The document summarizes a proposed workshop on reframing understandings of the South China Sea. The workshop will examine the South China Sea from perspectives of resources, history, and culture. It will compare the South China Sea to other "mediterranean seas" and look at how it facilitated trade, migration, and cultural exchange in history. The goal is to foster research on cooperation rather than conflict over the South China Sea by providing new cultural and historical perspectives. The workshop will be held at Universiti Brunei Darussalam from November 11-13, 2013 and consist of sessions on the South China Sea's resources, history as a mediterranean sea, and status as a cultural area.