THE WORLD OF REGIONS

WORLD OF REGIONS ACCORDING TO EDWARD D.

MANSFIELD AND HELENE V. MILNER STATE THAT
ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL DEFINITIONS OF REGIONS
VARY.

WHEN WE SAY A GROUP OF COUNTRIES LOCATED IN SAME

GEOGRAPHICAL OR SPECIFIED AREA OR AN
AMALGAMATION OF TWO REGIONS OR A COMBINATION OF
MORE THAN TWO REGIONS ORGANIZED TO REGULATE
AND OVERSEE THE FLOWS AND POLICY CHOICES WE
REFER IT TO AS REGIONS.

EXAMPLE OF REGIONS ARE EUROPE, CENTRAL AND

EASTERN EUROPE, REGION ASIAN REGION, AFRICAN
REGION, THE MEDITERRANEAN AND THE MIDDLE EAST
AND THE AMERICAS.

WHEN WE SAY A REGIONAL CONCENTRATION OF

ECONOMIC FLOWS, IT IS PROCESS OF DIVIDING AN AREA
INTO SMALLER SEGMENTS CALLED REGIONS, WE ARE
TALKING ABOUT REGIONALIZATION.

WHEN WE SAY A POLITICAL PROCESS CHARACTERIZED BY

ECONOMIC POLICY, COOPERATION AND COORDINATION
AMONG COUNTRIES. WE MEAN THIS AS REGIONALISM.

REGIONALISM FOCUSES ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF A

POLITICAL OR SOCIAL SYSTEM BASED ON ONE OR MORE
REGION.
COUNTRIES/NATIONS RESPOND ECONOMICALLY AND
POLITICALLY TO GLOBALIZATION IN VARIOUS WAYS.

1. SOME COUNTRIES ARE LARGE ENOUGH AND HAVE A

LOT OF RESOURCES TO DICTATE ON HOW THEY
PARTICIPATE IN THE PROCESSES OF GLOBAL
INTEGRATION.

2. OTHER COUNTRIES ALSO MAKE UP THEIR SMALL SIZE

BY TAKING ADVANTAGE THEIR STRATEGIC LOCATION.

ACCORDING TO THE AMBASSADOR TO SINGAPORE,

KATHLEEN MCFARLAND, SINGAPORE SITS STRIDE ONE OF
THE MOST STRATEGICALLY IMPORTANT LOCATIONS IN
THE WORLD. THE ECONOMIC GATEWAY BETWEEN THE
EAST AND THE WEST AS ONE OF THE WORLD'S MOST
IMPORTANT TRADE ROUTES ON THE MALACCA STRAITS
AND IT IS THE WORLD'S LARGEST TRANSHIPMENT PORT

3. IN MOST CASES, HOWEVER, COUNTRIES FORM A

REGIONAL ALLIANCE FOR THEY BELIEVE THAT THERE
IS A STRENGTH IN NUMBERS.

CONTEMPORARY ALLIANCES PROVIDE FOR COMBINED

ACTION ON THE PART OF TWO OR MORE INDEPENDENT
STATES AND ARE GENERALLY DEFENSIVE IN NATURE.
OBLIGATING ALLIES TO JOIN FORCES IF ONE OR MORE OF
THEM IS ATTACKED BY ANOTHER STATE OR COALITION.
FOR MILITARY DEFENSE, THE NATO IS THE MOST WIDELY
KNOWN DEFENSE GROUPING AND IT IS FORMED DURING
COLD WAR.

ANOTHER ALLIANCE FOR MILITARY DEFENSE IS THE

WARSAW PACT THE SOVIET UNION BY THEN RESPONDED
BY CREATING ANOTHER REGIONAL ALLIANCE. THE
WARSAW PACT CONSISTING OF THE EASTERN EUROPEAN
COUNTRIES UNDER THE SOVIET DOMINATION. THE SOVIET
UNION IMPLODED IN DECEMBER 1991 BUT THE NATO STILL
REMAIN IN ITS PLACE.

REGIONAL ALLIANCES ARE FORMED COUNTRIES FORM

REGIONAL ORGANIZATIONS BECAUSE THEY NEED TO PULL
THEIR RESOURCES TO GET WHAT BETTER RETURNS FOR
THEIR EXPORTS AS WELL AS EXPAND THEIR LEVERAGE
AGAINST THE TRADING PARTNERS.

FOR EXAMPLE, THE ORGANIZATION OF THE PETROLEUM

COUNTRIES OR THE OPEC WHICH WAS ESTABLISHED IN
1960. IT WAS ESTABLISHED BY THE COUNTRIES IRAN,
IRAQ, KUWAIT, SAUDI ARABIA, AND VENEZUELA.

THIS REGIONAL ALLIANCE FLEX ITS MUSCLES IN 1970S

WHEN ITS MEMBER COUNTRIES TOOK OVER THE
DOMESTIC PRODUCTION AND DICTATED THE CRUDE OIL
PRICES IN THE WORLD AND THE OPEC'S SUCCESS
CONVINCED THE NINE OTHER OIL PRODUCING COUNTRIES
TO JOIN THEM.
COUNTRIES FORM REGIONAL ALLIANCE TO PROTECT
THEIR INDEPENDENCE FROM THE PRESSURES OF THE
SUPERPOWER POLITICS.

FOR EXAMPLE, THE PRESIDENT OF THE YOGOSLAVIA,

EGYPT, GHANA, AND INDONESIA CREATED THE NAM OR
THE NON-ALLIED MOVEMENT IN 1961. TO PURSUE WORLD
PEACE AND INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION, HUMAN
RIGHTS, NATIONAL SOVEREIGNTY, RACIAL, AND NATIONAL
EQUALITY, AND NON-INTERVENTION AND PEACEFUL
CONFLICT RESOLUTION. THE NAM OR THE NON-ALLIED
MOVEMENT HAD 120 MEMBER COUNTRIES.

FINALLY, ECONOMIC CRISIS COMPELS COUNTRIES TO

COME TOGETHER.

FOR EXAMPLE, THE THAILAND ECONOMY COLLAPSED IN

1996. AFTER IT'S FUR AFTER THE FOREIGN CURRENCY
SPECULATORS AND TROUBLED INTERNATIONAL BANKS
DEMANDED THAT THE THAI GOVERNMENT PAY BACK ITS
LOAN.

THE CRISIS BEGAN TO SPREAD TO OTHER ASIAN

COUNTRIES AS THEIR CURRENCIES WERE ALSO
DEVALUED IN FOREIGN INVESTMENT LEFT IN A HURRY.

WITH THIS THE IMF TRIED TO REVERSE THE CRISIS BUT IT

WAS ONLY AFTER THE ASIAN COUNTRIES WHICH ARE
BRUNEI, CAMBODIA, INDONESIA, LAO, MALAYSIA,
MYANMAR, PHILIPPINES, SINGAPORE, THAILAND, AND
VIETNAM. ALONG WITH CHINA, JAPAN, AND SOUTH KOREA
AGREED TO ESTABLISH AN EMERGENCY FUND TO
ANTICIPATE A CRISIS THAT ASEAN ECONOMISTS
STABILIZED.

IT IS NOT ONLY THE STATES OR COUNTRIES AGREED TO

WORK OR JOIN TOGETHER IN THE NAME OF A SINGLE
CAUSE BECAUSE OF ONE REASON. COMMUNITIES ALSO
ENGAGE IN REGIONAL ORGANIZING.

THIS IS WHAT WE CALL NEAR REGIONALISM. THEY CAN BE

A TINY ASSOCIATION, SMALL ASSOCIATIONS THAT
INCLUDE NO MORE THAN A FEW ACTORS AND FOCUS ON A
SINGLE ISSUE OR HUGE CONTINENTAL UNIONS THAT
ADDRESS A MULTITUDE OF COMMON PROBLEMS FROM
TERRITORIAL DEFENSE TO FOOD SECURITY.

ORGANIZATIONS REPRESENTING THIS NEW REGIONALISM

LIKEWISE RELY ON THE POWER OF INDIVIDUALS. NON-
GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS OR NGOS AND
ASSOCIATIONS TO LINK UP WITH ONE ANOTHER IN
PURSUIT OF A PARTICULAR GOAL.

ALSO THIS NEW REGIONALISM IS IDENTIFIED WITH

REFORMIST WHO SHARES THE SAME VALUES NORMS
INSTITUTIONS AND SYSTEMS THAT EXIST OUTSIDE OF THE
TRADITIONAL AND ESTABLISHED MAINSTREAM
INSTITUTIONS AND SYSTEMS.

SOME ORGANIZATIONS PARTNER WITH GOVERNMENT TO

INITIATE SOCIAL CHANGE.
FOR EXAMPLE, THE ASIAN ISSUED ITS HUMAN RIGHTS
DECLARATION IN 2009, BUT, THE REGIONAL BODY LEFT IT
TO THE MEMBER COUNTRIES TO APPLY THE
DECLARATIONS PRINCIPLES AS THEY SEE IT FIT.

DEMOCRATIC RIGHTS ARE LIMITED IN MANY ASIAN

COUNTRIES SO THIS NEW REGIONALISM ORGANIZATIONS
USE THIS DECLARATION TO PRESSURE THESE
GOVERNMENTS TO PASS LAWS. SOME REGULATIONS
THAT PROTECT AND PROMOTE HUMAN RIGHTS.

EXAMPLES OF THESE REGIONAL ORGANIZATIONS WHICH

DEDICATE THEMSELVES TO SPECIALIZED CAUSES, THESE
ARE THE RAINFOREST FOUNDATION, THE REGIONAL
INTERFAITH YOUTH NETWORKS ORGANIZATION, THE
MIGRANT FORUM IN ASIA.

REGIONALISM FACES MULTIPLE CHALLENGES AND THE

MOST SERIOUS OF WHICH IS THE RESURGENCE OF
MILITANT NATIONALISM AND POPULISM.

THE RELATIONSHIP FOR EXAMPLE OF THE UNITED STATE,

THE ALLIANCE CORE MEMBER WITH THE NATO HAS
BECOME PROBLEMATIC AFTER DONALD TRUMP
DEMONIZED THE ORGANIZATION AS SIMPLY HE BELIEVED
THAT IT IS JUST LEECHING AMERICAN MILITARY POWER
WITHOUT GIVING ANYTHING IN RETURN.

ANOTHER EXAMPLE IS THE MOST CRISIS-RIDDEN

REGIONAL ORGANIZATION TODAY IS THE EUROPEAN
UNION. THE CONTINUING FINANCIAL CRISIS OF THE
REGIONS FORCING COUNTRIES LIKE GREECE TO
CONSIDER LEAVING THE UNION WHO GAIN MORE
FLEXIBILITY IN THEIR ECONOMIC POLICY.

ANTI-IMMIGRANT SENTIMENT AND A POPULAR POPULIST

CAMPAIGN AGAINST EUROPE HAVE ALREADY LED TO THE
UNITED KINGDOM VOTING TO LEAVE THE EUROPEAN
UNION IN THE MOVE THE MEDIA HAS TURNED THE BREXIT.

ASEAN MEMBERS ALSO CHALLENGE REGIONALISM IN ASIA,

THE ASEAN MEMBERS CONTINUE TO DISAGREE OVER THE
EXTENT TO WHICH MEMBER COUNTRIES SHOULD
SACRIFICE THEIR SOVEREIGNTY FOR THE SAKE OF
REGIONAL STABILITY.

RECENTLY ASEAN COUNTRIES ALSO DISAGREED OVER

HOW TO RELATE TO CHINA SO WITH THE PHILIPPINES AND
ABLE TO GET OTHER COUNTRIES SUPPORT THE
CONDEMNATION OF CHINA'S OCCUPATION IN THE WEST
PHILIPPINE SEA.

THE FINAL CHALLENGE TO REGIONALISM IS THE

DIFFERING VISIONS OF WHAT REGIONALISM SHOULD BE
FOR THE WESTERN GOVERNMENTS. FOR THE WESTERN
GOVERNMENTS THEY SEE REGIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NOT SIMPLY AS ECONOMIC FORMATIONS BUT ALSO AN
INSTRUMENT OF POLITICAL DEMOCRATIZATION.

ON THE OTHER HAND, THE NON-WESTERN AND

DEVELOPING SOCIETIES HOWEVER MAY HAVE A
DIFFERENT VIEW REGARDING GLOBALISM.
GLOBALIZATION DEVELOPMENT LIKE SINGAPORE, CHINA
AND RUSSIA, THEY SEE DEMOCRACY AS AN OBSTACLE TO
THE IMPLEMENTATION AND THE DEEPENING OF
ECONOMIC GLOBALIZATION BECAUSE CONSTANT PUBLIC
INQUIRY ABOUT ECONOMIC PROJECTS AND LENGTHY
DEBATE SLOW DOWN THE IMPLEMENTATION OR LEAD TO
UNCLEAR OUTCOMES.
THE FACTORS OR THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
GLOBALIZATION AND REGIONALISM IS THAT
GLOBALIZATION AS WE ALL KNOW, SIGNIFIES THE EVENTS
RELATING TO THE GLOBE ALL OVER THE WORLD AND IT IS
THE WAY COUNTRIES AND PEOPLE OF THE WORLD
INTERACT OR INTEGRATE.

WHILE THE TERM REGIONALIZATION REFERS TO THE

EVENT ACROSS REGIONS THAT ARE SUB-GLOBAL LIKE
EUROPE, NORTHERN AMERICA, AMAZON IN BRAZIL.

THESE REGIONS ARE FORMED BY TWO FACTORS, WE

HAVE THE PHYSICAL AND CULTURAL FACTORS. PHYSICAL
IS DEFINED BY THE LANDFORMS LIKE CONTINENT,
MOUNTAIN RANGES, SOIL, NATURAL VEGETATIONS.

ANOTHER ONE REGIONS ARE FORMED BECAUSE OF

CULTURAL FACTOR WHICH IS DISTINGUISHED BY SUCH
TRAITS, LANGUAGES, POLITICS, RELIGIONS, ECONOMIC
AND INDUSTRIES.
THESE REGIONS ARE KEPT TOGETHER THROUGH THE
FOLLOWING, NATURAL FACTOR, HISTORY FACTOR,
ADMINISTRATION AND COMMUNICATION.

WE HAVE ALSO THESE FACTORS WHICH LEADS TO THE

GREATER INTEGRATION OF THE ASEAN REGION LIKE
TRADE, SIMILAR CULTURE, COMMON GOALS, MUTUAL
BELIEFS, SIMILAR SECURITY AND SIMILAR SECURITY
NEEDS.
INDEED, THE HISTORY OF REGIONALISM SHOWS THAT
REGIONAL ASSOCIATIONS EMERGE AS THE NEW GLOBAL
CONCERN ARISE. THE FUTURE OF THIS REGIONALISM WILL
BE CONTINGENT ON THE IMMENSE CHANGES IN THE
GLOBAL POLITICS THAT WILL EMERGE IN THE 21 ST
CENTURY.