STRENGTHENING COUNSELORS SPIRITUALITY IN FACING ASEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY (AEC)

Abstract

There is an anxiety to face ASEAN Economic Community (AEC). This is natural reaction when we see our readiness to face competition compared with other ASEAN countries. Such manner already exists since the inception of ASEAN in 1967. The anxiety would be a reasonable thing to the enactment of MEA, considering not all the people know what the MEA is. The survey results indicate that the stakeholder both the central government, local government, academia, and society in this country is still relatively have low understanding and knowledge about the ASEAN Economic community (AEC). It is ironic, other ASEAN countries has been intensely preparing steps needed to face AEC, while the majority of the Indonesian people do not know what it is. Modern life along with science, technology and economic progress experienced by Western nations turned out to have caused various situations of life that does not give happiness and a growing sense of inner emptiness. The counselor existence in the counseling today, should be able to develop its human resources, so it is able to answer the problem to encounter global competition of ASEAN Economic Community (AEC). Spiritual counseling and guidance counselors as an alternative solution to deal with the AEC which fully loaded with interest and ability/professionalism in various occupations faced.