Regionalism and its Challenges

Regionalism

• Regionalism is a political and economic phenomenon that favors a specific region over a larger area.
• It is a political ideology motivated by shared identities, ethics, religion, ecological sustainability, or health stability.
• Formation of regionalism is inspired by socially emergent issues that need to be addressed.
• Basic features of regionalism include a group of countries located in the same geographically specified area, cooperation, coordination, and the establishment of formal institutions or agreements to address shared challenges or promote mutual interests.

Regionalism vs Regionalization

• Regionalism is the expression of a common identity or purpose among countries in a specific region.
• Regionalization refers to the process of creating or strengthening a specific geographic region involving the increased interdependence and integration of countries within that region.
• The motivations for forming regions vary, and it serves as a way of coping with globalization for both lesser-developed and developed countries.

Global Divides: The North and the South

• The Global North encompasses the developed societies of Europe and North America, characterized by established democracy, wealth, technological advancement, and dominance in world trade and politics.
• The Global South is a metaphor for interstate inequality and a concept created by the West, referring to developing countries, particularly in the southern hemisphere, comprising Africa, Latin America, Asia, and the Middle East.

Non-State Regionalism

• Involves countries forming alliances based on common motivations, irrespective of their geographic proximity.

Globalization and Regionalization

• Globalization and regionalization are similar, but they differ in scope; globalization refers to worldwide integration, while regionalization focuses on a specific geographical region.

World of Ideas

• Religion is a binding form of networks that have intensified people's sense of community across the world.

Asian Regionalism

• Asian regionalism is a recent concept among continental communities, fortified by the establishment of collaborations and cooperation founded on mutual respect.

Study of Religion

• Involves the study of religious practices, customs, beliefs, and rituals in the context of social structures such as religious institutions, education, community, and family.
• According to Emile Durkheim, religion is a unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things.
• Elements in defining religion include:
  • Beliefs that some things are sacred
  • Practices (rituals) centered on the things considered sacred
  • A moral community (a church) resulting from a group's beliefs and practices
  • The formation of solidarity

The Calvinist Tradition

• The doctrine of predestination; the belief that God has planned and willed all events, often in relation to the ultimate destiny of each person's soul.
• Calvinists sought confirmation of God's favor by associating it with financial success, considering it a sign of divine approval.

The Protestant Ethic

• Refers to the importance placed on diligent labor, frugality, and effectiveness in one's worldly pursuits.
• The spirit of capitalism is the desire to accumulate capital and to constantly reinvest it, not to spend it.

Connection between Religion and Economic Structures

• Max Weber's Protestant Ethics and the Spirit of Capitalism theorizes how the moral principles of disciplined Protestantism connect to the rise of modern capitalism.

Religion and Globalization

• Globalization has freed communities from the constraints of the nation-state, but it threatens to destroy the cultural system that binds them together.

• Religion seeks to take the place of these broken "traditional ties" to help communities cope with their new situation.

• Religion can provide the "moral codes" answering problems like people's health and personal happiness.

• It is an instrument with which religious people can put their mark on the reshaping of this globalizing world.### Religious Tolerance and Intolerance

• A belief exists that being religious is not necessarily something to celebrate, as it has the potential to harm people.

• The Siopaoists, a group, demanded that the image of the Almighty Quantum Siopao be displayed around the campus for equality of representation.

• A study by Dr. Cornelia and Dr. Aldama found that two-thirds of Filipinos believe that religion brings more conflict than peace.

Intolerance and Strong Religious Beliefs

• Individuals with strong religious beliefs tend to be more intolerant.
• A government institution, like UP, is argued to either allow relics from all religions to be displayed or none at all to promote equality.