building a more predictable and constructive pattern of relationships among nations in the Asia-Pacific region. ASEAN will move towards greater economic integration, emphasizing sustainable and equitable growth. ASEAN will nourish a caring and cohesive Southeast Asian community, whose strength lies in fostering a common regional identity and a shared vision of the future. Overview: The ASEAN declaration of 1967 exhorts the association to attain its economic, social and cultural aims through â€Å"joint endeavors† and â€Å"active collaboration and mutual assistance. † Regarding its political objective of regional peace and stability, however, the Declaration contains no equivalent exhortation. It speaks only of â€Å"respect for justice and the rule of law† and â€Å"adherence to the principles of the United Nations Charter. † It makes no impassioned call for the ASEAN member states to take common political positions. The restraint with which ASEAN’s founders expressed the political aim of their brainchild was understandable. They did not want their intentions to be misunderstood. They did not want ASEAN to be mistaken for a military grouping among political allies-as some of its predecessors had been. Moreover, at the time of ASEAN’s conception, Southeast Asia was beset by instability aggravated by underdevelopment. The ASEAN pioneer states themselves were just beginning to learn to trust one another, while nursing he hangover of bitter disputes of recent years. The newborn ASEAN was, therefore, presented as a sub regional grouping for economic, social and cultural cooperation. But security concerns and political purposes were never far from th e ASEAN founders’ intentions. As a key figure in ASEAN diplomacy, former Indonesian Foreign Minister Ali Alatas has pointed out, â€Å"The truth is that politics attended ASEAN at its birth. It was the convergence in political outlook among the five original members, their shared convictions on national priority objectives and on how best to secure these objectives in the evolving strategic environment of East Asia which impelled them to form ASEAN. ASEAN spent almost the whole first decade of its existence developing and refining the concepts that form the basis of its work and methods of cooperation. In those early years its ministerial and other meetings became occasions for fostering trust and goodwill, for developing the habit of working together informally and openly. In the process ASEAN leaders realized that their countries could never attain national stability and socioeconomic development if Southeast Asia-afflicted with strife and cold War rivalry-remained in poli tical turmoil. The ASEAN member states strove for resilience, both individually as nations and collectively as a sub regional grouping; for they knew the association would not amount to much if external powers regularly intervened in Southeast Asian affairs. At the First ASEAN Summit in Bali in February 1976, the member countries signed the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia, which spelled out the basic principles for their relations with one another and the conduct of the association’s programme for cooperation: †¢ 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; †¢ Noninterference in the internal affairs of one another; †¢ Settlement of differences or disputes by peaceful means; †¢ Renunciation of the threat or use of force; and †¢ Effective cooperation among themselves. The treaty envisaged these principles as the foundation of a strong Southeast Asian community. It stated that ASEAN political and security dialogue and cooperation should aim to promote regional peace and stability by enhancing regional resilience. And this resilience shall be achieved by cooperation in all fields among the member countries. Following these principles and guidelines, Southeast Asia embarked on a journey towards regional solidarity that has been steady and sure. Through political dialogue and confidence building, ASEAN has prevented occasional bilateral tensions from escalating into confrontation among its members. And by 1999 the vision of an ASEAN is including all the countries of Southeast Asia as members had been achieved. Achievements in Political Collaboration: Since 1967 ASEAN has forged major political accords that have contributed greatly to regional peace and stability, and to its relations with other countries, regions and organizations. Foremost among these are: Zone of Peace, Freedom and Neutrality. On 27 November 1971 the foreign ministers of the then five ASEAN members met in Kuala Lumpur and signed the Zone of Peace, Freedom and Neutrality (ZOPFAN) Declaration. It commits all ASEAN members to â€Å"exert efforts to secure the recognition of and respect for Southeast Asia as a Zone of Peace, Freedom and Neutrality, free from any manner of interference by outside powers,† and to â€Å"make concerted efforts to broaden the areas of cooperation, which would contribute to their strength, solidarity and closer relationship. ZOPFAN recognizes â€Å"the right of every state, large or small, to lead its national existence free from outside interference in its internal affairs as this interference will adversely affect its freedom, independence and integrity. † Another five years passed before the next major development in political cooperation came about-the First ASEAN Summit in Bali, when the ASEAN leaders signed three major documents: the Declaration of ASEAN Concord, the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia, and the Agreement Establishing the ASEAN Secretariat. Declaration of ASEAN Concord. Departing from the more circumspect Bangkok Declaration, the Declaration of ASEAN Concord stated for the first time that the member countries would expand political cooperation. It also adopted principles for regional stability and a programme of action for political cooperation. The programme called for holding ASEAN summits among the heads of government; signing the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia; settling intraregional disputes â€Å"by peaceful means as soon as possible†; improving the ASEAN machinery to strengthen political cooperation; studying how to develop judicial cooperation including the possibility of an ASEAN extradition treaty; and strengthening political solidarity by promoting the harmonization of views, coordinating positions and, where possible and desirable, taking common action. Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC) in Southeast Asia. TAC raised the provisions of the Kuala Lumpur Declaration to the level of a treaty to which other Southeast Asian countries could accede and with which the nonregional countries could associate themselves. The treaty enshrines the following principles: mutual respect for one another’s sovereignty; noninterference in internal affairs; the peaceful settlement of intraregional d isputes; and effective cooperation. The treaty also provides for a code of conduct for the peaceful settlement of disputes. And it mandates the establishment of a high council made up of ministerial representatives from the parties as a dispute-settlement mechanism. To this day, TAC remains the only indigenous regional diplomatic instrument providing a mechanism and processes for the peaceful settlement of disputes. Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone. At the ASEAN Summit in Bangkok on 15 December 1995, the leaders of all the ten Southeast ASEAN countries signed the Treaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ). As a key component of ZOPFAN, the SEANWFZ treaty ex-presses ASEAN’s determination to contribute to-wards general and complete nuclear disarmament and the promotion of international peace and security. It also aims to protect the region from environmental pollution and the hazards posed by radio-active waste and other toxic materials. The SEANWFZ treaty came into force on 27 March 1997. ASEAN is now negotiating with the five nuclear-weapon states on the terms of their accession to the protocol which lays down their commitments under the treaty. ASEAN has put in place the SEANWFZ Commission and the Executive Committee of the commission to oversee implementation of the treaty’s provisions and ensure compliance with them. The association adopted procedural and financial rules governing the work of the treaty bodies at the seco0nd meeting of the SEANWFZ Commission in Bangkok in July 2000. Settlement of the Cambodian Conflict. One of the most important chapters in the history of ASEAN diplomacy took place during the Cambodian conflict. The ASEAN-sponsored resolutions at the UN General Assembly, which called for a durable and comprehensive political settlement in Cambodia, received consistent support from the international community. With Indonesia as interlocutor, ASEAN maintained its dialogue with all parties to the conflict. This eventually led to the Jakarta Informal Meetings at which the four Cambodian factions discussed peace and national reconciliation. The process proved to be protracted, requiring the help of many states and the United Nations. It extended to the early 1990s, culminating in the 19-nation Paris Conference on Cambodia, which was chaired by France and Indonesia. On 23 October 1991 the Paris Conference on Cambodia produced the Comprehensive Political Settlement of the Cambodian Conflict. This settlement paved the way for the formation of the Cambodian Supreme National Council, in which four factions participated, and the holding of elections supervised by the United Nations Transitional Authority on Cambodia. Nineteen ninety-nine will be remembered as the year when the vision of ASEAN’s founders to build an association comprising all the Southeast Asian countries was fully realized. The admission of Cambodia to ASEAN on 30 April 1999 in Ha Noi completed the association’s efforts towards regional cohesion, 32 years after the original five members-Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines and Thailand-first got together. Insular and peninsular Southeast Asia and all of mainland Southeast Asia are now joined in one association. The region is no longer divided between ASEAN and non-ASEAN, between mainland and maritime Southeast Asia. Recent Issues and Concerns: It is in ASEAN’s ability and readiness to resolve political differences affecting its members and other countries in the Asia-Pacific region that the association’s commitment to political co-operation is put to the test. More often than not, that commitment has been affirmed and the ASEAN approach to solving potentially explosive issues vindicated. These issues include territorial and jurisdictional disputes in the South China Sea; self-determination for East Timor; nuclear proliferation in Northeast Asia and South Asia; weapons of mass destruction; and the impact of globalization. South China Sea. Like many other parts of the world, Southeast Asia faces territorial disputes among its members and nearby states. In these disputes ASEAN has consistently pursued a policy of cooperation in seeking the peaceful settlement of differences. In 1992, recognizing that any conflict in the South China Sea could directly affect peace and stability in the region, ASEAN issued a declaration â€Å"urging all parties concerned to exercise restraint in order to create a positive climate for the eventual resolution of all disputes. ASEAN further â€Å"emphasized the necessity to resolve all sovereignty and jurisdictional issues about the South China Sea by peaceful means, without resort to force. † The Manila Declaration of 1992, which pr oposed a modus vivendi in the South China Sea, represents one of the most remarkable demonstrations of political solidarity among ASEAN members on strategic issues of common concern. On the suggestion of ASEAN, ASEAN and China have been working on a Code of Conduct to govern state behavior in the South China Sea. The ASEAN-China Senior Officials’ Consultations Working Group on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea met four times this year to negotiate a working draft code of conduct covering principles and norms of state-to-state relations, peaceful settlement of disputes and cooperation. East Timor. ASEAN supported the implementation of the agreement between Indonesia and Portugal on the question of East Timor and the 5 May 1999 agreements between the United Nations and the Indonesian and Portuguese governments about the modalities for the popular consultations of the East Timorese. The consultations were held on 30 August 1999. As violence rocked the territory following the referendum, the ASEAN leaders who were in Auckland for the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting gathered to address the problem. Some of them agreed to contribute, at great expense, to the International Force for East Timor, which was formed upon Indonesia’s invitation. The UN Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) was subsequently set up, with a Filipino general taking over the command of the peacekeeping force. A Thai general has since succeeded him. Other ASEAN members have been extending humanitarian and other forms of assistance to East Timor. ASEAN has called on the international community to help East Timor achieve peace, stability and prosperity during its transition to full independence, which would contribute to the stability of Southeast Asia. Following the separation of East Timor from Indonesia, ASEAN has declared its position that a united, democratic and economically prosperous Indonesia is basic to the maintenance of regional security. In this context, the association emphasized its support for Indonesia’s territorial integrity. Northeast Asia. At the Seventh ASEAN Regional Forum in July 2000, the participation for the first time of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in the ARF process was welcomed-a significant step in the rapid evolution of the situation on the Korean Peninsula and thus in the security environment of the Asia-Pacific region. North Korea’s ARF membership provides additional opportunities for dialogue and exchanges between North Korea and those ARF countries with key roles in the Korean situation. ASEAN expressed support for the historic summit between the North and South Korean leaders, held in Pyongyang on 13-15 June 2000. It also commended the 15 June North-South Joint Declaration, the first agreement signed at the highest level since the division of the Korean Peninsula in 1945. Challenges of globalization. The Seventh ASEAN Regional Forum observed that although the security outlook for the region remains positive, uncertainties and challenges-particularly those posed by globalization-would increasingly require ARF’s attention. The Seventh ARF also considered the economic, social and human components of security and the need to promote regional cooperation in dealing with regional security issues. It discussed both the positive effects and the repercussions of globalization, including greater economic interdependence among nations and the multiplication of security threats like transnational crime. In responding to globalization, ARF felt it necessary for nations to strengthen their individual and collective capacities to meet the challenges affecting their common security. ARF has reaffirmed the need for Southeast Asian countries to continue efforts, through dialogue and cooperation at national and international levels, in dealing with the economic, social and political impacts of globalization so as to ensure sustained economic and social development. ASEAN and intra-ASEAN relations: weathering the storm? In April 1999, ASEAN formally admitted Cambodia thereby completing its declared goal of grouping together all ten Southeast Asian countries under its umbrella. This was the culminating event in the latest phase of ASEAN's enlargement. This process, however, had been problematic from the start. The entry of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam without any clear criteria for admission has raised questions regarding the preparedness of these countries to participate in ASEAN. More importantly, it led to strains in ASEAN's relations with its dialogue partners over the legitimacy of some of the governments in power in these countries. The was further complicated by the economic upheaval caused by the financial crisis which struck Southeast Asia in 1997. The impact of these events on ASEAN has put into question the association's growing role as a leading player in Asia-Pacific affairs. More importantly, it has raised issues which are central to ASEAN's continued existence. Bibliography: 1. www. google. com. 2. www. ASEANsec. org. 3. Introductory Managerial Economics-II (By D. M. Mithani)