Indigenous Peoples and Sustainable Heritage Forum - Roundtable series by UNESCO-SAC-CUSRI

Roundtable series by UNESCO-SAC-CUSRI
April – May – June 2021

UNESCO Bangkok, the Sirindhorn Anthropology Centre and the Chulalongkorn University Social Research Institute are organizing a series of roundtable discussions on the challenges and opportunities facing Indigenous Peoples (IP) and Sustainable Heritage.  The roundtables aim to create dialogue among practitioners, scholars and advocates for IP rights in order to contribute to the existing state of knowledge, policies and practice for Thailand and the Mekong sub-region.

The first three roundtables will exchange knowledge on international standards and good practices from around Asia on inclusive governance of protected areas, traditional knowledge and ecological sustainability, as well as safeguarding of living cultural heritage in both terrestrial and marine settings.  With a view to building on the momentum of the new draft Thai law on the Protection and Promotion of the Way of Life of Ethnic Groups, the final session will provide international perspectives on the draft law and suggest next steps for Thailand.  

The roundtable series will be accessible online and is open to all participants from Thailand and beyond.  Simultaneous translation will be provided in Thai. 

Roundtable Session 1:  Good practices in inclusive governance of protected areas (PAs)

(23 April 2021, 9:00-11:00 Bangkok time, webinar)

• Introduction to the Roundtable Series and the session (UNESCO-SAC-CUSRI)
• Community Management of Protected Areas for Conservation initiative (COMPACT) (Terence Hay-Edie, UNDP/GEF)  
• Case study on participatory management of Manas World Heritage site, India (Sonali Ghosh)
• IUCN Green List of Protected and Conserved Areas: The new international sustainability standard that recognizes excellence in area-based conservation management (Scott Perkin, IUCN)
• Moderated panel discussion (by UNESCO)

Watch the session live on Zoom (Passcode: 787152) or Facebook Live via @unescobangkok, @sac.anthropology or @chula.cusri.

Roundtable Session 2: Traditional knowledge and ecological sustainability

(7 May 2021, 9:00-11:30 Bangkok time, webinar)

• Introduction to the series and SAC’s work on this topic (Komatra Chuengsatiansup, Director, Sirindhorn Anthropology Centre) (10 min)
• Introduction to the issues of Traditional Knowledge and Ecological Sustainability (Paritta Chalermpow Koanantakool) (10 min)
• A tribute to Heather Peters (Richard Engelhardt)
• Guardians or destroyers? Indigenous knowledge and ecological sustainability (Koen Meyers, Sumatran Orangutan Society) (20 min)
• Indigeneity and rights on natural resource management (Prasit Leepreecha, Chiang Mai University, Thailand) (20 min)
• Traditional owner, rights-based approach for Budj Bim Cultural Landscape and ‘two-way’ knowledge management system (Erin Rose, Budj Bim World Heritage Landscape, Australia) (20 min)
• Safeguarding Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) (Yoshihide Endo, FAO) (20 min)
• Moderated panel discussion (Paritta Chalermpow Koanantakool) (30-45 min)

Watch the session live on Zoom (Passcode: 787152) or Facebook Live via @unescobangkok, @sac.anthropology or @chula.cusri.

Roundtable Session 3:  Maritime cultural heritage and marine conservation: community in action

(21 May 2021, 15:00-17:00 Bangkok time, webinar)

• Introduction to the series and the session (CUSRI) (10 min)
• UNESCO programme on Local and Indigenous Knowledge Systems (Nigel Thomas Crawhall, Chief Section for Small Islands and Indigenous Knowledge, UNESCO) (20 min)
• Women-managed marine protected areas and marine conservation rights (Rosita Eguia, Chairwoman of women-managed marine protected area (MPA) in Calawit island, Palawan) (20 min)
• Recognizing local knowledge and cultures in marine and coastal resources conservation: cases from southern Thailand (Dr Pinsak Suraswadi, Inspector General and Spokesperson, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment) (20 min)
• Integration of cultural heritage conservation and marine/forest conservation –indigenous peoples and community action (Kittisak Rattanakrajangsri, Director, Indigenous Peoples' Foundation for Education and Environment) (20 min)
• Moderated panel discussion (by Narumon Arunotai, CUSRI) (30 min)

Watch the session live on Zoom (Passcode: 787152) or Facebook Live via @unescobangkok, @sac.anthropology or @chula.cusri.

Roundtable Session 4: Advancing Recognition of the Rights of Ethnic Groups Regarding Natural Resources and Living Cultural Heritage: Draft Act on the Protection and Promotion of the Way of Life of Ethnic Groups

(18 June 2021, 14:00-16:30 Bangkok time, webinar)

• Presentation of the Draft Act on the Protection and Promotion of the Way of Life of Ethnic Groups (Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Anthropology Centre)

• Panel discussion: International Perspectives on the Draft Law
  Badar Farrukh (UN Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights)
  Maurizio Ferrari (Forest Peoples Programme)
  Chrissy Grant (International Indigenous People's Forum for World Heritage)  
  Terence Hay-Edie (UNDP)
  Chupinit Kesmanee (Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact Foundation Board)

• Panel discussion on Implications of the Draft Law and Ways Forward for Thailand
  Sakda Saenmi (Council of Indigenous Peoples in Thailand | Network of Indigenous Peoples in Thailand)
  Paul Chamniern Worratchaipan (IUCN Thailand)
  Preeda Kongpan (Office of the National Human Rights Commission of Thailand)
  Surapong Kongchantuk (Cross Cultural Foundation)

• Concluding remarks (SAC-CUSRI-UNESCO)

Watch the session live on Zoom (Passcode: 787152) or Facebook Live via @unescobangkok, @sac.anthropology or @chula.cusri.