NON STATE

REGIONALISM
 NON STATE REGIONALISM

• It is not only states that agree to work together in the

name of a single cause.
• Communities also engage
in regional organizing
THE NEW REGIONALISM VARIES IN
FORM:

• Tiny associations that includes few actors and focused

on a single issue
• Ex – environmental concerns, military, sports, food
• Huge continental unions that address a multitude of
common problems
• Ex. United Nations
 NON STATE REGIONALISM

• Rely on the power of individuals, NGO’s and associations

to link up with one another in pursuit of a particular goal
• Identified with reformists who share the same values,
norms, institutions and systems
• Ex. Terrorists groups, Masons, religious,
 THEY ALSO VARY IN TACTICS

**Some partner with governments to initiate social

change
• Ex. ASEAN on Human rights declaration, NAFTA
(North American Free Trade Agreement)
 THEY ALSO VARY IN TACTICS
**Some dedicate themselves to specialized causes
• Ex. Activists across Central and South America established the
Rainforest Foundation to protect indigenous peoples and
rainforests in certain countries like Brazil, Peru, etc.
• Ex. Regional Interfaith Youth Networks – young Christians to promote
conflict prevention
• Ex. Migrant Forum – promoting the rights and welfare of migrant
workers
 CHALLENGES
1. Primary power lies in their moral standing and their ability to combine
lobbying with pressure politics. Unfortunately, some are poorly financed.
2. Discord that may emerge among them
• Ex. Issues like gender and religion. Groups that side with the church
opposed to reproductive rights and other pro women policies
• Some countries Refused to recognize rights of undocumented
migrants from Migrant Forum lobbying for their rights
 OTHER CONTEMPORARY
CHALLENGES
3. Resurgence of militant nationalism and populism
• The refusal to dismantle NATO after the collapse of Soviet
Union
4. European Union – continuing financial crisis is forcing
countries like Greece to leave the Union to gain more
flexibility in their economic policy. Brexit of UK.
 OTHER CONTEMPORARY
CHALLENGES
5. ASEAN Members sovereignty and disagreements in treating China
• Receiving aid, favoring diplomacy over condemnation.
6. Differing visions of what regionalism should be for.
• Western govts – simply an economic formations but also an instrument
of political democratization
• Non Western. Singapore, China and Russia see democracy as an obstacle to
the implementation of economic globalization because of constant public
inquiry about economic projects and lengthy.
 OTHER CONTEMPORARY
CHALLENGES
7. Countries will find it difficult to reject all forms of
global economic integration and it will be hard for them
to turn their backs on their regions.
Ex. UK leaving EU, it must still continue to trade with its
neighbors and will therefore be bound to implement EU
rules