Members of AIPP

Karen network for culture and environment (KNCE)

KNCE was established in 1998 by Karen leaders from different provinces. They agreed on the Traditional methods of production, teaching and livelihood which have been passed down from their ancestor. These have been valuable, sustainable, and harmonious with the nature.

The tide of development affecting the Karen communities in the last 30 years and has been forcing them to adapted. Valuable system were destroyed which leading to an imbalance and un- sustainability in communities. Therefore we agreed to gather and inherit our ancestor’s will, to live simply, to be self-sufficient, to respect each other and the spirits of the universe. Lastly, we agreed to hold on to the ancestor’s moral in our daily life.

Objectives:

1. To collect and improve the Karen knowledge systems and wisdom to be inherited and disseminated.
2. To give the opportunities of education accessible to the young Karen.
3. To improve the proper education based on Karen community needs.
4. Disseminate and build the public understanding on Karen culture and difficulties.
5. To raise awareness of culture and environment among Karen youth, leaders and organizations.
6. To train and support the new young Karen leaders to inherit the work of KNCE.
7. To promote and develop Karen quality of life and environment which rely on local wisdom and new innovations.

Mission:

1. To restore the culture heritaged.
2. To create and develop the community education.
3. To improve the quality of Karen people.
4. To promote and strengthen the Karen leaders, organization and networks.
5. To promote understanding and awareness of Karen to the public.

In the beginning, KNCE was supported by Japanese embassy since 1998 , IWGIA 2002, European Commission 2011 , global fund in 2012-2014.

The KNCE status is not a registered organization, but since 2017 the KNCE members has founded KFCE in order to support KNCE activities by legally.

Hmong Association, Thailand

The Hmong Association is a non government organization or indigenous organization [Hmong people in Thailand]. It was established in 1995, Chiangmai Province, Thailand.

Objectives:

1. To promote and support education for Hmong students.
2. To promote the Hmong people regarding the awareness of natural resources and environmental issues.
3. To promote the Hmong identity and culture.
4. To promote and improve Hmong occupations and lives.
5. To improve the Hmong people’s quality of life in order that they can support themselves, as well as they can support the society, as well.
6. To be a center for Hmong collaboration and information dissemination regarding Hmong education and development.
7. To promote the unity of the peoples in Thailand.

Vision:
Hmong Association is a means to support cooperation and development for all people to attain the highest quality of life, based on our culture and identity, while relying on ourselves and supporting each other.

Place of issue: Chiang Mai Province, Thailand

Date of issue: 30 November 1995

Network of Indigenous Peoples of Thailand (NIPT)

Thailand has more than 60 different ethnic groups countrywide that settled in 67 provinces. Among them, there are 46 groups that identify themselves as Indigenous Peoples (IPs), with a total population of 4,284,702 persons from all over 5 regions of Thailand, collected in 2015, and gathering as the Network of Indigenous Peoples in Thailand-NIPT. In 2007, NIPT was celebrating the International Day of World’s Indigenous People in Thailand officially, and they have announced that every 9 August of the year would be recognized and celebrated as the International Day of World’s Indigenous Peoples in Thailand.

The goals of established NIPT is as a collective mechanism to call attention to indigenous issues, the study and analysis of existing problems, presentation of proposals on national policy, and follow-up and evaluation of government policy and projects impacting on ethnic and indigenous livelihood and ways of life. Since 2007 until the present, numerous efforts have been made to ensure this wider understanding, culminating in the 2010 establishment of the Council of Indigenous Peoples of Thailand (CIPT) in order to develop a principle of mechanism for improving state policies and laws in line with indigenous ways of life and coordinate the efforts of all parties in the protection of their rights and ways of life. This also aims to reduce and solve of continuing problems of the affected indigenous peoples and local communities through the CIPT constitution as a framework for advancing these efforts. In this, the indigenous peoples, local communities, and networks have endeavored to raise the potential and operations undertaken based on their wisdom and culture, resulting in the development of appropriate spaces which can serve as living models for learning and expansion in other local communities. Recently, the CIPT proposed the CIPT Bill as a draft law aimed at government acceptance of indigenous identities and respect for the rights of indigenous peoples in Thailand.

At present, this already has been included in the process of discussion in Parliament. Both NIPT and CIPT expect that the other four draft laws on ethnic groups and indigenous peoples (proposed by different agencies) will be approved by the Prime Minister and the Cabinet, especially the draft law on the protection and promotion of ethnic ways of life drafted by the Sirindhorn Anthropology Centre (public organization)-SAC, and soon be submitted to the Thai Parliament. In addition, this should coincide with United Nation’s International Decade of Indigenous Languages (IDIL): 2022-2032. This will enhance the focus of Parliament and the world community on the escalating crisis of indigenous languages throughout, which must be addressed and supported through sincere conservation, transmission, and promotion.

Informal mechanism to organize the learning spaces/exchange experiences for common problems issues and solutions of IPs in Thailand and to participate in negotiated dialogue and organize the policy-related lobbying/ campaigning/public forums.

Indigenous Women’s Network of Thailand (IWNT)

IWNT was founded in 1996 and operated within one of the largest national indigenous organizations to provide a gender perspective to development activities affecting indigenous peoples in Thailand. In early 2011 IWNT was established as an independent organization working towards improving the lives of indigenous women in Thailand.

Indigenous people live in a marginalized context in Thailand. Indigenous women, however, face added discrimination based on gender, which has the effect of intensifying the social, political, economic, cultural and linguistic marginalization they experience. Significant numbers of indigenous women lack citizenship, which affects every aspect of their lives. They are frequently constrained in making decisions which are central to their lives, including decisions regarding education, work, marriage, children and community activities. High rates of domestic violence exist in some communities, and often unaware of their rights, indigenous women have limited access to justice. The roles women are expected to play provide them with little, if any, space for autonomy, decision making and participation in the public sphere.

IWNT advocates for indigenous women’s rights, equal opportunities in participation, and acceptance of the value of women’s traditional knowledge. The organization works to inform indigenous women about their rights, promote national and international instruments for women’s protection, promote women’s participation in local government and other decision making structures, and training to prepare indigenous women leaders for public roles.

Vision:
Indigenous women are able to protect themselves and their communities, their ways of life, traditional knowledge and natural resources.

Strategies:

1. Promotion of indigenous women’s traditional knowledge.
2. Participation in local politics (sharing information and knowledge with local government administrations and building women’s capacity to be effective administrators).
3. Capacity building in community development (increasing women’s leadership in environmental management, natural resource management (NRM), socio-economic development and education for strengthening).
4. Promotion of CEDAW including the setting-up of mechanisms to assist women victims of violence and discrimination (increasing the number of human rights defenders and legal paramedics).
5. Strengthen IWNT by supporting its member networks to ensure the continuous development of cadres and activists to work for the empowerment of indigenous women and to maintain the autonomy of the IWNT.

Inter Mountain Peoples’ Education and Culture in Thailand Association (IMPECT)

Inter Mountain Peoples Education and Culture in Thailand Association or IMPECT is an indigenous nongovernmental development organisation founded and staffed entirely by representatives of the indigenous groups and networks involved in the Association. IMPECT Association originated from a project run under the Mountain Peoples Cultural Education and Development Foundation (MPCD). In 1991 the Inter Mountain Peoples Education and Culture in Thailand Project became an independent organisation. IMPECT Association gained official registration as an Association in its own right on 16 March 1993.

The Association focuses on development work within the populations of ten indigenous groups residing in the highlands of the northern provinces of Thailand: the Akha, Dara-ang, Hmong, Kachin, Karen, Lahu, Lisu, Lua, Mien and Shan peoples.

The Association works with a variety of indigenous peoples (IPs) sharing similar situations and experiences, applying traditional knowledge and practices to all aspects of development work. IMPECT works as an association, providing opportunities for participation and ownership of development activities to representatives of the different indigenous groups. The Executive Committee of the Association is elected by the membership and oversees the work of the Association office to ensure that it is aligned with the overall needs of indigenous peoples.

Vision:
Indigenous Community and Indigenous Peoples’ Networks are strengthened to protect rights and define the way of life based on their own cultural framework with valuable and prestige manners.

Mission:

1. Development of the organizational capacities to supporting the community and indigenous peoples’ networks, effectively.
2. Promotion of the learning space and capacity development to the Association’s personnel, Community members and network leaders, all female male with effectively.
3. Promotion the new generation of indigenous peoples to increasingly gain awareness in their own cultural values and proudly revitalization.
4. Promotion and affirmation of the rights of the indigenous communities in sustainable management of natural resources and environment, education, health and community economic activities based on their local culture.
5. Initiative driving to make or change the related policies and laws, that facilitates to endogenous development processes and sustains their ethnic identity.
6. Improvement of the information system and media development, efficiently for public campaign and dissemination to government and public agencies have better understanding, acceptance and supporting to the indigenous community and networks.
7. Raising the adequate financial support for operations, and sustaining the self-sufficiency of association.

Entity: Non-Profit NGO
Agency: Chiang Mai City Hall
Place of issue: Chiang Mai City, Thailand
Date of issue: 16 March, 1991