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Say NO to violence against women
HRH Princess Bajarakitiyabha spearheads campaign in Pattaya
HRH Princess Bajarakitiyabha blows the whistle
three times
to signal the start of the parade.
HRH Princess Bajarakitiyabha graciously presents a whistle and other
materials
to Chonburi Governor Senee Jittakasem and others before the start
of the parade.
Vimolrat Singnikorn/UNIFEM
Almost ten thousand citizens of Pattaya and nearby
districts in Chonburi gathered in force along Beach Road on Tuesday July 6,
to show their united determination to support UNIFEM’s campaign to stop
violence against women and children.
The march to ‘Say NO to violence against women’ was
presided over by UNIFEM goodwill ambassador HRH Princess Bajarakitiyabha who
stands firmly in her resolve to fight for women’s rights to protect
themselves from acts of atrocities.
Somkiat Charoensawan, director of the Office of the Chief
Judge Region 2, reads a statement about Saying NO to violence against women.
The event was organised by Pattaya City and the Public
Prosecutor’s office which saw both the government and the public sector
taking part in what was probably one of the largest shows of force in the
campaign to stop violence against women.
HRH Princess Bajarakitiyabha blew the symbolic whistle 3
times signalling the start of the parade which comprised of people of all
walks of life in colourful costumes holding banners with a variety of
slogans condemning violence against women and children. The parade stretched
from the Dusit Thani Hotel all the way to the Bali Hai pier.
Established in 1976 UNIFEM (Fonds des Nations Unies pour
la Femme) is the women’s fund at the United Nations, dedicated to advancing
women’s rights and achieving gender equality. It provides financial and
technical assistance to innovative programmes and strategies that foster
women’s empowerment. UNIFEM works on the premise that it is the fundamental
right of every woman to live a life free from discrimination and violence,
and that gender equality is essential to achieving development and to
building just societies.
The Sanctuary of Truth participates in the Say NO to
violence against women parade.
Violence against women and girls is one of the most
widespread violations of human rights. It can include physical, sexual,
psychological and economic abuse, and it cuts across boundaries of age,
race, culture, wealth and geography. It takes place in the home, on the
streets, in schools, the workplace, in farm fields, refugee camps, during
conflicts and crises. It has many manifestations - from the most universally
prevalent forms of domestic and sexual violence, to harmful practices, abuse
during pregnancy, so-called honour killings and other types of femicide.
City Hall expresses a heartfelt message to stop domestic
violence.
Violence against women and girls has far-reaching
consequences, harming families and communities. For women and girls 16-44
years old, violence is a major cause of death and disability. In 1994, a
World Bank study on ten selected risk factors facing girls and women in this
age group found rape and domestic violence more dangerous than cancer, motor
vehicle accidents, war and malaria. Studies also reveal increasing links
between violence against women and HIV and AIDS.
A parade isn’t a parade without a marching band, and in fact this parade
had several.
Through her dedication and hard work for this cause, Her
Royal Highness Princess Bajarakitiyabha of Thailand was appointed UNIFEM
Goodwill Ambassador in September 2008. Her goodwill ambassadorship and
personal credentials have lent unprecedented visibility to UNIFEM in
Thailand, while uniting multiple stakeholders around the cause of ending
violence against women. As a result of a nationwide public awareness drive
with her as a central figure, Thailand collected more than three million
names for UNIFEM’s global ‘Say NO to Violence against Women’ campaign.
“I take pride in saying that Thailand’s support to the
global UNIFEM ‘Say NO to Violence against Women’ campaign is second to none.
I also note with appreciation the national ownership that has evolved around
this process. It is indeed a strong foundation upon which coordinated
efforts to end violence against women and girls in Thailand have been and
will continue to be built,” HRH the Princess said.
Through her work, Princess Bajarakitiyabha encountered
and came to learn about the situation of imprisoned women and their babies,
and how domestic violence was the reason why many women ended up in prison.
As a result, she initiated the “Kamlangjai” or “Inspire” project, which
addresses the special needs and vulnerabilities of female inmates and their
children.
Wannapa Wannasri (left),director of Pattaya City
Education Development Department and Pratheep Malhotra (right), managing
director of Pattaya Mail Media, emcee the event.
From its pilot phase at the central correctional
facilities in Bangkok, the project has been up-scaled to prisons in other
parts of Thailand. The rights-based approach demonstrated by “Inspire” was
showcased at the 17th Session of the UN Commission on Crime Prevention and
Criminal Justice in Vienna in April 2008.
Princess Bajarakitiyabha’s initial interest in the
condition of women in prisons has subsequently broadened to other issues of
violence against women, women’s empowerment as well as international
instruments to address these. In an offshoot from “Inspire”, Her Royal
Highness is a driving force behind the “Enhancing Life for Female Inmates”
(ELFI) project. Under ELFI, the Thai government seeks international support
to incorporate gender concerns into the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the
Treatment of Prisoners.
In 2008 the Princess underlined the year’s theme for the
International Day: engaging men and boys in ending violence against women.
“While there may be no one-size fits all solutions; I strongly believe that
prevention can be as effective as the cure, if not better. So it is
encouraging when men leaders have resolved to confront gender-based violence
head on, particularly through fostering the culture of tolerance and respect
for women,” she said. She also shared her experiences from the Say NO
campaign where she, as UNIFEM’s Goodwill Ambassador, leads an extensive
media campaign in Thailand with personal appearances and urged all segments
of society to get involved.
At the end of the parade last Tuesday, one message was
broadcast very loud and clear to Thais and foreigners, “Say NO to violence
against women.”
Stop the pain.
Qatar Airways dances its way to South America
(L to R) Itzhak Shoham, Ambassador of Israel, Felipe Frydman,
Ambassador
of Argentina, Juthathip Mahapaisarn, and Pratheep S. Malhotra, managing
director and publisher/editor in chief of Pattaya Mail Publishing Co., Ltd.
pose for a commemorative photo.
Dr. Iain Corness
To celebrate Qatar Airways new Sao Paulo route, Joe
Rajadurai, country manager for Thailand and Cambodia, took his guests to
Brazil for the evening. Not quite the country Brazil, but to Zico’s
Brazilian restaurant on Beach Road, Pattaya. And what is more, the traveling
time is much less.
(L to R) Pranee Wangwiwajsilp, Joe Rajadurai, country
manager - Thailand & Cambodia for Qatar Airways, and Chanipa Parnsingha,
acting sales manager for Thailand & Cambodia for Qatar Airways are gracious
hosts for the evening.
The evening’s ‘trip’ began on the top deck of Zico’s with
copious quantities of ‘caiparinyas’ the Brazilian national drink prepared
from sugar cane and rum and disarmingly refreshing. It certainly produced
that flying feeling that such drinks can produce, if one is not careful.
The guests were joined by H.E. Itzhak Shoham, Ambassador
of Israel; H.E Felipe Frydman, Ambassador of Argentina; and Thirasakdi
Nathikanchanlab and his wife, Director and Vice Chairman, Executive Board,
while Marc Groh, Zico’s manager was everywhere making sure the Brazilian
evening went smoothly.
(L to R) Itzhak Shoham, Ambassador of Israel, shows he
knows a few dance moves with samba dancer Jociara Maria Alnues.
Downstairs in Zico’s dining area, the guests were
entertained by two professional Argentine dancers, showing just how the
tango should be done (and it should be said that the Ambassador for
Argentina H.E Felipe Frydman also showed ability on the dance floor).
They were followed by Zico’s two resident be-feathered
Samba dancers, who in addition to pelvic gyrations, invited guests up to
sample sambas with them. I have to report that none of the guests showed
agility or ability, but everyone enjoyed it! The ‘caiparinya’ factor once
again! There were also some red tail feathers left on the dance floor, which
were snapped up by the guests as souvenirs!
A very successful Brazilian evening for Qatar Airways,
which will be remembered for quite some time. Or the caiparinya’s at least!
Peter Malhotra shows he can still shake it
on the dance
floor with Jociara Maria Alnues.
Professional Argentine dancers show just how the tango
should be done.
Isara Pornpakdee (left) and Phanphit Pornpakdee (right)
brighten the
evening with their pretty smiles.
Jociara Maria Alnues (left) and Elisabeth Dos Santos
(right)
begin their samba performance.
(L to R) Suporn Maikoopandin, Napawan Wongpattanakul, and Kanmanee
Nampakdee look quite professional in their Qatar Air cabin crew uniforms.
Jociara Maria Alnues (left) and Elisabeth Dos Santos
(right)
welcome guests to Zico’s Brazilian restaurant.
The long and short of it: (L to R) Parkorn Ponpakdee,
Elisabeth Dos
Santos, and Somporn.
All in the family: (L to R) Peter Malhotra, Juthathip Mahapaisarn, Som
and Dr. lain Corness, along with their children Melisa and Evan.
(L to R) Phisamai Chamnanna, Arunratana Chakvithannides,
Elisabeth Dos Santos, Kitimaporn Khamkbch, Sumalee Yansamran are certainly
enjoying the evening.
Jesters Care For Kids Charity Drive 2010 sponsored by Glencore International, Canadian Jackalope Open and Devil’s Creek Development Project
Our major sponsors on board so far
Lewis
Underwood
Our Children’s Fair is only 65 days away coming up fast
on Sunday, September 12th at the Diana Garden Resort
and Driving Range. As usual, the back of our event shirt this year will be
adorned with the names and logos of our major sponsors, or specifically our
Diamond Sponsors (400,000 baht) and Platinum Sponsors (100,000 baht).
This year’s Jesters Care for Kids
t-shirt.
Though we are very thankful for all our donors, none of
which is ever considered too small, we would like to tell you a bit about
our Major Sponsors, who, presently, represent 3.1 million of the 4 million
plus currently raised.
Diamond Sponsors (400,000
baht) x 3
- Glencore International (Indonesia) is a
multibillion dollar empire with a variety of trading activities, from oil
and metals to commodities. Their CEO is Tony Herbert. Since 2007 they have
donated over 1.5 million baht to us and this is their 3rd
consecutive year as Diamond Sponsor.
- Canadian Jackalope Open has been with us since
2005 and has gone Diamond for the last 3 years. Their 2010 charity golf
tournament is next month on Friday, August 6th. Please
email them if you would like to join in at [email protected]
- New! Devil’s Creek Development Project has just
joined us after selling off the scrap metal and steel at the completion of
this project.
Platinum Sponsors (100,000
baht) x 19
- Club Nevada is a small club on Soi Post Office
with regular a crowd. They have been Platinum for 7 consecutive years now.
- Dave James is a friend from the gym, who is
continuing his Platinum Sponsorship, now for 5 consecutive years.
- Gulf Agency Company (GAC): The core of their
business has been providing services to the shipping industry for over 40
years. This is their second year as Platinum.
- The Herrod Foundation (Switzerland) is a private
non-profit organization that makes donations from its own resources. They
support smaller charities and NGO’s that assist suffering children in Asia
and Africa. They were Platinum for the first 2 years and then Diamond for
the last 2 years. So far this year they are Platinum again, but could go
Diamond again if we find the right project for them.
- Hyolim Limited (S. Korea) is a multinational
group involved in commodity trading and logistics. Managing Director C.I.
Lim’s son, Michael JS, has gone Platinum for the last 4 years.
- Jameson’s Irish Pub is owned by Rony
Fineman of the Nova Group and is the venue of our Party Night on Saturday,
September 18th. Landlord Kim Fletcher is one of our committee members and
they have been Platinum for 6 consecutive years.
- Lolita’s Pattaya is a tasteful lounge bar on Soi
LK Metro run by Tom Wells. This is his second year as Platinum.
- MBMG Group - Graham Macdonald, company director,
has been in Pattaya since 1995 specializing in property services, tax
planning, investment advice, financial and inheritance planning, insurance,
banking, and corporate solutions. This is their 9th
year as a Platinum sponsor.
- Mermaid Offshore Services is the leading
supplier of diving, ROV and subsea support vessels to the offshore oil and
gas industry in South East Asia. Now Platinum for the last 4 years.
- Mike Koerner is an ex-Marine, who specializes in
Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD). He has personally been Platinum for 7
consecutive years.
- Pat and Reg Warner (UK) are philanthropists, who
spend 3-4 months in Thailand annually. They have been Platinum for 5
consecutive years.
- Pattaya Bay Resort is run by Kim Johansen on Soi
15 behind the Avenue Mall. He has supported us since 2007 and has gone
Platinum for the second consecutive year. Kim continues to raise additional
funds for us through parties he hosts there.
- Pattaya Mail has been with us since our
inception in 1998 and almost single-handedly provided us with widespread
exposure in both print and television (PMTV). They have been Platinum in
kind for the last 8 years.
- Pattaya Sports Club has been helping us since
2001 and Platinum for the last 8 consecutive years. They also will provide
an additional 40,000 baht for our Children’s Fair raffle prizes as they have
done for the last 6 years.
- New! Richman Poorman is a guesthouse and
restaurant run by Eddie Behr in Jomtien on Soi 9. Last year they arranged an
American Independence Day party that raised 50,000 baht for our charity
drive. This year teamed up again with Steve Gray and George Knickerbocker,
they went Platinum.
- Sinto: A subsidiary of Baltex Industries; they
have been producing our event shirts since 2000 and been Platinum
in kind for 8 consecutive years.
- Wallem Shipping provides ship management,
broking, agency and IT services. Headquartered in Hong Kong with offices in
25 countries, including Thailand. This is their second Platinum.
- Whitehouse Condotel: Our friend, Joe
Banks, whose Condotel is on Soi 13 in the heart of Pattaya has been Platinum
for the last 3 years.
- New! World of Wine is a unique retail and
wholesale wine supplier in that all profits go to charity! Richard Waller
has been a staunch supporter for us and went Platinum this year. As he says,
“Drink well and do good.”
All Diamond and Platinum Sponsors not only have their
logos featured on the back of our event T-shirts, but also on our
promotional posters and banners at the Children’s Fair and Party Night. They
also get a free full page color advertisement in our Fair souvenir program.
For further information please visit our website,
www.care4kids.info or email us at [email protected].
Finnish students visit Thailand
Finnish students and Mr. Huxley with the Fr. Ray’s Day
Care Center children.
Derek Franklin
Seven students from Helsinki in Finland recently gave up
part of their summer holidays to travel over to Thailand to spend time with
some of the more than eight hundred children and students with disabilities
who are cared for and educated by the Father Ray Foundation.
Arriving in the seaside resort of Pattaya the students,
who are all studying at Helsingin Suomalainen Yhteiskoulu and accompanied by
their teacher, Mr. Steve Huxley, were originally planning to be involved
with painting the Fr. Ray Children’s Village. Unfortunately the rains have
arrived in Thailand which meant that outdoor painting would have to be put
on hold for a future date.
Not to be put off the students spent their mornings at
the Fr. Ray Day Care Center, giving their time to the one hundred and twenty
youngsters who travel in each day from the poorer slum areas of Pattaya.
Afternoons meant a trip over to the Pattaya School for the Blind to join
other volunteers in providing the younger students with song and dance
classes or helping the older students with their English conversation
skills.
At the Vocational School for People with Disabilities the
seven students joined classes of young adults, all living with a physical
disability and who are currently on a two year intense English course which
will eventually give them the ability to find decent employment.
The Fr. Ray Foundation is Pattaya’s largest children’s
charity and currently cares for and educates more than eight hundred abused
and neglected children and students with disabilities.
Mr. Steve Huxley with his students from Finland.
Child TV actress wins first place in Sattahip singing contest
Budding television actress Panthita Kongsamrit (3rd
right)
and other contestants anxiously await the judges final decision.
Patcharapol Panrak
Budding television actress Panthita Kongsamrit was the
winner in a Sattahip Sub-district music competition held for secondary
school and pre-college students.
Known on TV as “Nong Beam,” Panthita has been seen in the
series “Prisoner of Love,” has won a royal signing award and has an upcoming
role in the Channel 3 film “The Baby Tooth Buster.” As such, it was no
surprise judges picked her to finish first in the June 26 competition.
Thirteen bands and 37 signers participated. Nine other
singers and five bands won awards and consolation prizes.
Sub-district Mayor Pairoj Malakul Na Ayutthaya said the
contest at Singsamut School was aimed at giving kids a productive use of
their free time and help them dispel stage fright. It was also hoped it
would raise the level of musicians in Sattahip’s schools, as well as plant
the idea that music can be a profession after graduating.
Winners in the secondary school competition where, in
order, Panthita, Anmanee Penpimai, Yosita Phumuang, Benyapa Wongwian and
Nathawut Sappaiboon. The winners for pre-college singing were: Patariya
Noipara, Thibodee Hanchainao, Sahapab Somchhit, Thitiporn Chounchom, and
Arunrung Pinadit. The winning bands were the Innovate Project, Heymeola, C-tause,
Kong Jouy Manong and Healthy Voice.
PCEC meeting three times the fun
Master of Ceremonies Richard Silverberg welcomed everyone
to The Tavern by the Sea for the Pattaya City Expat Club’s regular Sunday
meeting on June 27. After the usual opening announcements, Richard explained
that this week’s meeting format would be different, because some members had
expressed an interest in having a meeting where the program was for any
member to speak for up to five minutes on any topic they wished to share
with everyone.
PCEC MC for the day, Richard Silverberg, welcomes new guests by inviting
them to introduce themselves and tell us where they are from.
First to speak was “Hawaii” Bob Sutterfield. Bob’s
presentation was a nostalgia quiz or a walk down memory lane. He read off a
list of “remember when” and noted that most present under the age of 40
would not remember the items he would mention; but those over 60 most likely
would remember most if not all. He asked such thing as do you remember when
it took five minutes for the TV to warm-up? Or, you would reach into a muddy
gutter for a penny? Or, they threatened to keep kids back a grade if they
failed - and they did? Or, stuff from the store came without safety caps and
hermetic seals because no one had yet tried to poison a perfect stranger? He
had many more and from the nods and smiles from most of the audience, it was
obvious that many were well past the 40 mark.
Sig (Harry Sigworth) had an interesting but ultimately tragic story
called ‘Living with a Genius’ about the most intelligent person he has known
- when he and his brother in law shared an apartment, during their
university years.
Second was Stuart Saunders. Stuart wanted to relay the
story of Joseph Rochefort, a US Naval Officer in World War II. Rochefort was
a cryptologist assigned to Pearl Harbor to break Japanese coded radio
traffic. One particular problem they had was identifying where the Japanese
forces would strike next. Rochefort and his crew believed that a reference
in the radio traffic meant Midway Island, but had difficulty convincing
higher ups, especially in Washington, DC. They came upon the idea of sending
instructions via the undersea cable to Midway for the Midway radio operators
to send an uncoded “flash” message reporting that their distillation plant
was broken.
First speaker ‘Hawaii Bob’ Sutterfield had a nostalgia quiz for anybody
over the age of 50 - I knew nothing of which he spoke. Nobody else admitted
to it either!
The Japanese intercepted the message and sent a coded message to
their assault forces about the distillation plant problems on “AF,” their
target. This confirmed that the target was Midway and allowed the American
aircraft carriers to intercept and defeat the Japanese force. The Battle of
Midway is recognized as being the turning point in the war in the Pacific.
Stuart noted that apparently Rochefort displeased his superiors in
Washington to the extent he ended his career in command of a floating dry
dock in San Francisco.
Roger Fox conducts the open forum - where you may get answers to the many
questions about life and living in the ‘Land of Smiles’.
Last up was Harry “Sig” Sigworth. Sig said he wanted to
talk about “living with a genius.” He said that when he was 19 he spent time
living with his brother-in-law, a real genius. Sig relayed several events
during this time which convinced him that his brother-in-law was a true
genius. One event was in calculus class. The professor had put up a formula
to show how to solve a problem, but realized he had done something incorrect
as he had come up with the wrong answer. Sig’s brother-in-law was present
and the professor called on him to explain where he had made his error;
which he did. Another was that his brother-in-law could watch pundits on
television for hours and could easily pick apart their statements. It was
obvious in Sig’s telling that Sig had a great deal of respect for his
brother-in-law and was in awe of his abilities.
After the presentations, Richard updated everyone on
upcoming events and called on Roger Fox to conduct the always informative
and often humorous Open Forum. This week’s Forum was very lively with many
questions asked and answered about living in Pattaya and Thailand in
particular.
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