Lesson 5 A World of Regions PDF

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Lesson 5 A World of Regions Regionalism -

It can be examined in relation to identities, ethics, religion, ecological sustainability, and health. It is a process, and must be treated as an “emergent, socially constituted phenomenon.” Regions are not natural or given; rather, they are constructed and defined by policymakers, economic actors, and even social movements. How did the Philippines come to identify itself with the Southeast Asian region? Why is it part of the regional group Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN)?

Countries, Regions, and Globalization 1. Regions - A group of countries located in the same geographically specified area; or - “An amalgamation of 2 regions (or) a combination of more than 2 regions” organized to regulate and “oversee flows and policy choices.” 2. Regionalization - “Regional concentration of economic flows” 3. Regionalism - “A political process characterized by economic policy cooperation and coordination among countries.” Countries respond economically and politically to globalization in various ways:  Some are large enough and have a lot of resources to dictate how they participate in processes of global integration.  Other countries make up their small size by taking advantage of their strategic location.  In most cases, however, countries form a regional alliance. Countries form regional associations for several reasons:  For military defense  Ex: North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO); Warsaw Pact  To pool their resources, get better return for their exports as well as expand their leverage against trading partners  Ex: The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)  To protect their independence from the pressures of superpower politics\  Ex: Non-Aligned Movement (NAM)  Economic Crisis  Ex: Thai economy collapsed in 1996 Non-State Regionalism -

This “new regionalism” varies in form. They can be: “Ttiny associations that include no more than a few actors and focus on a single issue”; or

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“Huge continental unions that address a multitude of common problems from territorial defense to food security.” Rely on the power of individuals, NGOs, and associations to link up with one another in pursuit of a particular goal(s). Identified with reformists who share the same “values, norms, institutions, and system that exist outside of the traditional, established mainstream institutions and systems.”

Strategies and tactics also vary:  Some organizations partner with governments to initiate social change. Those who work with governments (“legitimizers”) participate in “institutional mechanisms that afford some civil society groups voice and influence (in) technocratic policy-making processes.”  Ex: ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights  Others dedicate their causes to specialized causes.  Ex: Rainforest Foundation Regional Interfaith Youth Networks -

New regionalism differs significantly from traditional state-to-state regionalism when it comes to identifying problems. Ex: Treatment of poverty and environmental degradation Another challenge for new regionalist is the discord that may emerge among them. Ex: Gender and religion

Contemporary Challenges to Regionalism Regionalism faces multiple challenges:  Resurgence of militant nationalism and populism  The most serious  Ex: the refusal to dismantle NATO after the collapse of the Soviet Union has become the basis of the anti-NATO rhetoric of Vladimir Putin in Russia. Regionalism faces multiple challenges:  Continuing financial crisis  Most-crisis-ridden  Ex: The crisis experiencing by the EU is forcing countries like Greece to consider leaving the Union to gain more flexibility in their economic policy. Regionalism faces multiple challenges:  Continue to disagree over the extent to which member countries should sacrifice their sovereignty for the sake of regional stability  Ex: ASEAN countries disagreed over how to relate to China, with the Philippines unable to get the other countries to support its condemnation of China’s occupation of the West Philippine Sea.

Regionalism faces multiple challenges:  Differing visions of what regionalism should be for  Western governments see regional organizations not simply as economic formations but also as instruments of political democratization.  Non-western and developing societies, however, may have a different view regarding globalization, development, and democracy. Conclusions  Official regional associations cover vast swaths of the world.  The countries will find it difficult to reject all forms of global economic integration, it will also be hard for them to turn their backs on their regions.  Regional associations emerge as new global concerns arise.  The future of regionalism will be contingent on the immense changes in global politics that will emerge in the 21st century....