Eps. 4 #ASEANPride: Paving the Way for ASEAN Identity Building

The hashtag #ASEANpride was buzzing on social media during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics to support ASEAN athletes. It is undeniable that this hashtag has the opportunity to become one of the utilization tools in the ASEAN community and identity building of its citizens. To the extent that it is a contrived but meaningful notion, ASEAN identity is also subject to challenge and change due to changing political, strategic, and economic currents in the region and beyond. In this fourth podcast episode of ASEAN PodQuest, the topics of #ASEANPride: Paving the Way for ASEAN Identity Building are discussed comprehensively. In this episode, Tunggul Wicaksono, the Research Director of ASEAN Studies Center UGM, directs as the host of the podcast's discussion. Along with him, this podcast episode invited Mr Yoong Yoong Lee as the Director of Community Affairs directorate of the ASEAN Secretariat based in Jakarta, to join the discussion and give several perspectives on the issue related to ASEAN identity building. Mr Yoong Yoong Lee managed the daily operation community relations division and information resources management division in the ASEAN Secretariat. The discussion brings several issues on how the #ASEANPride can be ASEAN's identity and community-building tool. In this episode, we also discuss the utilization of social media and grassroots communities in building the ASEAN identity. Intriguingly, it has given a new insight into several efforts to bring back the ASEAN commitments and actions in creating people-centric regionalism through the ASEAN as one vision, identity, and community. The discussion has also engrossed several measures to strengthen the ASEAN community, as we live under one identity. This podcast episode is expected to bring new perspectives in adopting technology, utilizing the internet and social media to pave the way for strengthening ASEAN identity in the future.