NGO's Chiangrai
Karen people in Northern Thailand
Karen children wearing multiple brass rings around their necks pose at a village
Thailand’s ethnic Karen minority are facing a crisis due to encroaching modernization and misunderstandings about their way of life and livelihood. Their lands have been made National Parks, thus destroying their traditional rotational farming system. Moreover, many do not have citizenship even though they were born in Thailand.
The recent burnings of the homes of some 50 Karen families in Petchaburi province is a case in point. Destruction of Karen homes has also taken place in other parts of the country.
Karen people in Thailand are found along the western border area, from Mae Hong Son province in the north down to Ratchaburi and Petchaburi provinces west of Bangkok. They live in forest and highland areas, mostly doing subsistence rice farming.
The Karen have been accused of causing deforestation due to their rotational farming practice. In fact, they respect the forest as something divine and do not cut down big trees. Their houses are made from bamboo rather than wood. There’s also a traditional practice of tying the umbilical cord of a newly born child to a big tree, so that tree spirit would protect the child as it grows up. It is forbidden to cut down such a tree.
The rotational farming system actually encapsulates the Karen people’s wisdom in protecting the forest and natural resources.
Karen people were originally from Myanmar but wars have resulted in them seeking refuge in Thailand in the 18th century
A Karen family typically cultivates between six and seven rai of land with rice for a particular year. The following year, another piece of land of similar area is cultivated, and this is repeated for seven years before coming back to the same piece of land.
This rotation of farming land allows the soil to replenish itself without the use of chemical fertilizers. In this system, seven fixed pieces of land are used by the family on a rotation basis. Thus, there is no invasion of new lands.
The Thai government passed a resolution in August 2010 saying it recognizes the wisdom and way of life of the Karen people, including the rotational farming system. Academic circles have also stated that they accept the wisdom of the Karen’s rotational farming system, and are pushing for it to be recognized as a world heritage.
In spite of this, there have been many problems and conflicts. A major factor is the declaration of several national parks across the country since 1961 by the Forestry Department. Many areas that have been declared national parks are in the traditional lands of the Karen. As they have no land titles to lands that their ancestors have settled on for decades, many Karen have been forced to move out of the forest.
National parks are created because huge parts of the country have suffered serious deforestation, resulting in other calamities such as heavy flooding. It needs to be noted that deforestation is not caused by the Karen people’s traditional lifestyle but by logging activities of investors.
Sometimes Karen people are hired as laborers by logging companies, and so are accused of destroying the forest. Even though logging concessions were stopped in 1989, illegal logging still takes place.
Saeclee dance," a courtship dance common to the Karen people
New land provided by the government for the Karen that have been evicted from national parks is insufficient. Moreover, they need to use chemical fertilizers to keep the same piece of land fertile year after year. Needless to say, they cannot practice rotational farming. Some have even been arrested for even collecting bamboo shoots for food in forest areas designated as national parks.
This change in lifestyle has forced many to become daily-wage laborers in towns, which leads to another problem: They do not have Thai ID cards. This opens them to exploitation by employers. They are not protected under Thai law and don’t have access to social welfare programs.
The process of applying for Thai citizenship is complex and takes time. This is because the Thai government is wary that ethnic minorities from across the border in Myanmar might also be trying to apply for Thai citizenship. Often the Karen are accused of being illegal migrants, even though they and their ancestors have always been on the Thai side of the border.
In this context, the local Church has been working to empower the Karen to maintain a livelihood and preserve their culture, and also bring about greater understanding between them and government authorities.
The Diocesan Social Action Center of Ratchaburi diocese, for instance, has been working with Karen communities in 100 villages in Ratchaburi, Petchaburi and Kanchanaburi provinces for some 20 years.
Karen refugee camps along the Thai-Myanmar border, focusing on refugee camp education
We encourage them to preserve their culture, try to keep them in the forest and help them to be self-sufficient by introducing farming of other crops such as chili and fruits. We also do surveys on their land use and report these to the government. We show the government that their activities are not the major cause of deforestation, and in fact help preserve the forest. We try to build mutual understanding between the government bureaucracy and the Karen people.
We also provide vocational training and set up micro-credit financing, especially in the towns. Recently we started a program to educate them against being trafficked, which they are vulnerable to in the towns.
On the citizenship issue, the Church center is helping the Karen to get ID cards. For example, one needs a birth certificate to get an ID card, but normally they don’t have these because they were born in the forest area far from any district office. We try to find witnesses, such as midwives and elders, to testify that one was born at a certain date at a certain location, in order to get a birth certificate. We try to get school certificates for those who went to school, as added evidence that they grew up here.
The other two Catholic diocese covering the areas where the Karen are, in Chiang Mai and Nakhon Sawan dioceses, have implemented similar programs.
Sornsak Pornjongmun has worked with the Ratchaburi Diocesan Social Action Center since 1994. The ethnic Karen layman now serves as field staff under the center’s ethnic minorities cultural restoration for project
(CTN NEWS) – You can find the answers to Octordle Today words #410 here, released on 10th March 2023, along with some hints.
Octordle requires players to guess eight five-letter words simultaneously while only having thirteen guesses! Wordle is similar in that there are no clues to assist you in guessing the words.
But once you have guessed a word, the tiles change color.
Colors indicate whether you correctly guessed the letters and their order. While there is no right or wrong way to play the game, we recommend trying to guess words that use most of the alphabet in as few guesses as possible.
It will help you identify which letters appear in each word so you can solve them quickly and efficiently. Make sure you keep in mind that some words may contain repeated letters.
Octordle – How to Play
Octordle Today #410 Words Hints (10th March, 2023)
Here are all the hints and clues you need to help you figure out Octordle Today’s answers for game #410.
Hint 1: There is a K in word 7 only.
Hint 2: There is a C in words 2 and 4.
Hint 3: There is an M in words 2 and 4.
Hint 4: There is a D in words 1 and 8.
Hint 5: There is a repeated letter in words 1, 2 and 6.
Hint 6: There is a double letters in words 3 and 5.
Hint 7: Here are the starting letters of each word:
- Word 1: A
- Word 2: M
- Word 3: B
- Word 4: C
- Word 5: L
- Word 6: T
- Word 7: S
- Word 8: P
Hint 8: Here is a little description or clue for all of the words:
- Word 1: give or order the giving of (something) as an official payment, compensation, or prize to (someone).
- Word 2: a slimy substance secreted by the mucous membranes and glands of animals for lubrication, protection, etc.
- Word 3: mad; insane.
- Word 4: a celestial object consisting of a nucleus of ice and dust and, when near the sun, a ‘tail’ of gas and dust particles pointing away from the sun.
- Word 5: not firmly or tightly fixed in place; detached or able to be detached.
- Word 6: a chiefly freshwater fish of the salmon family, found in both Eurasia and North America and highly valued for food and game.
- Word 7: a garment fastened around the waist and hanging down around the legs, worn typically by women and girls.
- Word 8: chequered or tartan twilled cloth, typically made of wool.
Octordle Today #410 Answer: What Is It Today?
If you don’t like the previous Octordle answers and you need to see the answers, we have you covered. Sometimes you have to do whatever it takes to keep the streak alive. Here, there are no judgments.
Don’t scroll further if you want to give the Octordle answer today a fair shot without spoiling it.
Here are the answers to Octordle Today #410 for 10th March 2023:
- Word 1: AWARD
- Word 2: MUCUS
- Word 3: BATTY
- Word 4: COMET
- Word 5: LOOSE
- Word 6: TROUT
- Word 7: SKIRT
- Word 8: PLAID
Octordle Today #410 Answer – March 10th, 2023
Is figuring out today’s answers easy, or are you scratching your head while guessing? Come back tomorrow for more Octordle clues and answers.
More In: OCTORDLE
UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to protect the rights of every child; they have spent 70 years working to improve the lives of children and their families. In Thailand, their Thai children donation project aims to provide every child with a fair chance to grow up in a safe, healthy and protective environment and reach their full potential.
UNICEF believes that all children have a right to survive, thrive and fulfill their potential – to the benefit of a better world. UNICEF’s mission is simple: The world has changed, but children’s needs have not. UNICEF works day-in-day-out in the world’s toughest places to reach the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children.
Why UNICEF?
Did you know that over 1.4 million children in Thailand still live in poverty? Since 1990, UNICEF has helped save more children’s lives (approx. 90 million) than any other humanitarian organization. UNICEF makes sure the world’s children are protected, fed, vaccinated and educated.
Not every child is born with equal opportunities. You can give hope to children, from newborns to teenagers, by donating to UNICEF and becoming part of the solution. UNICEF provides long-term aid that addresses immediate needs and creates lasting change for the better across three dedicated age groups:
Newborns – UNICEF works closely with the local government to promote more breastfeeding and prevent mothers from seeing harmful infant formula commercials.
Early childhood – To help children grow up with healthy development, UNICEF works closely with parents and caretakers to better understand early childhood education.
School-age –Around 14% of Thai children do not attend school. UNICEF strives to bring education to kids in rural areas through various grassroots projects and initiatives.
Early Childhood Development
UNICEF’s Thai children donation project is mainly focused on early (0-5 years) childhood development. Why? Because the first months and years of life are the most critical in a child’s development, it’s a time of significant brain, language, social, emotional, sensory and motor development. It is when the foundation for lifelong learning is established.
Unfortunately, many young children in Thailand lack appropriate care and stimulation. Many parents do not engage in learning activities with their offspring and have few or no books in the home. To help at-risk children receive the early learning experiences they need to reach their full potential, UNICEF is undertaking a range of targeted grassroots initiatives across Thailand, here are some examples:
SwimSafe program
Drowning is a leading cause of death in children in Thailand, with approximately 1,250 children under 15 drowning each year. UNICEF is working with the Ministry of Education and other partners to pilot the SwimSafe project at 20 schools in Thailand to help stop this preventable problem. To date, about 6,000 children have benefited from the first phase of the programme.
Mobile Library
More than 50% of children under five years old in Thailand live in a household with fewer than three children’s books. To provide such children with greater reading opportunities, UNICEF and its partners have established a mobile library. Under the project, over 15,000 students at 135 UNICEF-supported public schools in remote hill tribe communities are benefiting.
Demonstration centres
Across 24 provinces, UNICEF has organised quality experiences for pre-primary children and engaged carers through parenting programmes at designed demonstration centres. These free centres provide much-needed support, guidance and resources for parents, guardians, grandparents and caretakers who are time and cash poor.
To learn more about UNICEF’s invaluable Thai children donation project, please check their website.
Brian and Karen Shaben are going all-in with humanitarian work as they prepare to move to Thailand from Canada.
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CHIANG RAI -Canadian’s Brian and Karen Shaben never had kids of their own, but, by next week, they’ll have 24 to look after. “That’s just the ironic part, how do you go from zero kids to 24?” Brian said with a laugh.
The Canadian couple, founders of World Wide Life Humanitarian Partnership Society — a non-profit that partners with organizations to enhance living conditions for at-risk individuals in underdeveloped countries — will move to Thailand next week, having retired from full-time work in Canada to make careers of the humanitarian efforts they began in 2008.
They will start by partnering with Give Kids Hope Thailand, an organization that runs a children’s home in Mae Suai, Chiang Rai Province, home to 24 girls at risk of becoming involved in the sex trade in Thailand.
The Shaben’s will operate the home while helping in the development of a new training center that will emphasize vocational training and enhanced educational opportunities.
“It’s so rewarding for us,” Karen said.
“We think we’re going to help them and to bless them, but we’re actually the ones who get blessed — we really are.
“It’s amazing how wonderful these kids are and how creative they are and smart they are.
“The only difference between them and me is I was born here and I was given access to opportunities,” Karen said.
“Unless we do this, or people like us do this, they’re not given access to opportunity, especially some of the ones who live in these northern, remote areas.”
For the Shaben’s, the decision to move overseas and make full-time work of their humanitarian efforts has been a long time in the making.
Since their first hands-on experience nearly 10 years ago, the couple found their attention increasingly dominated by their work in Southeast Asia.
In October of 2014, they felt it their calling to move overseas and help — permanently.
“A lot of it came out of a bad situation I was in as a kid,” Brian said.
“I came from an abusive family background. My father was kind of abusive to the kids, very stern kind of guy.
“That kind of left an impression on me.”
The couple never had kids of their own, in part because of Brian’s upbringing.
“Earlier on, when we first got married, I wasn’t really wanting children because of my past — I wasn’t sure what kind of father I would be,” the 56-year-old said.
“I didn’t want to bring a child into the world if there was even a slim chance that my upbringing would make me a bad father.”
Brian’s youth, coupled with a horrific motorcycle accident in 1979 that stopped his heart and left him dead for minutes, made him feel there was a larger purpose to his life.
Despite never having kids of his own, his humanitarian efforts showed he had a knack for working with children.
“Brian’s living proof that you have a choice,” Karen, 49, said.
“He chooses not to be a victim.
“He has chosen to deal with the past, to get on with life and to take his experiences and make a difference for other people.”
The nature of the Shaben work will no doubt evolve during their time in Chiang Rai.
Brian said the country’s elderly and other orphanages may need help.
Regardless of what they end up doing, Brian and Karen will be making life better for those around them, which is all that matters.
“Making an impact on someone’s life in a positive way, when things look so bleak in the present, and then watching them develop and watching them come out of this thing called life on a positive note, knowing that you had a big part in that, it’s an exceptional feeling,” Brian said.
“You can leave this planet one day knowing that you’ve made a difference in the world — all the money in the world can’t buy you that.”
By Adam Williams
For more information on World Wide Life, go online to www.humanitarianpartnership.com
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