Thirteenth Annual King Prajadhipok?s Institute (KPI) Congress
Citizenship and the Future of Thai Democracy
22 - 24 March, 2012 at the United Nations Conference Center
| Nearly 80 years ago, democracy was adopted in Thailand with the aim of allowing Thai people their honor, independence, and freedom and, most importantly, participation in democracy according to the principle that ?democracy is the government of the people, by the people and for the people.? Thus, the people are essential to democracy. If people are aware of their rights and duties and participate appropriately, the people and the country will truly benefit.
Living the democratic way of life is the origin of true and sustainable democracy. Living one?s life by exercising reason with awareness of one?s own rights and respect for the rights of others, having the patience to listen to different points of view, and strictly maintaining one?s behaviors under rules and regulations are the keys to democracy, which must be formed in the minds of both young people and adults alike, so the democracy of Thai society is carried on with quality.
It might be said that a good democratic society cannot occur if the people lack knowledge, understanding, and true awareness of their roles, responsibilities, and the significance of citizens in a democracy.
With its key mission being the development of democracy, King Prajadhipok?s Institute realizes the importance of creating a sustainable democratic society and stimulating citizen awareness, so the people can be a driving social force. Therefore, King Prajadhipok?s Institute will hold the Thirteenth Annual KPI Congress on the topic of Citizenship and the Future of Thai Democracy during 22 ? 24 March, 2012 at the United Nations Convention Center to serve as a forum for the exchange of knowledge and opinions among the people and to jointly find a solution to cultivate consciousness among Thai citizens so it flourishes to make Thai society a pleasant place to live under the true democracy for which everyone hopes. |  The Principle of KPI Congress 13th |
Format
The Thirteenth Annual KPI Congress comprises the following three main activities:
1. Lectures
The lectures have the objective of having experts who are knowledgeable and experienced in the promotion of citizen politics and democracy development lecture on topics associated with this congress. The following lectures will be presented in this academic seminar:
1) Opening Speech by a qualified and experienced expert from abroad on the issues of citizenship, building citizen awareness, the citizen awareness stimulation processes, citizen politics, and political participation.
2) Closing Speech by a Thai expert on the topic, ?Citizenship and the Future of Thai Democracy?.
2. Academic Seminar
The objective is to serve as a forum for exchanging and brainstorming opinions on the issues of citizenship, citizen awareness-building, citizen awareness stimulation processes, and citizen politics and political participation among government and private sector executives, academic experts, qualified experts, government representatives, independent organizations, government agencies, local administrative organizations, academics, private organizations, media, public organizations, and the general public.
The academic seminar consists of panel discussions and group discussions as follows.
1) Panel discussions are the presentation of perspectives and exchange of experiences among local and international qualified experts as well as interested individuals on issues of citizenship-building, citizenship awareness stimulation, and development.
- Panel discussion among international panelists exchanging thoughts and experiences on the topic of citizenship and democracy development, citizen awareness stimulation processes, citizen politics, and political participation from a comparative perspective with excellent guidelines from international experience.
- Panel discussion among Thai academics and qualified experts exchanging perspectives and experiences on the issue of citizenship and Thai democracy development as well as the citizen awareness-building process and citizen politics promotion.
2) Group discussions are the presentation of articles, academic papers, or theoretical and practical research findings related to citizen politics, addressing excellent practical guidelines in Thai society at community, local, provincial, and national levels. There will be five group discussions:
- Group 1: Thai Ways and Thai Citizenship Promotion
- Group 2: Experiences in Citizen Politics from Abroad to Thailand
- Group 3: Field Experiences and Citizenship-Building
- Group 4: Balancing Representatives and People?s Politics
- Group 5: Strategies for Building Citizenship in Thai Society
| | Key Content and Issues in the 13th Annual KPI Congress Group Discussions |
3. Exhibition
The objectives of the exhibition are to publicize information and
knowledge of citizen politics, the significance of citizen politics in
terms of the quality of democracy development, as well as citizen
awareness-building processes using data from research conducted in
conjunction with partner networks, King Prajadhipok?s Institute
students, and various domestic and international sectors.
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