Moklan, the Ethnic Group of the Andaman

Objectives

1. To build capacity of the CBOs and women & youth group on marine & coastal resources together with other groups in target location
2. To equip communities against disasters and climatic variability
3. To formulate learning process and encourage establishment of efficient youth group

Background

Save Andaman Network Foundation: Established on 28 December 2004 to play coordinating role of partner organizations in launching relief effort for the Tsunami victims in 121 villages in the 6 affected provinces. The coordination for relief is community-based focusing on quick recovery and further advance than before. The foundation is staffed with experience personnel of NGO nature active in the southern region, especially on the issue of marine and coastal resources management. Simultaneously, the foundation has launched research activity on livelihood recovery and sustainability of resources.

Target beneficiaries

185 out of 650 households of Moklan cultural group, who earn living through providing general services, small business and fishery. The per capita income is THB: 73,000.

Outputs

Expected Outputs

Accomplishments and challenges

1) Giving roles to community leaders in each location to play in planning and conducting activities was the key factor. Support from other stakeholders was only complementary.
2) Conduction of study on mangrove management and establishment of community forest against relevant laws should be carried out.
3) There are complicated conflicts and issues interfered in the area, namely conflict community land rights, unregulated fishing, ineffective rules and regulations, for example

Contributions to cross-cutting themes

Gender equality

• Updated knowledge and capacity building transferred to targeted population were community rights in democracy, decentralization, natural resources management and rules, disaster management and climate change with adaptation. As the results, there were 4 youth groups and a network of women groups emerged eventually with common understanding and readiness of these topics towards their own management and activities rolled out.
• As Moklan is a sea minority group whose livelihood and culture is unique, and nature-loving. However, this style of livelihood had been overshadowed by globalization and mainstream socialization. For mainstreaming, this project had contributing to shedding light on it by involving Moklan as a key stakeholder and advocating their essential knowledge based on community rights, natural resources management and conservation. As the result, Moklan was one of important leader group to protect the community forest that is acknowledged to public.

Lessons Learned

1. Making use of diverse cultures and ways of lives of different groups to ensure optimal participation in implementing project activities was assessed as satisfactory, to a certain level.
2. As Moklan is a unique cultural group, and in nature, with different level of capacity to learn and acknowledge outside society, the project was a good opportunity for mutual learning and recognition.
3. Natural and simple way of life and mentality of elder Moklan made some of them have different level of recognizing outside society, while a group of women was able to play a leading role in conservation. Youth groups appeared to link both old and new system successfully and play a leading role in community development and management of the project.
Therefore, youth was a messenger linking Moklan way of life and globalization.