The Future of Southeast Asia

On Monday, March 19, in Garland I had the opportunity to attend the Future of Southeast Asia: Exploring Issues of Religion, Politics, and Territories with a series of panelist experts in the area.

Reza Aslan, New York Times bestselling author, public intellectual, television producer, and religious studies scholar spoke on the role of religion in the future of the region, especially in Muslim Indonesia and the country's unique demographic religiously and culturally. A member of the American Academy of Religion, Aslan has published  No god but God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam, Beyond Fundamentalism: Confronting Religious Extremism in the Age of Globalization, and Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth, and God: A Human History.

Endang Wirawan, Consul General of Los Angeles, is the cultural representative of Indonesia with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. She provided a unique Indonesian perspective on values and issues facing them as well as the region.

George Dutton, UCLA professor in the Department of Asian Languages and Cultures specializes in te history of Vietnam as well as contemporary religion in Southeast Asia. He is also a member of the Association for Asian Studies, where he represents the region.

Tanee Sangrat, Thai Consul General of Los Angeles, serves as organizer of cultural and scholastic partnerships and events with the US and Thailand. 

Thomas Malayil works in commercial real estate as the Managing Director of Indo-Pacific Partners Limited at TCM Property Advisory LLC.

The event was divided into two panels: "Politics and International Relations" and "Religion." The night really opened my eyes to the cultural, economic, and international issues Southeast Asia faces as the countries within it continue to develop and move into the future. My own experiences with family and service in the Philippines allowed me to have some perspective heading into the night, but the panelists' insight and specifics really prompted a lot of further knowledge and curiosity!