Southeast Asian grassroots leaders urged the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to prioritize human rights and social protection as the region combats the global financial crisis and faces the damage brought by recent calamities,
reports. The grassroots leaders, who gathered for a round-table discussion at the Asian Institute of Management in the Philippines, called for ASEAN leaders to focus on creating quality jobs and providing adequate food, quality education, universal health service, decent housing, and access to electricity and water.
