Reaching out as a grouping

As a sense of unity, regionalism continues to hold sway despite the supposed era of globalisation. As two conferences showed on Asean’s 37th anniversary last Sunday, at least some of the reasons for South-East Asian regionalism are understood some of the time.  

REGIONAL groupings of countries will remain so long as policymakers and citizens have a sense of nationhood tempered with neighbourliness. Between the parochialism of nationalism and the enormity of globalism, regionalism will remain complementary and pertinent.