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here is nothing unusual about encountering people running and strolling around at the National Monument (Monas) on a Sunday morning, but what unfolded on Sunday was extraordinary. More than 1000 people took part in the ASEAN Fun Run and Village organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to celebrate the ASEAN Anniversary. Most were Indonesian, but there were also many runners who hailed from other ASEAN member states and dialogue partners. After the run there was a cultural and culinary exhibition dubbed the ASEAN Village, where visitors could behold exquisite merchandise from ASEAN countries, inquire about various histories and tourism opportunities, savor regional dishes and revel in the stunning performances of groups from ASEAN member states.

The event was as exhilarating as it was captivating, but above all it served as a platform to further promote and raise awareness among people of the imminent arrival of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) 2015.

The governments of ASEAN countries undoubtedly play an important role in bringing about the ASEAN community, but needless to say it is the people of ASEAN who should be the backbone of the venture. Thousands of meetings between ASEAN government officials would be hollow if the people across ASEAN remained in the dark as to what ASEAN was and if they did not feel that despite differences they were in the same boat.

A robust sense of ownership among the people in ASEAN would foster cross-border engagement and contact, which is is the foundation for greater business partnerships, migrant workers movements, educational exchanges and a myriad other cooperation efforts that would yield tremendous benefits for the people of ASEAN. Events like the ASEAN Fun Run and Village will be increasingly pivotal in ensuring that people are at the center of the AEC 2015. We need to provide more arenas for people to partake in the journey to its birth.

As I was immersed in the festivities yesterday, I could not help but think that the event was also an embodiment of what ASEAN was going through. As the clock ticks down toward the formation of AEC, ASEAN members states cannot afford to drag feet or move at a snail'€™s pace. In short, just like what the more than 1000 people did yesterday, ASEAN should now run and even kick into overdrive.

Indonesia must boost the competitiveness of its economy through a variety of means, including revamping infrastructure and striving to climb up the value chain. We should also endeavor to bring ASEAN into the light by involving more citizens.

Only after we run and go the extra mile can we arrive at the true '€œASEAN Village'€. Unlike cities, villages are not merely seen as places to earn a living; villages evoke the image of home and togetherness. The visitors of the exhibition indeed felt like birds of a feather who had flocked together.

That should be our ultimate goal: To have a community where people from different ASEAN countries no longer perceive each other as '€œothers'€, but who believe that irrespective of nationality, they belong to the same family.

Dimas Muhamad
Jakarta