Social Inclusion: Karen people in Thailand
Your Challenge:
Is to find out how Social Inclusion is improved by looking at the work of the UN with the Karen people in Northern Thailand.
Follow this Process:
Watch this video - Thailand : Losing Ground
In this video a member of the Indigenous Women’s Network describes the problems the Karen people have in owning the land they live on and in accessing justice.As a class discuss what the term 'social inclusion' means and come up with your own definition of it. Then discuss the problems of the Karen people in Northern Thailand. Why do you think these people do not have the rights of other Thais? Do you think it is important that we ensure that the traditions of groups such as the Karen are kept alive?
Undertake some research using websites including this website: The Karen People
Take it deeper by finding out more about the problems of the Karen people and the how they are treated very poorly in Northern Thailand and Burma.
After the class discussion summarise what actions can be taken to ensure the Karen people achieve proper social inclusion in Thailand.
How do our efforts at Social Inclusion compare with the situation of the Karen in Thailand? Are there any similar groups who are not full members of New Zealand society. If there are what action can we take to ensure their situation is improved?
Discuss with your family at meal time the difficulties of the Karen in Northern Thailand. Are there similar problems in New Zealand and if so what we as New Zealanders can do about it.
Share back with the class the results of your discussions.
Create a short video promoting social inclusion in general, using the Karen people as an example.
Post a reflection showing what you’ve learned, as well as your videos, on this website.
Educator Notes
To make it more accessible:
Lead a classroom discussion on whether people who live on the land should have rights to living there and farming on it. Is part of the problem for the Karen people that they live in such a remote area away from most of the population?
To make it more challenging:
One of the problems the Karen people face is the expansion of national parks in northern Thailand. This takes away the land they depend on for growing food and fishing (see this video). Lead a discussion on how do we balance the need to ensure that important environments are protected for the benefit of the whole population against the needs of the local people to grow the food they need to live in this same place?
Useful links