Civil Society and Sustainability, Thailand Mr.Rachan Maneekarn, Hon. National General Secretary/ Board Member The positive and negative effects of globalization are widely discussed. Homogenization of cultures, the increasing gap between rich and poor, high unemployment rates and environmental degradation are but a few of the problems currently faced the global community. In recent years, a priority focus of YMCA has been on building sustainable communities so that basic human needs are met and a quality of life is assured within the carrying capacity of the local and global ecology. The Chiangmai YMCA believes that civil society projects emerge from common vision and common aims, in the spirit of communication, trust, understanding and friendship. Sustainable civil society projects combine awareness-raising with knowledge and skill development. The Chiangmai YMCA programs are based on people-centered development, with specific objectives such as creating peaceful and just societies, protecting natural resources, natural resources management, co-operation/networking with the community and like-minded NGOs, and policy formulation processes. To achieve these goals and to strengthen civil society and democracy in Thailand, we work closely in partnership with all sectors of society, especially in the Northern provinces. In our experience, varied partners are empowered through networking and broad-based participation strategies. After the economic crisis in 1997, Thai farmers have faced major difficulties, and the unbalanced and ineffective impact of agricultural development projects to date have been generally acknowledged. In the past, we accelerated only the economic growth without strengthening the foundation of production sectors (both industrial and agricultural). Natural resources such as soil, water, and forests have been extremely over-utilized to support industrial and service business sectors, which has resulted in a great depreciation of the environment. We must also consider the social impacts of the economic crisis. Studies show that there are more than 28 million farmers or 5.6 million farming families in the agricultural sector of Thailand. Most of them have very low incomes and are in debt by an average of 70,000 Baht (1,750 US Dollars) a family. Many of them are poorly educated, despite government sponsored education programs. A lack of educational opportunities can lead to a tragic cycles of poverty from generation to generation. Some Thai farmers have been swayed by the promises of the so-called "Green Revolution", which refers to a new dimension of agriculture which emphasizes high yield seeds, chemical fertilizers, insecticides and heavy modern machinery. Single-crop or cash-cropping methods have been introduced to grow thousands acres of rice, sugarcane and other crops. These methods destroy forest areas and water resources. The situation worsens when farmers are faced with drought or other unexpected crises. From an educational perspective, we have found that the curriculum of the primary level does not address all of the actual needs of the local community. Namely, students who have no opportunity to continue studying past the primary level are poorly prepared to enter the workforce without proper vocational training or skill development. Some students are not interested or skilled enough to pursue a career in agriculture, and migrate to the city even though they can expect low wages and low quality of living. Along with new harmful agricultural methods and non-relevant curriculum in rural schools, we have identified problems of low immunity and malnutrition, especially in remote areas. Among other effects of food shortage, hungry students in school have difficulty concentrating. Targeting this problem with community development strategies is difficult in these areas without the cooperation of different sectors, especially the military for security clearance reasons. In peaceful times, we also seek support from the military in the boundary areas, because the military has resources such as vehicles and equipment which can be mobilized for the agricultural development of rural and remote areas. The Chiang Mai YMCA has initiated a civil-society based response to these issues, which we will proceed to illustrate as an example of Civil Society and Sustainability in the Northern provinces of Thailand. Case Study: Sustainable Agriculture Development With the above concerns in mind, the Chiangmai YMCA has established the Integrated Agriculture for Sustainable Development program. The program's objective is to promote awareness, knowledge, and skill development, as well as introduce self-sufficient economy concepts, sustainable occupation development and integrated agriculture ideas to target groups. We try to increase incomes within the communities by introducing organic farming concepts as well as food processing and marketing strategies. We work together with villagers and community leaders, schoolteachers and students with the support of other non-governmental organizations, and also government officers including the military. Our aim is to focus on organize links between producers and consumers, and promote networking among various groups in order to facilitate exchanges both locally and internationally through the strength of communities and civil society group to combat these problems. Key Elements of the Project:· Promote integrated and organic farming in target area and upgrade production skills, techniques and methods as well as supplying seeds and equipment needed for production. · Promote development in the community and build up small water reservoirs for farming activities. · Promote agricultural product processing and supplementary occupations among the target groups (training on packaging, marketing and product development as well as standardizing the products and to obtain acceptance of authorities involved). Setting up small-scale business in the community. · Set up community funds where members are from farming, processing, handicraft or other occupational groups. · Organizing campaigns during public holidays to disseminate information to wider consumers. · Training youth leaders to expand the network into households' level. · Providing a forum for the exchange of information among relevant parties, leading to policy planning of occupational development in the future. This project requires full participation of the target groups from the beginning. Identification of needs, involvement in planning and implementation is always done together with our partners and is an essential aspect of our work. While the groups progress and become increasingly independent, the YMCA gradually steps out. This strategy contributes to the sustainability of the communities. Results and Impacts of the Program : Environmental: natural resources management skills improve, environmental education place is created Social / Cultural: Increased awareness of community spirit, formation of strong civil society, better use of traditional wisdom, use of herbs and medicine. Political Impact: Capabilities in democratic processes, develop of skills in dealing with governmental organization, develop skills in action planning, participation in development of local and national action. Economic Impact: Organic farming method is applied in the village, improvement of skill for income generating activities at community level, income generated from sales of organic products, addressing issues of poverty The YMCA of Chiangmai, Thailand |
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