Thailand (GPACT)

Dates: May 25-June 21, 2008

Faculty Leader: Prof. Denise Horn (d.horn@neu.edu)

Description: Our host city this year will be Mae Khachan, in the northern province of Chiang Rai. Northern Thailand is a beautiful mountainous region, home to several different hill tribes, lush jungle, waterfalls, and hot springs. You will be living and working with students your own age from the Mae Jadee Witayakhom school, a regional school serving Thai, Mooseur and Chinese Hau students. This Dialogues experience will be like no other - you will live, work and play with your Thai partners, and learn about Thai culture and politics in an intensive, hands-on way.

Program: Grassroots Activism - Statelessness, Poverty, Human Trafficking and Development

Working with students and NGOs from the province of Chiang Rai, you will be immersed in the challenges facing Thai culture. Your task will be to work with your Thai counterparts to develop meaningful solutions in a cross-cultural dialogue with people who know the problems of Thailand better than anyone else.

You will live, not just read about, the social challenges of modern Thailand with other Thai students as you delve deep into the challenges of statelessness, poverty, human trafficking and development. From the destructive influences on families to the challenges for Thai youth just beginning their lives, you will examine the tradeoffs and come to your own conclusions about life in Thailand.

These issues will become the centerpiece of your joint work with your Thai partners. Over three weeks of intensive training with experts in the field, you will learn the key skills of community development work, including action research, leadership skills, organizational development, and cross-cultural communication. These skills are transferable to a wide variety of future careers, and you will become part of the growing Global PACT network. The final week will be spent traveling and relaxing, experiencing Thailand's incomparable hospitality.

Course Credits: IAF U938 Dialogue of Civilizations Globalization and Social Sciences(4 SH) and IAF U941 Dialogue of Civilizations GPACT (4 SH)

Cost of Program: Most costs (airfare, accommodations, excursions, and some meals) are covered by summer tuition. There may be an additional program fee depending on length of stay in-country, airline ticket prices, or other extra expenses. Students will be responsible for some meals and all personal spending money.

Application Process: The program is open to students of any major. Download the Dialogue of Civilizations application, enrollment form, and waiver form. Turn in the completed forms to Cynthia Rapp in the International Affairs Office, 270 Holmes Hall. Students will also be interviewed.

Application Deadline: December 14, 2007

Disclaimer: Some information posted here is tentative and subject to change based on costs and dates of available flights. The website is updated as current information becomes available.