We need to communicate ourselves with coherence and credibility to the rest of the world because that is one way to achieve a familiarity that invites lasting respect and cooperation. But, more important, we need to communicate with ourselves, so that we may be able to deepen our awareness and appreciation of one another, of our one-ness, and of the fact that we are inexorably moving toward a shared destiny. Thus, communication inspires and facilitates concerted action as well as individual striving for excellence among our citizens. Through this process of communication and reflection, we can also ease the integration of our political and economic goals with our social, cultural and environmental objectives.

Ours is a story worth telling: the saga of our survival and growth as an Association in spite of the turmoil of our region's contemporary history, our audacious experiment in multi-culturalism and pluralism, and the myriad unsung projects of cooperation that we trust will make a difference in the lives of half a billion people in this part of the world.

We have the means to tell that story-our personal contacts, the mass media, art events and performances, and our own publications like the "ASEAN InterFace."

We have a good reason for telling it. Let us tell it well.

RODOLFO C. SEVERINO, JR.
Secretary-General of ASEAN