AWARENESS: International Day of Action for Rivers [14 March]

Adopted by participants of the first International Meeting of People Affected by Dams, March 1997 in Curitiba, Brazil, the International Day of Action for Rivers is a time for community members, civil society and organizations like us to celebrate the value of healthy rivers, and educate and spread awareness about the conservation of our watersheds and the importance of equitable and sustainable management of rivers and waterways. Today we recognize the 21st annual Day of Action, an event that directly connects with much of work we do here at the Center for Social Development Studies. 

As one can probably tell from following our work and posts, we are quite passionate about the work and research we do on the region's rivers, particularly the Salween and Mekong Rivers, as well as the communities that depend on them for life and livelihoods and the unique but heavily threatened ecosystems that are located along these basins. Most recently the Center and its partners held a special workshop in Yangon, Myanmar on the present state and future of the Salween (Thanlwin) River, bringing together over 60 participants to debate and present research and findings about a great diversity of topics related to this important waterway, with the hope that policy and actions would eventually make their way up to official decision-makers with the goal of creating greater ownership for the river, leading to better planning and conservation of both the natural ecologies and human settlements.

In 2017 CSDS helped support a special project called "Salween Stories," with the aim to use locally produced multimedia to tell the stories of the unique individuals and communities that live along the river. From Yunnan, China to the border regions of Thailand/Myanmar, this unique method of storytelling takes visitors to remote and often mystical locations around Southeast Asia to explore the lifestyles, myths and issues all stemming from one of the world's most important and threatened rivers. Visit their website to be transported to Hpa-an, Mae Sam Laep, Mong Pan and Nujiang. 

Spring 2018 marks the end of one of CSDS's most prominent, practical and most riparian-focused programs, the Salween Water Governance Fellowship, which brought together dozens of researchers based in Thailand and Myanmar, focused on strengthening networks between university researchers and civil society groups, and contributing to the empowerment of local communities. Last year's Greater Mekong WLE Forum saw the culmination of these projects with presentation from all research fellows which marks a major milestone in both the Center's vision and the achievements of the individuals and the work they represent. The policy briefs based on the research undertaken for this project can be found and downloaded here. 

The Center for Social Development Studies also welcomes you to visit our Publications sector to explore a great deal more research and information centered around rivers and the people who live on or around them.

AWARENESS: International Women's Day [8 March]

By Robert Irven

"This year, International Women’s Day comes on the heels of unprecedented global movement for women’s rights, equality and justice. Sexual harassment, violence and discrimination against women has captured headlines and public discourse, propelled by a rising determination for change." -United Nations

Today marks the celebration of International Women's Day, a day in which we should reflect on the progress made, to call for change and to celebrate acts of courage, resilience and determination by both ordinary and extraordinary women who have played an important role in the history of their countries, society and local communities. This year, the theme of today's celebrations and events is "Time is Now: Rural and urban activists transforming women’s lives,” which puts an emphasis on the importance women play in the development of both parts of society. "Echoing the priority theme of the upcoming 62nd session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women, International Women’s Day will also draw attention to the rights and activism of rural women, who make up over a quarter of the world population, and are being left behind in every measure of development." (United Nations, 2018)

As our Center is a strong believer and advocate for human rights, women's rights, and the ongoing struggle to achieve them in full, certainly falls under this overarching theme, and much of our past and current work focuses on gender and its connection to development in the region. The subject of gender, often combined to create a nexus of justice, development or equality, were touched upon in a variety of our publications, most notably from our Salween Fellowship researchers. From various blogs, to policy briefs on the topics of  "Gender and Hydropower: Women’s Rights in the Development Discourse" or "Large Hydropower Projects in Ethnic Areas in Myanmar: Placing Community Participation and Gender Central to Decision-Making," the Center for Social Development Studies continues to put gender and the importance of having women at the forefront of development and decision-making processes as a main priority of our research and projects.

For more information about International Women's Day 2018 and additional downloadable resources, please visit the official United Nations website.

Video message by H.E. Mr. António Guterres, United Nations Secretary-General, on the occasion of International Women's day 2018.

AWARENESS: World Day of Social Justice [20 February]

By Robert Irven

"Social justice is an underlying principle for peaceful and prosperous coexistence within and among nations. We uphold the principles of social justice when we promote gender equality or the rights of indigenous peoples and migrants. We advance social justice when we remove barriers that people face because of gender, age, race, ethnicity, religion, culture or disability." -United Nations

These words help us set the context to mark the World Day of Social Justice 2018, a day to bring awareness to the fight for seeking social justice for the development and human dignity of all those around the world. This year, a special theme has been set: Workers on the Move: the Quest for Social Justice. Considering the increasing numbers of those on the move, whether they be migrants, refugees or the many who sit in the grey area in between, one cannot deny that this issue is one that has much importance, both currently and for the foreseeable future. In 2007, the General Assembly proclaimed 20 February as the World Day of Social Justice, inviting Member States to devote the day to promoting national activities in accordance with the objectives and goals of the World Summit for Social Development and the twenty‐fourth session of the General Assembly. Observance of World Day of Social Justice should support efforts of the international community in poverty eradication, the promotion of full employment and decent work, gender equity and access to social well‐being and justice for all.

Here at the CSDS, one of our main themes of work centers around "Human Rights, Human Security & Justice," an area which we believe is relevant in every part of daily life, and a subject that must be kept in the foreground of any development discussion or project. A major project that was recently completed titled "Transboundary Rivers: Arenas of Justice" focused on using a specific rights-based approach to the food-water-energy nexus that exists within and around the region's major waterways, allowing for difficult yet important discussions around these topics to be had. 

Research out of our Salween Fellowship program has also produced a variety of publications focused on the topic of justice, which can be found for viewing and download here. As this years' events also center around the topic of movement, the newly launched booked "Living with Floods in a Mobile Southeast Asia: A Political Ecology of Vulnerability, Migration and Environmental Change” also provides an in-depth look at how national and regional policy-agendas and responses to environmental disaster and climate change-related hazards are adding to the complexities of human mobility in Southeast Asia. Dive deeper into a conversation about water justice in Laos with the book chapter Arenas of Water Justice on Transboundary Rivers: A Case Study of the Xayaburi Dam, Laos

For more information about the World Day of Social Justice and additional downloadable resources, please visit the official United Nations website.

Thousands of migrant workers, mainly from Egypt and Tunisia, wait to cross into Tunisia from Libya. UNHCR/A Duclos

ANNOUNCEMENT: Best of 2017

2017 was a very busy year for the Center of Social Development Studies at Chulalongkorn University, so we've compiled an easy-to-read and compact list of all our top content, projects and events to give you a full year in review!

Download the document here to see all the great things we worked on and learn about what are planning on for an even busier and exciting 2018!

UPCOMING CONFERENCE: International Conference on Burma/Myanmar Studies [16-18 February]

CSDS Researchers head to the 2nd International Conference on Burma/Myanmar Studies

16-18 February 2018, University of Mandalay, Myanmar

On 16 February, Mandalay University in collaboration with Chiang Mai University will host the International Conference on Burma/Myanmar Studies. The three day conference will welcome scholars, researchers, journalists, NGO workers and observers from all over the world to present and debate on all topics surrounding the country of Myanmar/Burma. CSDS researchers will organize a series of panels and paper presentations for the conference, focusing on a variety of topics ranging from the new political and economic landscape of Myanmar, to local livelihoods along the Salween River. Below are the details (and links for individual abstracts) of the three panels being co-organized and led by CSDS, as well as an individual paper that is part of a series of presentations on Chin State.

Local Livelihoods and Change in the Salween Basin (Convener: Carl Middleton)

• Ethnobotanical Study on Plants Growing Along the Thanlwin River in Lashio District, Northern Shan State, Myanmar (Mar May Aye)
• Geographical Analysis on the Impact of Land Cover Changes on Socio-Economic Conditions of Bawlakhe District, Kayah State in Myanmar: A Case Study of Four Villages (Khin Sandar Aye) 
• Gender Inclusion Is Key to Social Justice: A Case Study of Two Villages Downstream of the Proposed Mongton Dam, Shan State (Hnin Wut Yee)
• Assessing Potential Threats to Fisheries and Socio-Economy in the Thanlwin Estuary, Mon State, Myanmar (Cherry Aung)

Thanlwin-Khong-Nu-Salween River in a Cultural and Political Perspective (Convener: Vanessa Lamb)

• Rights and Rites for Water Justice: A Case Study of the Proposed Hatgyi Dam on the Salween River (John Bright)
• What Else Do Floods Do? Climate Change, Beneficial Flooding and Everyday Agricultural Practice in Monsoon Myanmar (Vanessa Lamb)
• Redefining the Rules of Water: Contestation and the Production of Scale in Water Governance in Myanmar (Johanna M. Goetz)
• Which Path to Take?: A Political Economy Analysis of Salween River Pathways in Myanmar (Alec Scott and Carl Middleton)

Development and Transition in Myanmar: Exploring a New Political and Economic Landscape Since 2010 (Convener: Nauremon Thabchumpon)

• Law, Development and Transnationalisation of the State in Myanmar (Wolfram Schaffar)
• Transitional Relation of China and Myanmar: a New Economic Geography Approach to Mandalay-Ruili Road Connection (Nattapon Tantrakoonsap)
• Understanding Myanmar’s Economic Transition Through Policies and Practices (Zaw Aung)
• Economic Development in Myanmar’s Transition to Democracy and the Politics of Changes in Public Sphere and Civil Society Movement (Naruemon Thabchumpon)
• Top Down or Bottom up Development? : The Dawei Road Link Project and the Reconfiguration of Social Relations (And Social Movements) (Carl Middleton, Naruemon Thabchumpon, Fransiskus Adrian Tarmedi, and Surada Chundasutathanakul)

Water Insecurity in Hakha Town, Chin State, Myanmar: Structural Violence and the Production of Water Scarcity (Paper presentation) (Carl Middleton)

For more information about the conference and full schedule, please visit http://burmaconference.com/.

 

AWARENESS: World Wetlands Day 2018 [2 February]

By Robert Irven

Today we mark the celebration and awareness of World Wetlands Day, established by the 1971 signing of the Convention of Wetlands (also known as the Ramsar Convention). This day not only marks the signing of the convention 46 years ago in Iran, but also serves to bring a spotlight to the importance of not only wetlands themselves, but the conservation efforts that must be continued in order to maintain these special ecosystems which often protect our cities and the millions of people and wildlife that depend on them.

Here at the Center for Social Development Studies, we have invested considerable time and resources in the study and advancement of wetlands research and conservation projects, and strongly believe that the future of healthy wetlands and their benefits to society requires the cooperation of knowledge sharing and work between civil society and the government. Wetlands, particularly those located in Thailand and around Southeast Asia contain a great deal of biodiversity, some not found anywhere else on earth, but due to the increase of recent development projects, these special ecosystems are at great risk of disappearing altogether if more focus and work is not done to protect them. 

In 2014 CSDS kicked off the RECOVER project, aimed at undertaking “knowledge co-production” research in Thailand, Vietnam and Laos, in order to contribute towards the recovery and more inclusive ecological governance of wetlands degraded by large water infrastructure and associated agro-ecological systems and livelihoods. We consider “knowledge co-production” to be the dynamic interaction of multiple actors, each with their own types of knowledge, that co-produces new usable knowledge specific to the social, cultural, and political context and that can influence decision-making and actions on-the-ground. For more about the RECOVER project, please visit the page here or read more about our field research case study. Download our related policy brief (pictured right) on recovery of wetlands, agroecological farming and livelihoods in Southeast Asia here.

For more information about World Wetlands Day and additional downloadable resources, please visit the official website.

UPCOMING PUBLIC SEMINAR: "Why Think Tanks and Civil Society Networks Matter: Towards a Creative Diplomacy Agenda" [29 January 2018]

Why Think Tanks and Civil Society Networks Matter

Towards a Creative Diplomacy Agenda:
Exploring New Approaches for Contemporary Transboundary Water Governance

Monday 29th January, 14:00-17:00 at the Saranitet Conference Room, 2nd floor, Main Auditorium, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand

Organized by: Chula Global Network (CGN), Center for Peace and Conflict Studies, and Center for Social Development Studies (CSDS), Chulalongkorn University

Asia has some of the world’s largest transboundary rivers, which are central to livelihoods, culture and economies. The need for cooperation along these rivers is more apparent than ever before as large hydropower dams, irrigation schemes and water diversions are promoted under regional economic development plans. Contestation over these plans and projects have occurred both between states sharing freshwater rivers, and various non-state actors including communities, civil society groups amongst others. Similarly, many countries of Asia share open seas that also require deepening cooperation. To ensure sustainable, inclusive and just sharing of transboundary waters requires a rethinking of existing practices and a critical deliberation of new concepts, research agendas, and approaches.

Knowledge among and between think tanks and civil society network is a crucial component of transboundary water governance. It is now widely recognized that addressing real-world complex water governance challenges requires the combination of a range of different types of knowledge, including academic, local, practical, and political knowledge. Whilst some knowledge producers are well-established and recognized, for example academic institutes, local communities, civil society groups and government agencies, other actors such as think tanks producing policy knowledge are relatively recent. How these forms of knowledge are combined and acted upon within policy and practice will be an important determinant of the outcomes of transboundary water governance.

In this seminar, representatives of academia, government, international organizations and think tanks will critically reflect on existing practices of transboundary water governance in Asia, and propose new concepts and approaches including on the role, strategies and possibilities for various forms of knowledge production.

Speakers:

• Professor Imtiaz Ahmed, Centre for Genocide Studies University of Dhaka
• Dr. John Dore, Department for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Government of Australia
• Ganesh Pangare, Asia-Pacific Regional Director, International Water Association
• Dr. Sucharit Koonthanakulwong, UNESCO Chair on Water & Sustainable Development
• Asst. Prof. Dr. Carl Middleton, Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University
• Dr. Chariyaway Suntabutra, Former Ambassador of Thailand to Egypt, Kenya and Germany

For more information please contact Robert Irven (CSDS): csds.chulalongkorn@gmail.com

IN THE NEWS: "'Living with Floods in a Mobile Southeast Asia': A book review"

By Andreea R. Torre [Stockholm Environment Institute Asia, 10 January 2018]

The newly published book, “Living with Floods in a Mobile Southeast Asia: A Political Ecology of Vulnerability, Migration and Environmental Change”, sets out to sensitize national and regional policy-agendas and responses to environmental disaster and climate change-related hazards – flood hazards in particular – to the complexities of human mobility in Southeast Asian contexts.

Co-edited by Carl Middleton, Rebecca Elmhirst, and Supang Chantavanich the volume uses empirical urban and rural case studies from eight different countries - Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia - to offer a nuanced and plural account of the causes and the multiple and intersecting environmental, social and political factors shaping everyday experiences of “living with floods” and mobility in the region.

Disaster responses and policy agendas centering mainly on relocation to physically safer places without considering patterns of mobility, livelihood strategies and security cannot be successful (Source: SEI Asia)

Buy the book: "Living with floods in a mobile Southeast Asia" (Routledge, 2017).

Read full article at: https://www.sei-international.org/gender-social-equity/blogs/3843--living-with-floods-in-a-mobile-southeast-asia-a-book-review-

IN THE NEWS: "Flashing cash, China spearheads Mekong economic integration"

By Marwaan Macan-Markar [Nikkei Asian Review, 12 January 2018]

Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang used a visit to Cambodia this week to strengthen China-led economic integration across mainland Southeast Asia. Li celebrated his embrace of multilateralism with an op-ed penned specially for a Cambodian newspaper, and basked in China's triumph with its five southerly neighbors, all of whom share the Mekong, Southeast Asia's longest river. 

"Being located downstream, the lower Mekong countries have long struggled to negotiate with China on its dam construction upstream," said Carl Middleton, director of the Center for Social Development Studies, at Chulalongkorn University, in Bangkok. "A weakness of the current Lancang Mekong Cooperation Framework's approach is that there appears to be little interest by China to develop specific written rules for trans-boundary water sharing."

Jinghong Hydropower Station in Yunnan province  (Source: AP)

China's determined push into mainland Southeast Asia lays bare the limits of existing Mekong initiatives supported by Japan, the U.S. and other Western nations, all of which focused on the five basin countries but shut out China. They pose little challenge to China, and are short on the verbal fireworks over another body of water in Southeast Asia -- the disputed South China Sea.

Read full article at: https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics-Economy/International-Relations/Flashing-cash-China-spearheads-Mekong-economic-integration?page=1

UPCOMING INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE SESSION: Communications Training [22 January 2018]

Communications training (social media and blogging) session organized prior to the “Greening Agri-food Systems, Ensuring Rural Sustainability and Promoting Healthy Socioeconomic Transformation in South-East Asia”

22 January 2017, 16:00-18:00 in Room 1213 (12th Floor) of the Chulalongkorn University School of Agricultural Resources (CUSAR), Wittayakit Bldg., Phyathai Rd., SIAM SQUARE, (same building as British Council), Pathumwan (Soi Chulalongkorn 64)

The Center for Social Development Studies at Chulalongkorn University (CSDS) and the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) are proud to announce a special communications training for researchers and academics to kick off the the upcoming Greening Agri-food Systems Conference. 

To engage audience and communicate effectively, your scientific messages need to be concise and clear. It is about making the audience understand why your research matter. It takes real skill to be an effective communicator, skills that must be developed and refined on an on-going basis. It is when scientific messages are communicated effectively across disciplines that science flourishes, and it advances uptake, collaboration and dialogue. Today, social media is one of the most common form for news and information uptake. People turn to Facebook or Twitter, rather than to the daily newspaper. Therefore, it is a great place to share your results and your thought-provoking new ideas.

However, to be part of social media is not only about communicating effectively and getting your voice heard, it is also a platform for interaction and building partnerships. Your audiences, whoever they may be, are there, for you to engage with and learn from. Storytelling is a useful and increasingly important method in which to do this, so this tool will also be a focus of the training, crafted in a way that is specific for researchers and academics.

In this workshop you will understand why social media can be meaningful, get the right tools for using and engaging audiences on social media, with specific focus on Twitter and Facebook, as well as some tips and tricks for writing blogs. We will then get the opportunity to apply what we learnt during the workshop at the following days conference "Greening Agri-food Systems, Ensuring Rural Sustainability and Promoting Healthy Socioeconomic Transformation in South-East Asia."

Please register by sending a request no later than Thursday 18th of January to: Anneli at anneli.sundin@sei-international.org and/or Bobby at rirven@gmail.com

Anneli Sundin has a transdisciplinary background in sustainability science and has worked with science communication for a few years. At SEI she is responsible for providing strategic advice and delivery of professional communication activities relevant for the outreach of specific research projects. Her special competence lies in creating spaces for stakeholder dialogue, using storytelling in science communication, social media, short videos and photography. She has a great interest in topics related to sustainable agriculture and food security.

Bobby Irven has a diverse education background, originally studying Chinese and Political Science during his undergrad, and last year completed his Master’s in International Development, conducting his research in the slums of Dhaka, Bangladesh. His passions center around seeking justice for some of society’s most marginalized populations, particularly around the topics of human rights, environmental conservation and recently, topics of climate change. He believes in the practical use of research and academia in affecting and changing policy, and in his current role, strives to spread the Center’s wide range of publications and events throughout the region, impacting those who make decisions at the highest levels.

 

UPCOMING INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE SESSION: "Water (in)security and development in Southeast Asia: Inclusions, exclusions and transformations" [23 January]

Session organized for the “Greening Agri-food Systems, Ensuring Rural Sustainability and Promoting Healthy Socioeconomic Transformation in South-East Asia”

13:30-15:00, 23 January 2017, 7th Floor, Chamchuri 10 Building, Chulalongkorn University

Summative Event (23-25 January 2018) marking the 100th Anniversary of Chulalongkorn University (CU) at various locations around CU campus, Bangkok, Thailand

Our panel considers conflicts over access to, control over and use of water and natural resources at scales ranging from the interstate to the individual. We consider the implications of deepening market integration into resource use and governance, and how it produces exclusions for some to the benefit of others. We explore the implications of large-scale developments tied to regional economic integration both in Southeast Asia, such as large-scale dams. We also focus on the extension of market relations at a more local scale, and how this entails “intimate” processes of exclusion that contrast with the more high-profile and more overtly violent exclusions.

Presenters:

• "Gender and the Mekong River: Inclusions and Exclusions" by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kanokwan Manorom (Department of Social Science, Faculty of Liberal Arts, Ubon Ratchathani University)
• "Intimate Water Exclusion: Processes and Politics of River Enclosure by Fish Cage Aquaculture in Northeast Thailand" by Dr. Soimart Rungmanee (Puay Ungpakorn School of Development Studies, Thammasart University)
• "Rights and Rites: Community water resource governance on the Salween River in Karen State, Burma" by Saw John Bright (Karen Environmental and Social Action Network - KESAN)
• "Water insecurity in Hakha Town, Chin State, Myanmar: Structural violence and the production of water scarcity" by Asst. Prof. Dr. Carl Middleton (Center for Social Development Studies, Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University)

To register for this event, please click here. Conference details are available here. 

Co-organized by UNESCO, Chulalongkorn University (Various Faculties, Research Centers, Schools and Academic Programs); Office of the Higher Education Commission (OHEC), Ministry of Education, Thailand; Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI Asia); the Swedish International Agricultural Network Initiative (SIANI); Expert Group on Higher Education for Sustainable Agriculture (HESA) and Food Systems in Southeast Asia” housed in Chulalongkorn University, School of Agricultural Resources (CUSAR) and UNESCO Bangkok, under the auspices of the Management of Social Transformations (MOST) Programme.

 

UPCOMING PUBLIC SEMINAR: "Living with Floods in a Mobile Southeast Asia” Panel and Book launch [18 December 2017]

 '“Living with Floods in a Mobile Southeast Asia" Panel Discussion and Book Launch

18 December 2017, 16:15-17:30 at the Auditorium on the 13th Floor of the Faculty of Political Science Building, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand

Please join the authors of the newly published book "Living with Floods in a Mobile Southeast Asia: A Political Ecology of Vulnerability, Migration and Environmental Change" for a panel discussion exploring the connections between flooding and migration in Southeast Asia. Four of the authors will present their case studies and policy recommendations, followed by commentary by Mr. Apichai Sunchindah and Ms. Sarah Koeltzow (Platform on Disaster Displacement). The panel aims to sensitize flood hazard policy agendas to the complexities of migration and mobility in Southeast Asia through exploring the relationship between migration, vulnerability, resilience and social justice.

The session will be moderated by book author and faculty member Asst. Prof. Dr. Naruemon Thabchumpon. Case study presenters are:

Philippines: Dr. Bernadette Resurreccion (SEI-Asia Center)
Laos: Dr. Albert Salamanca (SEI-Asia Center)
Thailand: Narumon Arunotai (CUSRI, Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University)
Cambodia: Asst. Prof Dr. Carl Middleton (CSDS, Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University) 

Please register for this event at https://tinyurl.com/ChulaEvent2017

For further information on the event or to make requests for interviews with the authors, please contact Robert Irven at csds.chulalongkorn@gmail.com

Helicopter survey of flooding in suburban Greater Bangkok, 2011 (Source: WikiCommons)

UPCOMING INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE: “Greening Agri-food Systems, Ensuring Rural Sustainability and Promoting Healthy Socioeconomic Transformation in South-East Asia” [23-25 January 2018]

“Greening Agri-food Systems, Ensuring Rural Sustainability and Promoting Healthy Socioeconomic Transformation in South-East Asia”

Summative Event (23-25 January 2018) marking the 100th Anniversary of Chulalongkorn University (CU) at various locations around CU campus, Bangkok, Thailand

Co-organized by UNESCO, Chulalongkorn University (Various Faculties, Research Centers, Schools and Academic Programs); Office of the Higher Education Commission (OHEC), Ministry of Education, Thailand; Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI Asia); the Swedish International Agricultural Network Initiative (SIANI); Expert Group on Higher Education for Sustainable Agriculture (HESA) and Food Systems in Southeast Asia” housed in Chulalongkorn University, School of Agricultural Resources (CUSAR) and UNESCO Bangkok, under the auspices of the Management of Social Transformations (MOST) Programme.

The Center for Social Development Studies at Chulalongkorn University (CSDS) is proud to announce its involvement in this multi-disciplinary research initiative, regional conference and policy dialogue contributing to the ASEAN WORK PLAN on EDUCATION (AWPE), 2016-2020.

With the increasingly interconnectedness of global agricultural systems and its related environmental challenges (agrochemical pollution; biodiversity and species loss; climate change and greenhouse gas emissions; deforestation; depleting aquifers; desertification; drinking water contamination; drought; land degradation; soil loss and infertility; and more), current practices and future trends now threaten the future of our population and planet. This conference aims to take a closer look at these challenges and discuss the important science-policy-praxis/implementation issues that have arisen that present further barriers to success in the field. As part of its 100th Anniversary programming, CU is collaborating with OHEC and UNESCO to organize this conference inviting cooperation with various academic institutions and others (government officials or agencies, research organizations, think tanks, educators, farmer groups, NGOs, regional and UN agencies), providing an open, inclusive forum as well as comprehensive programming to meet the needs of the future. The culmination of the conference will result in the publishing of the proceedings with concrete Action Recommendations for strengthening or reforming social and sustainability sciences and agri-food systems education.

In addition to discussion and presentation, the conference will use research papers or technical reports, policy dialogues and practical workshop trainings to enhance the various themes of the three days. This will further supplement the assessment of how multi-disciplinary social and sustainability sciences and education for sustainable agriculture or research can provide good scientific evidence and policy analysis to help facilitate the greening of agri-food systems.

One important sub-focus of the conference will also be to debate and think critically and strategically about the past, current status and future of Agriculture Education, Research andExtension. The conference report will summarize expert recommendations on this theme, which could be used to help design new projects and guide future government education planning investments in the ASEAN region.

To register for this event, please click here.

For more information on the proposed program and full call for papers, please visit http://bangkok.unesco.org/content/2nd-revised-call-papers-and-panel-proposals-greening-agri-food-systems-ensuring-rural.

Please visit the website regularly for updates, but If you have specific questions about Conference administration, registration and logistics please contact or write directly to:

Conference Secretariat
Chulalongkorn University Social Research Institute (CUSRI) | Bangkok, Thailand
Email:  chulagrifood2018@gmail.com

For questions regarding submitted abstracts, panel proposals and the academic or technical programs please email: socialsciencesAsean@gmail.com

UPCOMING PUBLIC SEMINAR: "'The Outsiders Role' for Peace in the South" [6-7 December]

 "'The Outsiders Role' for Peace in the South"

6-7 December 2017 at the Alumni Meeting Room (Floor 12), Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand

Workshop in collaboration with the Institute of Human Rights and Peace Studies, Mahidol University

*Please note: The meeting will be conducted in Thai but English translation will be provided.

For a full translation of the event details in Thai, please download document here.

The seminar on “The Outsiders’ Role for Peace in the South” will be focusing on Peace and Security issues in the southern border provinces of Thailand. This seminar is a collaborative effort between Center for Social Development Studies (CSDS), Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University and Institute of Human Rights and Peace Studies, Mahidol University. It will explore the roles of outsiders such as academic, civil society, media and policy makers who are not living in the area on their contribution towards peace in the Southern border provinces of Thailand.

Activity Description

This seminar is a national-level activity to provide a platform knowledge exchanges among key stakeholders (academics, scholars, researchers- emerging and seasoned, students, governments, civil society and media) on the role of outsiders and peace processes and the issue of conflict in the Deep South of Thailand. These seminars are to present findings on national level issues, in Thai language, with an aim to reach out to relevant stakeholders.

The seminar divides into two parts. First part is Public Forum: Academics-Practitioners Exchange. This session will be conducted on the first day of seminar where scholars and practitioners who are involved in peacebuilding and peace process in Southern Thailand and other conflicts in the region exchange their lessons-learned and their research findings. This forum aims to generate analysis and discussion on roles and involvement of outsiders and people in wider public on peace process and peacebuilding in Deep South of Thailand through reflecting lessons from regions and in-country. It also includes presentation of studies on minority-majority coexistence or ongoing trends of Islamophobia as one of concerns that outsiders could be involved.

Second part is Multi-stakeholders Platform. This platform will bring together scholars and practitioners who are actively involved in Deep South conflict to discuss on networking and future collaboration for effective peacebuilding process. This session will build upon insights and ideas from the academics-practitioners session on the first day as resource to draw on practical steps.    

Schedule

Two- day national seminar on Outsiders’ Role for Peace in the South; tentative date is December 6-7, 2017 at Chulalongkorn University. The first day is allocated for academic sessions on “Outsiders’ Role in Peace Process in the South” and the second day will be multi-stakeholders dialogue on the issue in order to explore collaboration and recommendations of people from different sectors. Tentative schedule is below:

UPCOMING WORKSHOP: "2017 Winter School for Young Human Rights Defenders" [10-13 December]

 "Winter School for Young Human Rights Defenders"

10-13 December 2017 at the Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand

Call for Thai participants

Workshop convened by the Center for Social Development Studies, Faculty of Political Science and The May 18 Memorial Foundation (518기념재단) (Gwangju, South Korea)

Join us in our training program for young human rights defenders, especially for those who are keen to be part of the fruitful networking and mature dialogue between the activism field and that of academe of human rights!

This Winter School will be a rare chance for human rights students and young activists to carefully listen to the witnessing voices over the light and darkness of human rights issues from neighbor countries, energetically to unite the strength and wisdom to help the risks/challenges faced by HR defender friends, and to get to know each other not only as young HR comrades but also as friends who care about other human being.

Program includes:

• Special Roundatable dedicated to Jatupat Boonpattaraksa (Pai Dao Din), the Laureate of 2017 Gwangju Prize for Human Rights, facilitated by Asst.Prof. Dr. Pitch Pongsawat

• ”From Gwangju to Bangkok: Lessons Learned from Democratic Movements” by Dr.Kanokrat Lertchoosakul

• ”The Role of Human Rights Organizations in Perpetuating a Culture of Impunity in Thailand” by Assoc.Prof. Dr.Puangthong Pawakapan

• ”Art as a Form of Resistance” by Asst.Prof. Dr.Pandit Chanrochanakit

• Four lectures on Human Rights Situations in South Korea, Malaysia, Nepal and Bangaladesh

• Peer discussion on Human Rights issues with participants from other Asian countries

• Field Visit to Human Rights Defenders w/ Reflection on Judicial System on Political Prisoners in Thailand by Sirikarn Charoensri, The Lawyers for Lawyers Award 2017 Laureate

Interested participants should write a one-page essay reflecting your thoughts and/or experience in human rights issues. Submit the essay to napath_23592@hotmail.com before November 30. 2017.

UPCOMING PUBLIC SEMINAR: "Job Security and Human Skills in the Age of Automation" [15 November]

 "Job Security and Human Skills in the Age of Automation"

Wednesday, 15 November 2017, from 8.00 am. – 1.00 pm. at the Alumni Conference Room, 12th floor, Political Science Building 3, Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University

Session convened by the Center for Social Development Studies, Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy in International Development Studies (MAIDS-GRID), Chulalongkorn University, Samsung Smart Learning Center

The rise of robotics and automation is becoming evident in Asia.  According to the International Federation of Robotics, by 2019, more than 1.4 million new industrial robots will be installed in factories around the world, with China being the strongest growing market for the robotics industry.

A recent study by International Labor Organization suggests that over 70% of salaried workers in 5 key sectors in ASEAN countries are at risk of being displaced by automation.  The study also points out the need to upgrade STEM (Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) skills among workers in general.  Cloud technology and big data analytics, Internet of Things, and digital marketing are also highlighted to have transformative impacts on jobs in ASEAN.

The roundtable discussion will focus on the above issues and the task universities have in preparing young students to cope with the future.  Given the scope of Thailand’s policies on the economy, education and development, the question then arises: what actions could be taken at the state, university and individual levels to make students ready to cope with the automation age.

The Center for Social Development Studies (CSDS), Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University, in collaboration with The Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy in International Development Studies (MAIDS-GRID), Chulalongkorn University, Samsung Smart Learning Center, and collaborative parties would like to cordially invite you to join  the seminar on “Job Security and Human Skills in the Age of Automation”.  The event will be held on Wednesday, 15 November 2017, from 8.00 am. – 1.00 pm. at the Alumni Conference Room, 12th floor, Political Science Building 3, Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University.  The program details are as follows*:

08.30 – 09.00 Registration

09.00 – 09.10 Welcome Remarks by Kasira Cheeppensook, PhD, Deputy Director, Center for Social Development Studies (CSDS), Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University

09.10 – 09.20 Objective Remarks by Ms. Sukajit Srisukon, Project Consultant, Samsung Smart Learning Center

09.20 – 09.30 Opening Remarks by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ake Tangsupvattana, Dean, Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University

09.30 – 09.50 Mr. Phu Huynh, ILO Employment Specialist and Co-author of “ASEAN in Transformation: How Technology is Changing Jobs and Enterprises”

09.50 – 10.00 Coffee Break

10.00 – 12.00 Roundtable Discussion on “Job Security and Human Skills in the Age of Automation”

– Discussants Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nualnoi Treerat, Director, Institute of Asian Studies, Chulalongkorn University

– Assoc. Prof. Lae Dilokvidhyarat, Distinguished Professor, Faculty of Economics, Chulalongkorn University

– Supot Tiarawut, PhD, Director, Industrial Liaison Program, Faculty of Engineering, Chulalongkorn University

– Mr. Varit Charunyanonda, Senior Manager, Brand Communication, Thai Samsung Electronics Company Limited

– Moderated by Assist. Prof. Jakkrit Sangkamanee, PhD, Center for Social Development Studies (CSDS), Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University

12.00 – 12.25 Q & A

12.25 – 12.30 Closing Remarks by Assist. Prof. Dr. Naruemon Thabchumpon, Director, MA & PhD Programs in International Development Studies, Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University (MAIDS-GRID)

12.30 – 13.00 Lunch

* Simultaneous translation will be provided.

To register visit http://bit.ly/2gy5MrS

For more information, please contact tel: 0-2218-7313 or email: maidschula@gmail.com