Promoting de-escalation and shared prosperity in the Persian Gulf may seem arduous now. It once looked that way in Southeast Asia, too
Forged in the thick of the Cold War, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) shows that even the most conflict-ridden regions can gradually transform into havens of prosperity and relative stability. The combination of trauma from war, visionary leadership and shared prosperity inspired Asean to engage and even integrate its bitter enemies, most notably post-war Vietnam.