24 September 2021
MAEW Introduction (Video)
Mekong/ASEAN Environmental Week (MAEW) is the annual regional platform and process for the deeper exchange among the people, Civil Society groups, and other relevant actors on development, natural resources, environmental, social, and human rights impacts from the investments. The forum aims to provide more space, understanding, analysis, and solidarity among the people who have less political space and have less chance to meet and voice. The stories telling, opinion giving, and express demands for a better future of the region and its people can result in a stronger and continuous movement among the people in the region, which is urgently needed.
Watch the video:
Opening panel “ASEAN: Political, historical background and the current key issues”
24 September, 9.30-11.00 am (Bangkok time)
Organizer: MAEW
Panelists
- What is happening to the people of ASEAN by Peter Kalang, Save River, Malaysia
- Geopolitical and ASEAN by Walden Bello, Co-chair of the Board of Focus on the Global South and a former member of the House of Representatives of the Philippines https://youtu.be/FD_IsVjBVPE
- Social Justice and rights and workers’ rights by Angkana Neelaphaijit, a former member of the National Human Rights Commission
- The voice from the future generation of ASEAN by Kong Somonicheat, Social Action for Community and Development, Cambodia
Moderator
Premrudee Daoroung, Project SEVANA South- East AsiaWatch the video of the full panel:
Panel discussion “Sharing the world with ASEAN”
24 September, 11.30 am-1pm
Organizer: MAEW
Panelists
- “COVID - 19 as threats for the forest-dependent communities in Amazon: the impacts and resistance” By Manoel Edivaldo Santos Matos, Chairperson, Trade union, Santarém town, state of Pará, Amazon, Brazil (Translate into English by Winnie Overbeek, Coordinator, World Rainforest Movement, Uruguay) https://youtu.be/Rzz7Ivpl6Lo
- Green Economy, the world’s picture by Larry Lohmann, The Corner House, UK https://youtu.be/RyntX8z3lDs
- Blue Economy, as an ocean grabbing by Susan H Romica, Secretary-General, KIARA (People's Coalition for Fisheries Justice), Indonesia https://youtu.be/TIOzlp0Wsks
Moderator
Shalmali Guttal, Focus on the Global South
Watch the video of the full panel at https://youtu.be/0kyFTZgfvsk
Mor Lum Song “Voice from people”
MUSIC - “Voice from people” - Thailand’s Northeastern style song Made for MAEW2021 with the local instrument "Khaen" by Goo-khaen Band, Khon Kaen Province
Watch the video:
Panel discussion “Mekong and ASEAN after COVID-19: Partners' perspectives on what's next for the region”
24 September, 14.30-15.30 pm (Bangkok time)
Organizer: MAEW
Panelists
- Miguel Musngi, Senior Officer, Poverty Eradication and Gender Division, ASEAN Secretariat
- Dr. Umezawa Akima, Minister (Political Affairs), Embassy of Japan Bangkok
- Tom Moody, Regional Director SE Asia, Climate and Energy, UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO)
- Evan Fox, Economic Officer, US Embassy Bangkok
Moderator Supalak Kanchanakundee, An Independent researcher
Watch the video of the full panel:
Concept
As a region with diverse livelihood, precious resources, and a long struggle for development the Mekong and Southeast Asia region, has once again reached an important crossroads. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a tremendous impact on the way of life of the majority of people, from the social, economic, and cultural as well as from the grassroots, to the national to the regional level. Critically, the pandemic has also served as a major warning for a fundamental change for the region that similar incidents require real foresight, preparation, and hard work for responses that must be initiated now. COVID-19 has shown that present healthcare systems are weak and inadequate to meet all needs during the pandemic’s peak; people need better food security and natural resources to survive such challenges.
Yet, the region’s economies have been built on natural resource exploitation to support open market economies. As most governments government strove to a hub for agricultural products, hydropower, and extractive resources export, the destruction of the environment has been weakening the region's human resources. The situation has put into question the policy to uphold Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the past decade.
In the past decade, especially in the past year, the region has also faced rising authoritarianism, which has intensified the push for extractive development projects. As these caused more suffering to many communities, the space for redress and protests has been severely restricted, including for those who pushback for human rights and democracy. These regimes have also taken advantage of the COVID-19 to justify further repression, especially those who criticize inept responses to the pandemic.
This panel discussion is among the activities of the first part of the Mekong-ASEAN Environmental Week (MAEW) 2021, with the theme "Redesign ASEAN: Peoples' Voices in World Crises”. The panel will be held in the afternoon of September 24, under the sub-theme of “ASEAN and the World today” (as a lead to the question 'Why redesign ASEAN?'). The co-organizers of MAEW2021 are inviting representatives of regional partners from different embassies and associations to meet, speak and exchange analyses, ideas, and plans. It is proposed that the discussion on this panel will cover the duration of the COVID-19 situation over the past two years to review lessons; assess the future situation; and put forward proposals that will be beneficial to the region and people of the Mekong and Southeast Asian countries.
The panel will reflect on the regional situation tackling the following questions: What lessons does the COVID-19 pandemic pose to the current economic development direction? How should the region try to work cooperatively among countries and peoples to rethink their actual recovery in a way that will maintain, strengthen and secure its own livelihood and for the future? How should the region work with its external partners toward better, stronger stability? What are the experiences from outside that the region can learn from, both for development and of the strategies on COVID - 19?
Documentary - “Guardians of the River”
By American Rivers and Swiftwater Films
On people of Klamath River and the dam Remover project in California, USA (2020), and a presentation by Bruce Shoemaker, Klamath Project Liaison
Watch the film:
Watch the presentation by Bruce Shoemaker
