An Intellectual Dialogue on Building Asia's Tomorrow
The Asian Crisis: Meeting the Challenges to Human Security
Tokyo, Japan
December 2-3, 1998
Background
The Japan Center for International Exchange (JCIE) in Tokyo and the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS) in Singapore convened a major conference on the theme of "The Asian Crisis: Meeting the Challenges to Human Security" on December 2-3, 1998, at the Hotel Okura in Tokyo. The purpose of the conference was to launch a long-term and multi-national joint effort to promote "Intellectual Dialogue on Building Asia's Tomorrow," an initiative Mr. Keizo Obuchi proposed in his speech in Singapore on May 4, 1998, when he was still Foreign Minister of Japan.
In his Singapore speech Mr. Obuchi pointed out that promotion of "intellectual interaction" is a critical element in forging new partnership among countries in East Asia. Such intellectual interaction, Mr. Obuchi suggested, will "mobilize diverse intellectual assets and resourcefulness of the region to respond to the challenges threatening peace and prosperity in the region," and "fusion of ideas, facilitated by region-wide cooperation, should produce new policy initiatives for the new century." Agreeing with the importance of such initiative, particularly carried out by nongovernmental institutions committed to substantive policy research and intellectual dialogue, JCIE and ISEAS organized the December conference, drawing on a regional network of well-established as well as emerging intellectual leaders.
We took up two inter-related issues at the conference, namely, (1) Joint Strategy for Enhancement of Human Security in East Asia, and (2) Roles of Intellectual Exchange in Achieving Common Aspirations in East Asia.
There is growing recognition among policy thinkers of the importance of new security issues that do not emerge from a country's foreign relations and military strength but emerging from the conditions of daily life, such as poverty, unemployment, migration of population, health issues such as AIDS, and the environment. These issues require broader participation of people other than governments, and there is increasing evidence of such trend in East Asia. Such issues related to "human security" will require new and innovative approaches which should be explored by intellectual leaders.
As is the case with "human security," there are many challenges that the interdependent East Asian nations face in common which require "mobilization of intellectual resources." In particular, for the regional community of East Asia there is a need to identify common aspirations and common values, and explore ways and means of achieving them. The second theme of "Role of Intellectual Exchange in Achieving Common Aspirations of East Asia" will provide a framework for continuing systematic efforts to this end.
We regard this conference as a first step in a long-term effort, and, as such, we hope that it will provide us with the opportunity to set future agenda of joint intellectual and professional efforts, and to further intensify the solidarity among those who have been working together to bring about a more peaceful and prosperous regional community in East Asia.
Organizers
The Intellectual Dialogue on Building Asia's Tomorrow Tokyo Conference was cosponsored by the Japan Center for International Exchange and the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Singapore, with the cooperation of the Japan ASEAN Exchange Projects, the Japan Foundation Asia Center, and the Japan-Korea Cultural Foundation.