Meaningful Events for Collective Impact on Food Systems in the Southern Border Provinces

• Event date:
  October 9, 2021 at 8:30 AM
• Event end:
  October 10, 2021 at 5:00 PM

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Background:

The dynamic of the southern border provinces’ food industry remains largely unknown to the outside world in spite of its abundance of fresh food products and fantastically diversified culinary culture. Demonstration of the value of the intangibles in the local food industry can play a key role in removing stereotypes and stigmatization as well as in gaining recognition from international communities. With abundant natural resources in the southern border provinces, local food industry and creative sector can serve as an entry to boost local economy, create synergies between different communities and promote social changes. Over the past decade, local creative activists, artists, private sectors, and local governments have organized cultural events and programs that give visibility to the local gastronomic wealth in the subregion.  However, its socio-cultural reality in the context of COVID-19 show that the level of urban spectacle they tried to create may not always accompany with meaningful impacts to local communities where the cultural richness is originated. It is therefore important that event organizers; either public, civil society or private, are exposed to innovative ideas and holistic approach to sustainable and inclusive events for collective impacts on food systems in the southern border provinces.

Since early 2021, UNDP in Thailand has been developing a portfolio on social innovation for strengthening local governance, community resilience and social cohesion in southern Thailand’s local food systems for responsive covid-19 service delivery under the so-called “Social Innovation Platform”. Seeking for shared value across various stakeholders are key to the platform approach. With abovementioned situation, UNDP in collaboration with Yala Municipality and Baramizi Lab are organizing a co-creation workshop on “Meaningful Events for Collective Impact on Food Systems in the Southern Border Provinces” aiming for local event organizers and creative activists to brainstorm and formulate a food event planning guideline that can effectively create positive impacts on the food system in the southern border provinces.

Building a local collaborative platform for an impactful creative economy could strengthen the active network of creative thinkers, private sector, citizen-led organizations, and local governments while enhancing the integrated localization of relevant national agencies such as Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), Creative Economy Agencies, and Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration that might lead to a high-level collaborative platform for collective and impactful funding structure for an area-based development.

Workshop Goal:

Local event organizers and creative activists brainstorm and formulate a food event planning guideline that can effectively create positive impacts on the food system in the southern border provinces.

Workshop Objectives:

• To exchange knowledge and information on challenges and opportunities in the food system of Yala Province
• To exchange and learn from case studies of food events or food-related festivals that created positive impacts
• To brainstorm for goals and creative approaches that will yield positive impacts on the food system in the southern border provinces
• To strengthen the relationship among local creative thinkers, build a strong network, and create more collaboration opportunities in the future

Workshop Agenda:

Day 1 – Getting to know each other, exchanging, learning from experiences, and identifying problems in the local food system

• §  Opening Remark by Mr. Renaud Meyer – Resident Representative of UNDP in Thailand
• §  Seminar “Creation of Meaningful events” by Ms. Monthinee Yongwikul – Director of Creative Economy Agency and Mr. Krin Kangwankitti – Senior Network Development Officer of CEA
• §  Coffee break
• §  Activity 1: Lessons learned from the past experiences of event creation in the southern border provinces
• §  Activity 2: Creative Culture Canvas: Unlock the cultural asset and identity of the SBPs
• §  Lunch
• §  Presentation of research on Yala food systems by Baramizi Lab
• §  Seminar “Experience of young entrepreneur and tourism opportunity in the region” by Mr. Abdulloh Baka – Manager of Chaba Beef Enterprise and Ms. Kornwan Phuriwat – Founder and Content Creator of Waerung Panai
• §  Coffee Break
• §  Activity 3: Refine your approach – understand the food systems
• §  Group presentation

Day 2 – Brainstorming for a creative event planning guideline to positively impact the local food system.

• §  Introduction to Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) by Mr. Jirut Isarangkul Na Ayudhaya – Director of TCEB
• §  Be inspired by a success story of a flagship event by the organizer of Chiang Mai Bloom, and supporting agencies, such as the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) and Thai International Events and Festivals Trade Association
• §  Activity 4: Brainstorm ideas
• §  Activity 5: Make plans for this year’s activities and set impact goals to be achieved.
• §  Activity 6: “Design Feelings” and “Build New Attitudes” – Set the goals for future events and festivals.
• §  Group presentation
• §  Finalize the event planning guideline that will create positive impacts on society.

Location