A World of Regions

Regionalism can be examined in

relation to:
Identities
Ethics
Religion
Ecological sustainability
Health
• Regionalization- refers to
regional concentration of
economic flows
• Regionalism- is a political process
characterized by economic policy
cooperation and coordination
among countries.
 REGIONS
• are a group of countries located
in the same geographically
specified area or are
amalgamation of two regions or a
combination or more than two
countries, organized to regulate
and oversee flows and policy
choices.
 Countries respond economically
and politically in various ways:
• China- offers its cheap and huge
labour
• Switzerland- known for its
financial and banking hubs
• Singapore-developed its harbour
facilities and made them a first
class transit port
Reasons why countries form regional
associations:
Defense- NATO, Warsaw Pact
To pool resources –OPEC
To protect their independence
Example- Protecting their
Independence from pressure of
superpowers: Non –Aligned
Movement-NAM( Presidents of
Egypt,Ghana,India,Indonesia &
Yugoslavia signed an
agreement in 1961.
• NAM-Non- Aligned Movement: to
pursue world peace, international
cooperation, human rights,
national sovereignty, racial and
national equality, non-
intervention & peaceful conflict
resolution.
Economic crisis compels countries to
come together, example; Thailand’s
1996 economic crisis
IMF tried to reverse the crisis
ASEAN along with China, Japan, &
South Korea agreed to establish an
emergency fund to anticipate a
crisis.
 Non-State Regionalism

• New Regionalism- rely on the

power of individuals,non-
governmental organizations
(NGOs) and associations to
link up with one another in
pursuit of a particular goal.
• New Regionalism is identified
with reformists who share the
same values, norms,
institutions, and systems that
exist outside of the traditional,
established mainstream
institutions and systems.
 Tactics of new regionalism
They partner with governments
to initiate social change-example:
ASEAN issued its Human Rights
Declaration in 2009, but the
regional body left it to member
countries to apply the
declaration’s principles as they
see fit.
• Citizen Diplomacy Forum tries
to influence the policies and
programs of the Organization
of American States
 Contemporary Challenges to
Regionalism

Resurgence of Militant
nationalism and populism
Example: The refusal to
dismantle NATO,this has become
the basis of anti-NATO rhetoric of
Vladimir Putin
ASEAN Parliamentarian for Human
Rights
• was in part a result of non-
government organizations and
civil society groups pushing to
prevent discrimination, uphold
political freedom, and promote
democracy and human rights,
throughout the regions.
• Rainforest Foundation-
established by activists across
Central and South America to
protect indigenous peoples
and the rainforest in Brazil,
Guyana, Panama, and Peru
• Migrant Forum in Asia- is
another regional network of
NGOs and trade unions
committed to protection and
promoting the rights and
welfare of migrant workers.
Salient features of new regionalism
These organizations rely their
power on moral standing
But most of them are poorly
financed
Their impact in global politics is
limited
 New Regionalism VS. State to State
Regionalism
States treat poverty or
environmental degradation as
technical or economic issues
that can be resolved by
refining existing programs,
making minor changes,
creating new offices
• New Regionalism advocates
such as the NGO Global Forum
see these issues as reflections
of flawed economic
development and
environmental models.
• By “flawed “ means economic
development plans that are
market- based, profit driven,
and hardly concerned with
social welfare, especially
among the poor.
Differences among new regionalism

NGOs that are pro-state and

anti-state in their advocacies
Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore
refused to recognize the rights
of undocumented migrant
workers
 Contemporary Challenges of
Regionalism
• The resurgence of militant
nationalism-refusal to dismantle
NATO
• Economic crisis in the region-
Greek economic crisis
• Differences in principles and
values-Anti immigrant sentiment
• The extent to which member
countries should sacrifice their
sovereignty for the sake of
regional stability- South China
Sea issue
• Differing views of what
regionalism should be for
• Western nations- see regionalization
as instruments for political
democratization
• Non-Western nations see democracy
as an obstacle to the implementation
and deepening of economic
globalization because of constant
public inquiry about economic
projects and lengthy debate