News

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

Four sessions: April to June 2021
Hmong children in traditional clothes

UNESCO Bangkok, the  and the  organized 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 exchanged 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 provided international perspectives on the draft law and suggest next steps for Thailand.  

Re-watch the sessions below.

Indigenous Peoples and Sustainable Heritage Forum: Roundtable Session 1: Speakers

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

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

Indigenous Peoples and Sustainable Heritage Forum: Roundtable Session 1: Speakers
  • Introduction to the Roundtable Series and the session (UNESCO-SAC-CUSRI)
  •  (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)
Indigenous Peoples and Sustainable Heritage Forum: Roundtable Session 2: Speakers

Roundtable Session 2: Traditional knowledge and ecological sustainability

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

Indigenous Peoples and Sustainable Heritage Forum: Roundtable Session 2: Speakers
  • 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)
Indigenous Peoples and Sustainable Heritage Forum: Roundtable Session 3: Speakers

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

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

Indigenous Peoples and Sustainable Heritage Forum: Roundtable Session 3: Speakers
  • 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)
Indigenous Peoples and Sustainable Heritage Forum: Roundtable Session 4: Speakers

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)

Indigenous Peoples and Sustainable Heritage Forum: Roundtable Session 4: Speakers
  • 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)

#WorldHeritage #IntangibleCulturalHeritage #LivingHeritage #CultureForSustainableDevelopment #CreativityCulturalDiversity

More from UNESCO Bangkok