Asian and European Liberals Converge in Manila

Last 8-9 November 2013, the Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats (CALD) and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) converged in Manila, Philippines for the 6^th CALD-ALDE Meeting.  This was the second time that Manila hosted such biennial gathering since Asian and European liberals first met in Brussels, Belgium in 2004.  The 2013 Manila meeting, however, was made more special as it coincided with CALD’s 20^th anniversary celebration.

The theme of the event focused on the increasing shift of global power to Asia and how countries in Asia and external actors are responding to this development.  More specifically, the meeting discussed how Asia’s political-security environment, economic clout, and regional integration impact on strategic relations between Asia and Europe.  The objective was for CALD and ALDE to come up with a common understanding and response to the changing dynamics of global and regional power relations.

The meeting commenced with the ALDE-CALD Partnership Dinner, hosted by the ALDE Group on 8 November.  In his welcome speech, ALDE Party President Sir Graham Watson recalled how their visits to Asia had given them “a taste of liberalism, Asian style”.  CALD Chair Sam Rainsy, in his response, expressed his gratitude to Watson for spearheading the 1^st CALD-ALDE Meeting in 2004.  He also thanked the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom (FNF) for its support to the inter-regional dialogue through the years.  While the participants were enjoying the sumptuous dinner, the award-winning, classically trained trio “The Sopranos” provided world-class entertainment.

In the morning of 9 November, the 6^th CALD-ALDE Meeting started with a distinguished set of keynote speakers led by Philippine Senate President and former CALD Chair Franklin Drilon.  Drilon described the history of CALD as a journey in pursuit of common democratic aspirations.  He said, “Our core liberal values, among them the protection of the rights of every individual, the rule of law, good governance –these are what defines us. In times of struggles, these are what keep us going. In times of victory, these become our moral compass.”  This was supported by Prof. Dr. Jurgen Morlok, Chair of the FNF Board of Trustees, who said: “I am convinced that cooperation within CALD has helped strengthened liberal policies in many (Asian) countries”.

In the afternoon, three parallel sessions were held on the following topics: (1) Asia’s Political and Security Environment: Avenues for Inter-Regional Cooperation; (2) From BRICS to TIP: Implications for Trade and Investment Policies; and (3) ASEAN Community by 2015: Impact on Asia-Europe Relations.  These sessions were ably facilitated by Philippine Undersecretary for Political Affairs Chito Gascon, Cambodian MP-Elect Saumura Tioulong, and Thai MP Buranaj Smutharaks, who then presented the results of the discussion to the plenary.

The meeting was most appropriately brought to a close by Watson who chose to return to the value of liberalism in his closing keynote address.  He said: “…liberalism offers us… the chance to build and safeguard a free, fair and open society in which we seek to balance the fundamental values of liberty, community and equality of opportunity and in which nobody shall be enslaved by ignorance or poverty or pressure to conform…it is the formula which must be applied to the big challenges of our age.”