Community spirit shapes ASEAN cultural identity
Ms. Nguyen Phuong Hoa – Director General of the International Cooperation Department, Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, asserts that after 57 years of establishment and effort, ASEAN’s most distinctive value is the community spirit that forms the identity of “unity in diversity.”
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| Opening of the ASEAN Cultural Colors Exhibition at the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum in 2022. (Source: NVCC) |
What are your thoughts on the progress of ASEAN cultural cooperation in recent years?
From its inception, ASEAN has focused on enhancing cultural exchanges to deepen understanding of the cultures within and outside the region. ASEAN mobilizes various resources, including those from businesses, international organizations, and dialogue countries, along with the ASEAN Culture Fund, to enrich cultural activities significantly.
In reality, ASEAN’s cultural and arts activities are vibrant and diverse, manifesting through multilateral cooperation mechanisms such as the ASEAN Ministers Responsible for Culture & Arts (AMCA), Senior Officials Meeting for Culture and Arts (SOMCA), and the ASEAN Committee on Culture and Information (COCI).
In recent years, ASEAN has achieved significant cultural cooperation through substantial and focused activities. Member countries have jointly implemented major cultural projects like the ASEAN Art Festival, translation projects of ASEAN literary works, digitization of ASEAN heritage, and the ASEAN Photo Book project.
Besides intra-bloc cooperation, collaborations between ASEAN and its dialogue partners are crucial and highly valued, including projects like the digitization of Hue Monuments, the ASEAN-Korea Music Committee, and continuous activities from 2009 such as the Asian Traditional Orchestra (ASEAN and Korea), the ASEAN - Japan cultural arts training cooperation network, digital archives project for cultural heritage under the ASEAN - Japan cooperation, and the ASEAN - China CAEXPO which aims to strengthen friendship relations between China and ASEAN.
These cultural cooperation results help build the ASEAN Community into a spiritual haven for its ten member countries, fostering closer human connections and contributing to the increasingly substantial development of the ASEAN Community, aligned with international, regional, and national priorities.
What factors contribute to the success of this cooperation?
I believe a strong influence on ASEAN’s cultural development is the regional cultural identity itself. Known as one of the most culturally diverse regions globally, ASEAN’s value after 57 years lies in the community spirit that embodies “unity in diversity.” Over half a century, the initial differences among member countries have gradually given way to dialogue, cooperation, understanding, and sharing. Indeed, whenever we go abroad, we can profoundly feel the ASEAN cultural identity and this community spirit. For instance, during the World Expo 2020 Dubai, ASEAN member countries collectively organized ASEAN Day with a series of events including the opening ceremony and film presentations showcasing the region’s diversity.
At multilateral conferences or forums, ASEAN members always find common ground due to their closeness and shared perspectives. Understanding each other, regular connections, and sharing significantly contribute to the tangible outcomes in cultural cooperation among ASEAN countries.
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| Ms. Nguyen Phuong Hoa - Director of the International Cooperation Department, Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism. |
How has Vietnam contributed to the collective success as an active member?
Vietnam has always promoted initiatives, actively hosted, and coordinated with other ASEAN member states to organize numerous ASEAN cultural and arts activities, reflecting the spirit, identity, unity, and friendship of ASEAN countries with the international community. Each year, the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism actively participates in ASEAN cultural conferences organized on a rotational basis among ASEAN member countries, and diligently implements the Plan of Action to achieve the goals of the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community by 2025 (Project 161).
Notably, in 2022, celebrating the 55th anniversary of ASEAN’s establishment, Vietnam focused on organizing cultural and artistic activities including the ASEAN Cultural Colors Exhibition in Ha Noi; ASEAN Music Festival 2022 in Hoi An, Quang Nam; ASEAN Film Week in Ha Noi, Da Nang, and Ho Chi Minh City; and coordinated with the Hue Festival Organizing Committee to hold the Traditional ASEAN Costume Exhibition.
In 2023, Vietnam participated in the ASEAN Performing Arts Project (BoAPA) 2023, established the ASEAN Heritage Experts Council and a special task force to study the list of ASEAN cultural heritage, and the ASEAN-Korea Cultural Heritage Cooperation Conference; and the ASEAN traditional musical instruments performance project.
Effectively playing the coordinating role in ASEAN – India cultural cooperation from 2015-2018, and ASEAN - Japan from 2018-2021, Vietnam continues to take an active role as the country coordinator for ASEAN - Korea cultural relations from 2021-2024, enhancing cooperation between the film and music industries of ASEAN and Korea, and ASEAN - Korea cultural heritage cooperation; organizing numerous cultural and artistic programs within the framework of the 10th China - ASEAN Theater Week.
Vietnam has been proactive and innovative in integrating ASEAN plans and activities with its national plans, maximizing support from dialogue countries (China, Korea, Japan) and achieving multiple goals in implementing cultural and arts activities in ASEAN cooperation.
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| Cultural cooperation in ASEAN has further bonded people across the ten member countries. (Source: VNA) |
What strategies do ASEAN countries have in cultural cooperation to overcome challenges in maintaining effectiveness, attractiveness, and further bonding among the people in the region?
In a world and region of constant change, activities within the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) continually aim to raise public awareness about ASEAN identity, promoting a culture of tolerance, understanding, and mutual respect.
ASEAN countries will continue to engage with dialogue partners to leverage support and funding for ASEAN’s cultural, artistic, and sports activities. Vietnam will proceed with the implementation of the action plan for 2021-2025 by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, which enacts the project to achieve the goals of the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community by 2025; and the action plan for the project on Promoting and Publicizing ASEAN.
In the future, Vietnam will participate in ASEAN cultural cooperation meetings such as the ASEAN Ministers Responsible for Culture & Arts (AMCA) in 2024 in Malaysia, the Senior Officials Meeting for Culture and Arts (SOMCA) in 2024 and 2025 in Malaysia, the ASEAN Committee on Culture and Information (COCI) in 2024 in Cambodia, and 2025 in Indonesia; and the ASEAN Sub-Committee on Culture (SCC) in 2024 in the Philippines, and 2025 in Singapore.
Additionally, Vietnam will actively engage in projects and programs in cultural and arts cooperation between ASEAN and its dialogue partners; continue its role in coordinating ASEAN-Korea cultural cooperation for 2021-2024; and commence roles in coordinating cultural relations between ASEAN-UK and ASEAN-New Zealand for 2024-2027.
Thank you very much!
