The Mirror Art Group

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The Mirror Art Group

• Three current uses of ICT to help
• hilltribe people
• www.bannok.com
• www.ebannok.com
• Bannok TV

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Hilltribes in Thailand

• Semi-nomadic ethnic minorities who have migrated
  to Thailand over the last century
• Combined, only 1-1.5 of Thailands population
• All are experiencing a dramatic change in culture
  and way of life
• Impoverished and disenfranchised
• Eighty-percent of our target area, Tambon Mae
  Yao, is comprised of hilltribe people--Akha,
  Lahu, Yao (Mien) and Karen tribes represented

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Bannok (???????)
A Thai pejorative term meaning rural, hick or
hayseed.
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www.bannok.com

• Our voice in the digital world
• An essential link between the grass-roots level
  and Bangkok

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www.bannok.com

• A discussion forum for issues pertaining to Thai
  society
• A place where stories from the hilltribe people
  are told
• A source of information about Mirror Art Group
  projects

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Projects supported by www.bannok.com

• The Volunteer Teacher Program
• Fundraising for society
• Volunteer/Internship Programs

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Volunteer Teacher

• Over 1,500 participants as of July 2002
• Cultural exchange
• Volunteer Teacher Network

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Fundraising for Society

• Second-hand clothing
• Books
• Sports equipment
• Student Uniforms
• Seeds
• Medicine

• Socks/Blankets
• Printers
• Bicycles
• Financial Donations for scholarships and other
  projects

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Volunteer/Internship Program

• Bannok Volunteers
• Foreign Volunteers
• Student Interns

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www.ebannok.com
A success story of e-commerce at the grass-roots
level
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Motivations for www.ebannok.com

• Without land to farm, our villagers have limited
  sources of income, limited skills for the modern
  world
• Traditional skills disappearing
• Increased business opportunities and empowerment

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www.ebannok.com
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Challenges for www.ebannok.com

• Lack of business expertise--both the Mirror Art
  Group and villagers
• Lack of manpower
• No money for initial investment
• No credit card system
• Paypal.com does not work in Thailand

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Bannok TV

• A World Bank-sponsored project using established
  technology in a new way
• A method to distribute information that is
  relevant to the communities
• Recipient 2001 Innovation Day Award

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Motivations for Bannok TV

• Thai TV broadcasts traffic jams in Bangkok, not
  floods in the next district mad cow disease, not
  dengue fever
• Lack of positive media coverage of tribal culture
• Television is a first step to technological
  competency

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Goals for Bannok TV

• To create a local-access television station to
  broadcast about social, political and cultural
  events and issues relevant to the community
• To create an archive of aspects of tribal culture
  that are disappearing
• To teach communication/video skills

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Challenges for Bannok TV

• Local media laws specified in the 1997
  Constitution have yet to be enacted
• Few independent organizations are granted access
  to the airwaves

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The Mirror Art GroupProjects on the Horizon

• Virtual Hilltribe Museum
• Using ICT to combat trafficking in women and
  children
• Using ICT to assist in the process of granting
  Thai citizenship

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Sources of Inspiration
What makes the difficult work in the mountains
worthwhile
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Thank You--Geu lah heu ma de