Plural Co-existence Research

Southeast Asia is rich in its diversity of ethnic, religious and cultural composition. The region has maintained the coexistence of such diversity while at the same time achieving economic progress and becoming a hub for the flow of people, goods, money and information. Yet at present, the region is also confronted with serious issues such as the decrease of biodiversity and tropical forests, disasters, pandemics, aging population, ethnic and religious conflicts, economic differentiation and poverty. In the face of this, how is coexistence and sustainability possible despite the diversity that exists?

To research the above, we will promote the study of plural coexistence which dynamically connects the global and the local in order to address the political and economic imbalances of globalization. How can we make public resources out of the region’s social foundations which are the basis of people’s everyday lives? How can we connect these in a complementary way with existing systems of governance towards solving the problems and issues mentioned above?