youronlyone Mod , 1 month ago to Philippines, the Pearl of the Orient Seas

From 2010 to 2017, there was a thing called #AseanCitizen that we Aseans started as a grassroots movement. We were all bloggers from across, well, #ASEAN or South-East Asia.

Some of us joined together to produce one of the best multi-authored regional blogs. We talked about our cultures, write about what makes the region awesome. As well as, try to address the oftentimes silly and sometimes heated debates.

It's all gone now. Forgotten. The blogs dead or offline. We all grew up, got busy with our personal lives, and moved on separately. And the important reason? We lost interest in it as we started to see ASEAN was, is, and will never be for the grassroots.

That was the end of what was once a vibrant grassroot ASEAN Citizens effort. We did it all voluntarily. Without a single recognition from the top-down organisation that is ASEAN.

I had friends from #Cambodia, #Laos, #VietNam, #Thailand, #Singapore, #Malaysia, #Indonesia, #Brunei, and yes, even from #Myanmar (#Burma). (I'm from the #Philippines.) It was fun. It was not tiring at all. It was because we saw a bright future for ASEAN, and we believed in it completely.

But today? ASEAN is still a top-down organisation. They kept trying to get the grassroots involved, but they are always failing. Why? Because it is a top-down organisation, as simple as that. They will never understand until they shift their mindset and approach to bottom-up.

Who is ASEAN really for?

#RandomThoughts

(P.S I want to restart this grassroots movement, but I just no longer have the spark. Give me a very good reason why I should give it another chance. Or, at least, guide the new generation.)

#TootSEA @asean @pilipinas @philippines @pinoy #T2pub