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AS tensions escalate between Thailand and Cambodia, science diplomat Glenn Banaguas, chairman of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Science Diplomats, has issued a deeply emotional and urgent appeal for peace, compassion and unity.
Association of Southeast Asian Nations Science Diplomats Chairman Glenn Banaguas. PHOTO COURTESY OF GLENN BANAGUAS
In a time of uncertainty and grief, Banaguas calls on both nations and the entire Asean community to rise above conflict and embrace the healing power of diplomacy, dialogue and shared humanity.
“This is not just a border dispute. It is a heartbreak unfolding in real time,” Banaguas said.
“Behind every headline is a child crying for a parent, a mother praying for her son, a family torn apart by fear. These are not numbers. These are lives. These are dreams,” he continued.
Banaguas expressed profound sorrow over the human cost of the conflict, emphasizing that the pain ripples far beyond political boundaries.
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He described the suffering of displaced families, the trauma etched into the hearts of children, and the silence that follows loss – a silence that diplomacy must not ignore.
“We must not let the silence of diplomacy become the silence of graves. Let us speak loudly, bravely, and with love. Let us remind the world that Asean was born not from conquest, but from compassion,” Banaguas urged.
He called on Thailand and Cambodia to remember their shared history, cultural ties and the enduring spirit of Southeast Asian unity.
Banaguas emphasized that peace is not a passive state, it is an active choice, a daily commitment and a moral responsibility.
In his most stirring appeal, Banaguas championed science diplomacy as a beacon of hope.
“Science diplomacy is more than negotiation, it is empathy in motion, compassion with purpose. It is the quiet courage to reach across divides, even when wounds are fresh and trust is fragile. It is the unwavering belief that knowledge can mend what conflict has broken, and that dialogue –,honest, humble and human – can save not just lives, but futures. In the language of science, we find the grammar of peace,” he said.
Banaguas urged Asean member-states to take a stand not just as observers, but as advocates for peace.
He called on scientists, diplomats, educators and citizens to use their voices, expertise and compassion to build bridges where walls have risen.
“Let us not be indifferent. Let us not be distant. Let us be the hands that hold, the voices that comfort, the minds that solve. Let us be Asean, not just in name but in soul,” he invoked.
He urged with a message of solidarity, resilience and hope.
“To those suffering: know that your pain is felt in every corner of our region. To those grieving: your sorrow is ours, and we mourn with you. To those fighting for peace: we walk beside you, hand in hand, heart to heart. We are one Asean family scarred by conflict but stitched together by compassion. Wounded, yes but never broken. And never alone,” the Asean Science Diplomats chairman concluded.
About Asean Science Diplomats
Asean Science Diplomats is a regional movement committed to peace, security, resilience and sustainability through cross-border collaboration rooted in science and empathy.
Under the leadership of Chairman Glenn Banaguas from the Philippines, the organization empowers scientists, policymakers and communities to work together to solve pressing global challenges and build a future guided by compassion and cooperation.
