The theme of this year's conference is 'Moving Forward: Building an ASEAN People's Agenda.' The conference aims to explore strategies to tackle the challenges arising from the adoption of the ASEAN Charter at the upcoming ASEAN Summit.
The ACSC3 is hosted in Singapore on 02-04 November 2007. The theme of this year's conference is 'Moving Forward: Building an ASEAN People's Agenda.' Approximately 150 representatives from local and regional NGOs participating with the aim of exploring strategies to tackle the challenges arising from the adoption of the ASEAN Charter at the upcoming ASEAN Summit.
The objective is to advance the idea of a culturally appropriate alternative regionalism that will have articulation in policy advocacy, in development work, solidarity interaction, and cooperation initiatives among peoples, communities and sectors.
The conference is co-organized by Solidarity for Asian People's Advocacy (SAPA) Working Group on ASEAN. It is hosted and co-organized by Union Network International Asia Pacific Regional Organization [UNI-APRO] in cooperation with the Singapore Local Organizing Committee led by Think Centre.
Among the activities includes are workshops, plenaries, cultural events, a quiz, a solidarity night and spaces for independent interactions and caucuses.
There will be a two-panel plenary on Singapore, to increase civil society understanding of Singapore as a state and Singapore as a society where communities and groups interact on issues similarly faced by communities and groups elsewhere in ASEAN. The plenary seeks to increase dialogue and interaction between civil society groups and social movements in Singapore and the rest of ASEAN.
The Singapore Working Group for ASEAN will be launched officially at this year's ASEAN Civil Society Conference on the 2nd of November. This conference will see representatives from ASEAN civil society gather to discuss issues relevant to the region.
The vision of the Singapore Working Group for ASEAN is to create a connected, compassionate, and people-centered ASEAN community' together with Civil Society Organizations in the region. Its objectives are:
1) To create a common platform for civil society groups to engage the government, corporations and the people on human rights, economic, social, cultural and environmental issues
2) To network with regional civil society organizations to create space for national civil society organizations to participate and engage in relevant ASEAN Inter-governmental process;
3) To connect societies at local, national, & regional levels, to collaborate, share, exchange best practices, and capacity-building strategies and resources with regards to human rights and other socio-cultural issues;
4) To mainstream human rights and other social concern issues in Singapore and the region.
5) To support the formation of an ASEAN Human Rights Mechanism and engage ASEAN on the protection and promotion of the rights of the Migrant Workers.
To achieve these objectives, a holistic approach encompassing the arts, research, inter-disciplinary practice, public education, direct service provisions and constructive consultations with the government and other stakeholders will be adopted.
The members of the SINGAPORE WORKING GROUP FOR ASEAN includes:
1) Sinapan Samydorai(Chairperson)
2) Alvin Tan
3) Hashim Lobe
4) Michael Cheng
5) Tan Kong Soon
6) Yap Ching Wi
7) Jolovan Wham
8) Peter S.H. Chen
