Asian Regional Exchange for New Alternatives

Description

"ARENA is a regional network of concerned Asian scholars – academics, intellectuals, activists, researchers, writers, and artists – which aims to contribute to a process of awakening towards meaningful and people-oriented social change

ARENA is a unique ngo because it has chosen to focus on the concerned Asian scholar as its immediate constituency, believing that this sector can play a vital role in the process of social transformation

ARENA redefines concerned Asian scholar to refer to individuals capable of conceptualising, theorising, analysing, interpreting and articulating issues and concerns as direct participants of or in support of struggles for social transformation in the interests of disadvantaged peoples

ARENA draws its members from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong sar , China, Australia and the us.

ARENA advocates alternative paradigms and development strategies which:

1. promote equity among social class, caste, ethnic groups and gender 2. strengthen popular participation in public life as against authoritarian centralisation 3. prevent marginalisation of communities in the face of incursions by modernising influences 4. improve the quality of life for Asia’s underprivileged 5. nurture ecological consciousness 6. draw upon aspects of indigenous knowledge systems which enhance social emancipation 7. articulate new visions encompassing a holistic world view." (http://blog.world-citizenship.org/wp-archive/275)