Dear Partners and Friends of SEA Junction,
Migration is a crucial issue for the region and remains one of our core interests. Last month, our first blended public discussion in English after the COVID-19 hiatus was on public attitudes towards migrants in Asia. This was followed by a webinar on the impacts of the pandemic on ASEAN migrants, and I also wrote an article on migrants in ASEAN which can be found with other opinion pieces here. This month, we will celebrate the International Migrants Day with a photo exhibition in partnership with the Mekong Migrant Network (MMN) and an international conference with the Asia Migration Center of Chulalongkorn University and other partners, as you can read in more details below.
We also continue the monthly Dialogue Forum series on environment in the Greater Mekong Sub-region spearheaded by the Bangkok Tribune in Thai (information to be provided later). You can find the videos of these dialogues (with English subtitles) and of our other events here.
We are also proud to inform you that the first round of small grants under the “Staying Resilient Amid the Pandemic in Southeast Asia” program has been completed. Thanks to support by CMB and WIEGO we have been able to fund 13 local initiatives in Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Myanmar and Malaysia to address the social and health impacts of COVID-19. Our special initiatives, as described below, also include two storytelling series, the first focusing on our experiences in living amid the pandemic, and the second on the unremitting environmental degradation of the Mekong River.
As the end of the year approaches, in the spirit of solidarity we would like to ask you to become a Friend of SEA Junction or a Founding and Enabling Partner and support us in continuing our work to expand space for public discourse in Southeast Asia. To donate is easy, just click the box below and it will bring to our designated website page where you can transfer electronically with PayPal. If you prefer to transfer via bank our dedicated account for our Foundation for Southeast Asia Studies is TMB #043 -7-18114-2. For those in the US, we can provide tax-benefits through our institutional partner. We are savvy in using our limited resources and our accountant provides yearly financial reports to our founding partners and main donors. Your year-end contribution will enable us to do more and better in the next year and for this we are very grateful!
With this, may I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Best regards,
Lia Sciortino Sumaryono
Founder and Executive Director SEA Junction
EVENT PROGRAM
Southeast Asia Mini Book and Craft Fair
12-13 December 2020, 11.00 am – 7.00 pm
Once a month, SEA Junction holds a mini book and craft fair focusing on Southeast Asia. Besides small craft from the region, three kinds of books are displayed: (1) New books given in consignment from recognized publishers; (2) New and used books, double to those in our library; (3) Few literature and development-related works from outside the region that have been donated to SEA Junction. All funds raised with the fair contribute to SEA Junction’s functioning and activities.
See further: http://seajunction.org/event/southeast-asia-mini-book-and-craft-fair-15/
Photo Exhibition “Resilience and Uncertainty:
Mekong Migrant Workers Amid the Pandemic Downturn”
15-20 December 2020, 10:00 am – 07:00 pm
Opening, 15 December 2020, 05:30 – 06:30 pm.
The exhibition organised by Mekong Migration Network (MMN) in collaboration with SEA Junction will display photos taken by documentary photographer John Hulme at Phang Nga, Mae Sot, and Chiang Mai at the Corner Space, 1st Floor, BACC. These images portray the lives of migrant workers during the COVID-19 pandemic and will be accompanied by description as told by the migrants themselves.
International Conference “Weaving the Threads of Migration,
Sustainable Development and The Pandemic”
17 December 2020, 9:00 am – 4:30 pm
The Asian Research Center for Migration, Chulalongkorn University in partnership with SEA Junction and other institutions, is holding its annual conference to commemorate International Migrants Day. This year’s theme examines the impacts of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on migration, mobility and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in Thailand, ASEAN and beyond. This will be the virtual conference while the panels held on-site in the Social Innovation Hub, Chulalongkorn University. SEA Junction will contribute to the panel discussions and also have a stand with relevant books for sale.
SPECIAL INITIATIVES
Visual Storytelling of COVID-19 in Southeast Asia
This special initiative invites all to make an effort to collectively provide a different visual story of the pandemic in Southeast Asia that shows strength and hope. We are asking for short stories in the form of photo essays, short documentaries and illustrated art essays in any language of the region or in English that document the experiences and realities of COVID-19 in the region.
See further: http://seajunction.org/special-initiatives/#.X0z9qS1h3BI
The Mekong is Blue and Dried:
Visual Storytelling of the Mekong River’s Environmental Degradation
This initiative launched by SEA Junction with the support of the Samdhana Institute aims to contribute to the ongoing advocacy efforts to enhance the sustainability of the Mekong River through the creative use of visual documentation and art. The photos and art works accompanied by a short essay reflect on environmental degradation and its impacts of riparian communities.
Small Grant Program
“Staying Resilient Amid the Pandemic in Southeast Asia”
This initiative launched by SEA Junction with the support of China Medical Board (CMB) and WIEGO aims to provide funds to efforts working to build social capital, strengthen community resilience, improve the living and health conditions of local communities, and enhance their capacity to cope with the pandemic in Southeast Asia. After careful review we have selected and provided grants for 13 grantees from 5 countries. The next opportunity for a second batch of application is planned for February 2021.
For information please email southeastasiajunction@gmail.com and phone/wa: +66970024140
About SEA Junction, OUR Venue on Southeast Asia
SEA Junction aims to foster understanding and appreciation of Southeast Asia in all its socio-cultural dimensions – from arts and lifestyles to economy and development. Conveniently located at Room 408 of the Bangkok Arts and Culture Centre or BACC (across MBK, BTS National Stadium) SEA junction facilitates public access to knowledge resources and exchanges among students, practitioners and Southeast Asia lovers.
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