(This was an essay I passed for an international program which I unfortunately did not qualify for. That was a bummer. But oh well, might as well post this.)
"Never mind the fact that building international partnerships in itself is beneficial in various ways. And never mind that harnessing the relational capability of today's youth could lead to endless developments across the board, but encouraging a partnership between the youth sectors in India and the ASEAN specifically could be one of the most brilliant propositions to come about in the realm of asian development. This thrust could not only help build bridges in the individual level, but it would mean creating strong, long-term connections on an international level.
Most people would brush it off as typical International Relations, and that it wouldn't be much different than creating bonds with other countries. But I personally beg to differ.
How so? Three main reasons:
Firstly, there is an unspoken, over-arching camaraderie present between asian countries, especially those in East/South-East Asia. Not only do we have similar colonial pasts, which has imbued its fair share of intrinsic values towards the people of ASEAN and India, but our own cultures in itself hold high value towards similar things in life (i.e. Religion, Family, Honor). This means that off the bat, there is an existing kindredness between both parties. There is an already-existing brotherhood present even before we say our first hellos. These similarities are what brings us together despite the distance, and will all the more bind us when we put more effort into bridging that distance.
Secondly, the differences that exist between these cultures actively compliment each other. The subtle nuances in our ways of life allow us to remind ourselves to keep our minds open to these differences. These, accompanied with the said similarities, helps create this dynamic relationship wherein one does not become too intimidated with the unfamiliarity to shun away any form of interaction, and does not become too familiar to not expect anything new from the relationship. This leads us not only to establish a brotherly connection, but a learning one as well.
And finally, our present circumstances allow us to draw ourselves nearer to each other. Developing nations, all working together in finding ways to make lives easier for everyone. Countries just brimming with potential, sharing ideas that could change the course of modern history. This amount of fresh interaction and discourse can be at the very least, groundbreaking. And who best bring all these ideas together but the youth? The very ones that hold the potential. The very entity the future relies on.
Regardless of however these countries may approach the interaction, the important part is that interaction DOES happen. That sharing WOULD be a reality. Because we can't really lose out on the opportunity to harness the youth resource we have. We are asian, after all. The melting pot of development and innovation. If this plan would be done right, and with the intended key-players actively involved, the future is not only bright in the national sense, but brilliant in the global perspective."
