May 23, 2000
Wisdom works Local artisans and a non-governmental organisation have joined hands to establish the Lanna Wisdom Institute, an alternative learning forum which aims to pass on valuable folk wisdom and an eco-friendly lifestyle to the next generations Atiya Achakulwisut Thong Sukrat, 65, was despondent when he saw sets of old, folded strips of Sa paper on sale in the streets of Chiang Mai. For many people, the ancient, crumbling paper may amount to nothing but an exotic remnant of the past. For Mr Thong, whose family has been engaged in traditional healing for generations, the paper strips, known as Pubsa and inscribed in the Lanna dialect, contain invaluable information culled by ancestors over a period of centuries. The old man was thus struck with deep sorrow at the sight. With the Pubsa gone, the knowledge, too, would disappear. Mr Thong's worry is not singular. Throughout the North, modernisation has brought rapid change to a once culturally diverse, multi-racial society. Most members of the new generation consider the region's unique culture, traditions, arts, crafts and lifestyles as things of the past. The young boys do not wish to go into the forest and look for small roots that will relieve headache when they can simply pop pain-killers. Similarly, few country girls want to be tied to a wooden loom to weave new cloth. They can buy colourful outfits anywhere. What is lost is not merely the physical arts of healing or weaving, but the philosophy behind it-highly-evolved folk wisdom-which is key to self-sufficiency and harmonious co-existence with nature. The Lanna Wisdom Institute is aimed at being a forum for local artisans to share their knowledge with the young. In the picture, 65-year-old expert lantern maker Bualai Kanapanya teaches youngsters how to make the exquisite decorative item. Pictures by SMITH SUTIBUT Anan Leraman, chairman of the Chiang Mai Traditional Healers' Fellowship, said the traditional art of healing, or Mor Muang, is, in essence, about self-sufficient living. "Traditional healing is not only about how to cure the body with medicinal herbs but also how to eat right in order to stay healthy and to prevent sickness." As an example, Mr Anan cited Mor Muang's recommendation that bitter food is good. This includes such vegetables as Mara Khinok (bitter gourd) and Khilek (Cassia siamea), known to have the effect of a mild tranquiliser. "(Practitioners of) Mor Muang dispense this information to villagers because we want them to help themselves. We would like them to put the knowledge to use in their everyday life so they don't have to visit a hospital too often," Mr Anan said. The use of cheaper, locally available herbal medicines will also save the country a lot of money now spent on imported drugs, he added. Concerned about the loss of traditional knowledge, these experts are joining hands with a newly-established non-governmental organisation (NGO) to establish an alternative institute for cultural learning. Various herbs have been culled by generations of healers. They form a crucial part of self-sufficient living. Both the NGO and the school are known as Hong Hian Sueb Sarn Lanna, or the Lanna Wisdom Institute. "I would like to make folk culture and wisdom available so that people can appreciate it. These elements of our local lifestyle are the foundation for a community to become self-reliant. I would like to build a mechanism to ensure this knowledge is passed on to the next generation," explained Chatchawal Thongdeelert, the brain behind, and administrator of, the institute. Mr Chatchawal is a veteran grass-roots development worker who has worked in Chiang Mai for more than 20 years. The Lanna Wisdom Institute is an extension of the Sueb Sarn Lanna Fair, held for the fourth time in Chiang Mai last month. The annual fair was a miniature display of Northern cultural diversity, featuring the traditional wisdom of many ethnic groups including Tai Yuan, Yong, Tai Lue, Pakayor, and such hilltribes as the Akha and Lahu. "The fair was a forum for people to get to know Poh Khru and Mae Khru (masters). It was also a means for us to know what people are interested in learning so we can design courses accordingly," Mr Chatchawal, 43, explained. The fair also served as a means to recognise these local masters whose expertise is sometimes overlooked. "Modern education alienates children from folk wisdom and the process of passing on knowledge has been rather limited. The result is these experts are left unappreciated despite their wealth of knowledge," Mr Chatchawal said. According to Mr Chatchawal, these holders of folk knowledge regarding weaving, natural dyeing, music, massage, herbal medicine or organic farming, are usually governed by the same philosophy: First, a respect for nature; second, respect and compassion for one another; and third, moral integrity. The first Sueb Sarn Lanna Fair featured only four to five Poh Khru and Mae Khru. This year, there were more than 30, mostly elderly men and women, keen to teach the younger generation what they had learnt throughout their lives. The four main areas which the Lanna Wisdom Institute will concentrate on will be food, traditional medicine and health care, clothing and houses, and craftsmanship. Chatchawal Thondeelert: "Modern education alienates children from folk wisdom." In the spirit of alternative education, the Lanna Wisdom Institute will focus more on the learning than the procedures. "Although the school is located here physically, the learning may occur somewhere else. We would rather see a process of teaching that is natural and congruent with people's way of life. The teachers and learners can choose to do classes in the home or at a temple if they want to," Mr Chatchawal said. Eventually, he hopes the school will function as a coordinating body, while experts and learners form their own networks to carry on the education process. Presently, the Institute has a temporary open-air pavilion where students and teachers can meet. It is located on a plot of land behind the Prince Royal School, donated by the Mettasuksa Foundation. Mr Chatchawal insisted that the Lanna Wisdom Institute would not operate like a vocational training institute, dispensing only technical information. "Some youths actually demand that kind of straightforward, one, two, three, step-by-step set of instructions on how to make things. But that is not our aim. Our school will dispense spiritual and philosophical elements that govern the knowledge as well. That is the distinction which sets us apart from mainstream vocational schools," Mr Chatchawal noted. He admitted there were still some discrepancies regarding the expectations of the young and the teaching styles of the elderly experts. The school will also have to work on how to integrate the spiritual dimension into educational process. It thus plans to spend two years synchronising the various bodies of knowledge and experimenting with teaching methods. "There are teachers from different generations. Those who are in the middle, not too old and not too young, will be particularly helpful as they can bridge the gap between the young and the old," Mr Chatchawal said. The school is looking for a way to finance the cost of curriculum development. With such funds, Mr Chatchawal said he believed the Lanna Wisdom Institute would be able to develop a more concrete curriculum within two years. To complement the New Education Act 1999, which endorses education that corresponds with people's lifestyles, Mr Chatchawal works with schools in Chiang Mai. Students can take a field trip to the Lanna Wisdom Institute or the Sueb Sarn Lanna Fair to see if they would like to take part in any of the courses. About 10 schools have agreed to participate. For Mr Chatchawal, the Lanna Wis dom Institute represents a crystalisation of his more than 20 years of development work. "True development work must touch people's real lives, building on what they already know. It is no use to glorify or award local artisans when there is no mechanism in place to ensure that their knowledge will continue. "The government's perception of villagers as uneducated and its attempt to re-train them are also misguided. These villagers already have pillars which they can rely on for self-sufficient living."Unless we understand the social and cultural capital of these people and draw on it, any development effort will be futile, Mr Chatchawal said. Info for donations: - Name of organisation: Hong Hian Sueb Sarn Lanna (Lanna Wisdom Institute) - Contact person: Chatchawal Thongdeelert or Chalisa Boonsiri - Tel/Fax: (053) 810-623-4 - Bank Account Name: Sueb Sarn Lanna Fund - Bank: Siam Commercial Bank, Chiang Mai University sub-branch - Bank Account Number: 667-216339-5		Daily Main Entrance Page Local News Business Outlook Weekly IT news Horizons Travel NiteOwl (Trink) Real.Time Motoring Student Weekly Entertainment & Lifestyle What's on Dining out Recipe of the week Movies Music Book Review Beauty Fitness Nutrition NEW! Prominent Businesses Travel Thailand & beyond Special Publications Current Issues in Thailand Silpa Thai site Bangkok Post Year-end Economic Review Post Database 10 years Annual Report Education Learn English with the Bangkok Post Society We Care Phudhong Leper Colony Foundation Bangkok Post Newspaper Foundation Past Issues Calendar Page for recent issues Bangkok Post Archives by Samart Classifieds Classifieds index Jobs Property Entertainment Investment Education Travel Sales Bookstore Post Books Company Services Contact Us Subscriptions Internet Advertising Classified Ads Allied Printers
© Copyright The Post Publishing Public Co., Ltd. 2000 Last Modified: Tue, May 23, 2000 For comments and letters to the editor see : notes Comments to: Webmaster Advertising enquiries to Internet Marketing