» Towards a people oriented ASEAN
From February 20 to 22, 2009 the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Peoples' Forum and ASEAN Civil Society Conference 4 (APF/ACSC4) will be held on in Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, during the weekend before the 14th ASEAN Summit. APF is a platform for direct People-to-People interactions of civil society organisations and social movements across Southeast Asia. The new ASEAN Charter calls for a "people oriented ASEAN in which all sectors of society are encouraged to participate in, and benefit from, the process of ASEAN integration and community building" (Art. 1.13). For ASEAN to become a truly "people oriented" regional organization, affective engagement with members of the regions civil society is required. The ASEAN Peoples' Forum aims to facilitate community participation and concerns into ASEAN (more on APF/ASC4, APF/ACSC4 Programme).