Soon after hosting the 35th Asean Summit and the 14th East Asia Summit and cementing its position at the epicentre of regional decision-making, Bangkok became the regional capital of something often neglected but equally important for the region's future.
At the centre of the Asean Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) Blueprint 2025, one of the strategic pillars of the regional cooperation framework, stands the willingness and desire to promote people-to-people relationships with a strong emphasis on the creativity and ingenuity of the citizens of the region.
The blueprint encourages them to step up with bold and innovative solutions to common challenges, placing their nations on the forefront of the battle to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals or SDGs.
It is no coincidence that Thailand chose "Advancing Partnership for Sustainability" as the theme of its Asean 2019 chairmanship, making a bold commitment to forging new collaborations and synergies that will guarantee a prosperous and sustainable future for citizens of what was a mere economic bloc, but is now becoming an advanced and ambitious community of people.
At the foundations of a stronger social and cultural common area is the desire to further people's well-being through progressive social economic policies which uplift those left behind and simultaneously empower the region's emerging middle class.
An essential thread that can support this ambitious transformation, laying the foundations for strong citizen-driven actions essential to meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at local levels, is volunteerism.
Often misunderstood, volunteerism is the best tool to advance human well-being by supporting people-driven actions centred on the concept of altruism and self-help, targeting the myriad social issues which cannot be solved by governments alone.
Indeed it is more and more evident that the major challenges facing our planet require innovative thinking and solutions that only can stem from cooperation among citizens who are driven by a pure sense of civic devotion.
Volunteerism is probably the oldest form of human endeavour based on mutual cooperation and respect, and founded on a common, shared intent to progress and advance as a community or society.
Recognising the impact that volunteering initiatives can have and supporting the efforts of volunteers across the region should become a key feature of the Asean Socio-Cultural Community.
Try to imagine a single issue or sustainable development goal that would not advance if powered by the thousands of regional social-purpose organisations run by volunteers, and you will soon realise that volunteerism is transformative not only in terms of impact but also in creating new learning pathways for those involved.
But despite their voluntary foundation, these efforts require funding from public and private sources if they are to fulfill their vast potential.
The financial and technical support required for millions of volunteers engaged day in and day out throughout the region should be acknowledged by Asean member states with bold actions on the ground.
Schools and universities throughout the region should embrace volunteerism as a methodology by embedding it in their curricula, making learning and service a key component of students' personal development.
The Asean Secretariat must become far more ambitious, not only in supporting universities and colleges to advance youth-led forms of volunteerism but also by launching a strategy to promote and support volunteerism throughout Southeast Asia.
This Asean Volunteering Strategy -- built from multilayered bottom-up conversations within and among each member state -- could herald a new era of citizen-led social development.
Locally and nationally there is already a rich source of best practices in place in all member countries of the Asean Community.
Exchange programmes and innovative capacity-building support across the region can help cement the best practices and magnify their impacts.
With its many forms, volunteerism can be easily adjusted to suit different local circumstances.
That's why following up on the 16th IAVE Asia Pacific Volunteer Conference, held in Bangkok from Nov 11-15, is vital for Thailand and the entire Asean community.
Hosted by Thailand's Volunteer Spirit Network, the International Association for Volunteer Effort, VSO, the Khon Thai Foundation and the Why I Why Foundation, the conference engaged experts and practitioners in debate to find the best ways to leverage the power of volunteerism, finding new innovative ways to maximise its spillover impact for betterment of people's lives.
The Sustainable Development Goals featured prominently throughout the sessions, with best practices from the region illustrating how volunteerism is often the indispensible "ingredient" to achieving them.
"Unlocking the Power of Volunteering" was the title of one key plenary session, and this should become a top priority if we want an Asean Community centred on people's well-being.
Southeast Asia can truly become a beacon for citizen-led solutions which, starting at the grassroots level, can shape more inclusive and transformational policy-making.
Linking grassroots practices with policy-making and advocacy will remain essential: volunteerism, while often indispensible despite lacking support, works best when it is aligned with government policies, complementing and strengthening them from the bottom.
Let's hope the leaders of the region realise the strategic importance of investing in volunteering efforts for a better, fairer and stronger community of nations, where people's aspirations are matched by actions not just imposed top-down but creatively designed with the ingenuity and hard work of the region's multitude of volunteers.
Simone Galimberti is the co-founder of ENGAGE, an NGO based in Nepal, promoting social inclusion and empowerment among youth. He can be reached at simone_engage@yahoo.com