Call for Proposals: Mainstreaming Field School Model for Sustaining Ethnic Communities and Protected Areas in Thailand

The project ‘Field School for Capacity-building in Safeguarding Living Heritage of Ethnic Communities in Thailand’ (2023-25) has been a pilot initiative supported by UNESCO International Assistance Fund for Intangible Cultural Heritage to the Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Anthropology Centre, Ministry of Culture, Thailand.

The project was undertaken within an overall vision to sustain the lifeways of minority ethnic groups, especially those living in Protected Areas, in order to promote their identity and self-sufficiency based on their living heritage, while also contributing to the sustainable management of natural resources and the environment.

The ‘Field School’ pilot project has developed a capacity-building model for ethnic communities to link their cultural diversity with the conservation of biodiversity in protected areas where they live, through inventorying and safeguarding activities. The project was piloted in 7 ethnic communities of Karen (Pgakenyaw and Pwo) and Chao Lay or sea nomads (Mogan, Moglan and Urak Lawoi) from Northern to Southern Thailand.

Assignment

• The contractor will undertake the mainstreaming of the indigenous Field School model developed under the UNESCO-supported pilot project ‘Field School for Capacity-building in Safeguarding Living Heritage of Ethnic Communities in Thailand’, with the view to contributing to sustainable development among ethnic communities in Protected Areas, as follows:
  • Adapt the Field School approach, in particular, community-based transmission of living heritage that links cultural diversity and biodiversity, by organizing ‘Field School Youth Camps’ in at least 2 minority ethnic communities. These youth camps will encourage young people in their teens and early 20s to return home, promote an appreciation of the local cultural and natural assets, encourage intergenerational exchange, and build practical skills. This will entail organizing the following activities:
    • Mentoring participants to identify and document at least one living heritage practice related to cultural diversity and biodiversity. This should adapt the documentation tools and training approaches developed by the Sirindhorn Anthropology Centre (SAC) and Chulalongkorn University Social Research Institute (CUSRI). The acquired documentation related to the indigenous knowledge may be stored in SAC’s Community Archives per consent of concerned community members;
    • Conducting hands-on ‘learning by doing’ activities between youth and older generation to transmit the knowledge and practical skills associated with these documented living heritage practices in a field-based setting;
    • Facilitating participants to brainstorm how to incorporate these living heritage practices into safeguarding plans for cultural diversity and biodiversity, for instance, in declared or proposed Special Cultural Zones. This may involve consultations with other external stakeholders, such as Protected Area officials and development workers.
  • Develop a sustainable model for institutionalizing this indigenous Field School in a long-term manner, by leveraging relevant laws and consulting indigenous organizations and other relevant stakeholders.  The model should comprise as follows:
    • Institutional model for undertaking the Field School as a regular capacity-building and networking activity, with primary ownership by ethnic organizations.  This should aim to regularly produce batches of ethnic trainees/alumni that will eventually form a national network covering various ethnic groups around the country. The model should identify the responsible organizations with relevant capacity and mandate; their respective roles; relevant legal/regulatory framework; and an action plan for putting this Field School into action;
    • Financial model which may rely on complimentary funding from national or international organizations.

Deliverables and Timeframe

• By 10 April 2025, a workplan for ‘Field School Youth Camps’ and consultations on how to institutionalize the ‘Field School’;
• By 31 July 2025, an interim report on activities that have been implemented, including teaching/communication materials produced and consultations conducted;
• By 30 November 2025, a final report on activities that have been implemented and proposal for institutional and financial models of the Field School.

Duty Station

• Thailand

Eligibility Criteria

• Required qualification, experience and competencies:
  • Minimum 10 years of experience in implementing projects among ethnic communities and/or Protected Areas in Thailand;
  • Have extensive networks and a relevant mandate related to promoting ethnic groups in Thailand;
  • Have on-site staff to oversee administration and logistical arrangement of capacity-building activities.
• Desirable qualification, experience and competencies:
  • Able to coordinate and communicate effectively in Thai, English and relevant ethnic languages;
  • Be familiar with national and international statutory frameworks and principles related to indigenous rights, cultural diversity and biodiversity;
  • Be familiar with staff and procedures of local authorities and different departments under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (with profile of past cooperation projects/activities, if possible).

Application Package

• Interested organizations are invited to submit to UNESCO Bangkok the application package including:
  • Institutional profile,
  • A technical proposal illustrating how the tasks will be carried out,
  • A detailed financial proposal indicating rate per unit.

For more information, visit UNESCO.