OUR MISSION
The mission of Culture and Rights is to promote understanding of cultural rights in Thailand by conducting research that draws on diverse, cross-disciplinary fields of study and to foster public awareness and dialogue on community rights, heritage managements, and cultural policies.
WHY CULTURE AND RIGHTS
The right to culture and the rights to “belong to” a culture has become an increasing important topic in contemporary academic debate.
In recent decades, international cultural rights instruments have also encouraged states to recognize the value of diversity and recognize the “group rights” of minority and indigenous groups.
Increasingly, various cultural groups at the sub-national level are asserting their rights to a distinctive language, tradition, locality, race, ethnicity or religion as a basis for claims to land, environmental protection, political autonomy, employment and the repatriation of traditional cultural resources.
It is vital therefore that we should strive to understand what cultural rights are. Knowledge about cultural rights can empower groups and offer solutions for specific problems.
WHAT WE DO
Culture and Rights works to strengthen the conceptual understanding and theoretical frameworks surrounding cultural rights issues in Thailand and beyond. We do this by conducting innovative research and disseminating new research via public meetings at the institutional and community level.
We publish research findings in both Thai and English. And we raise awareness about cultural rights concepts among scholars, government agencies, institutions and local stakeholders.
The issues we address within culture and rights include livelihood, language use and language policy, heritage management, education, and advocacy among minorities and vulnerable groups.