There are three axes around which Asian unity has been conceived: the cultural and for some in the earlier period, even racial unity of Asian peoples; the powerful anti-imperialist movement that developed across Asia during the first 60 years of the 20^th century; and finally, the interdependency within the region and with the rest of the world.

The presentation will track the fate of the earlier modes of building Asia. 20^th century efforts focused on cultural and political projects and were not founded on material interdependence whether for enrichment or collaborative solutions. The presentation will also consider the present and future bases of interdependence in order to ground Asian cultural and political consciousness upon this hard and urgent substratum.