Quarterly Project Progress Report

Southern Empowerment and Participation Phase II July-September 2015

UNDP-JAPAN Partnership Fund

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. BASIC PROJECT INFORMATION….………………..………………………...…..….2 2. SUMMARY …………….……………………………………………..………….…....3 3. KEY RESULTS…………………………………….…………………………………....4 4. PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND MONITORING ………………..……...... 19 5. RISKS/ CONSTRAINTS/MITIGATION MEASURES……………....……..…….…….20 6. FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT ……………..………...……..……….………………..21 7. KEY EXPECTED OUTPUTS IN THE NEXT QUARTER………..………………..……22 ANNEX: ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS………………..…………………….23

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Quarterly Project Progress Report STEP II PROJECT Southern Thailand Empowerment and Participation Phase II July-September 2015 1 Basic Project Information Project Title: UNDP Project ID 00090901 Project Duration 3 years (January 2015-December 2017) Reporting Period July-September 2015 Total Approved Project Budget 813,740 USD Participating UN agencies - Implementing Partners/ Prince of Songkla University, Southern Border National collaborating agencies Provinces Administration Centre. Office of the National Security Council, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Interior International collaborating agencies - Donors CPR/TTF (Conflict Prevention and Recovery) JAPAN-UNDP Partnership Fund TRAC 1.1.3 UNDP Contact officer 1. Wisoot Tantinan, Programme Specialist 2.Naruedee Janthasing, Senior Project Manager Project website http://step.psu.ac.th/

Project Objectives: The STEP II Project’s overall objective is “to foster a resilient society in the southern border through expanding participatory planning and sustainable livelihood activities, a holistic approach to justice, and progress towards [a] peaceful society.” Within Thailand’s development context, the project seeks to integrate peace building and conflict prevention elements in order to achieve the following specific objectives:

 To broaden peace processes with inclusive participation of all peace networks.  To enable vulnerable groups to access effective legal services and receive quality legal protection from key duty bearers  To empower key communities in need with skills and resources to successfully establish and manage community development initiatives based on locally appropriate and sustainable practices that contribute to improved human security and social cohesion.

This project consists of three outputs:

Output 1 (Broader participation in peace processes through strengthened capacity of local

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peace networks and through better access to information) aims to support and broaden the peace building process (horizontal peace building).

Output 2 (Vulnerable groups empowered to access justice with support of key institutions and networks) seeks to ensure that vulnerable people can access legal assistance and that a holistic approach to justice is applied to assist those affected by the conflict.

Output 3 (Local communities more resilient, with stronger social cohesion, through the improvement of livelihoods) seeks to build social cohesion through inclusivity and participation in community livelihood projects.

STEP II expands its small grants programme from STEP I, focusing on three following aspects:

1) Livelihoods and community development 2) Holistic legal empowerment 3) Participatory planning with local authorities, in a minimum of eight communities/sub- projects

2. Summary

From July to September 2015, the activities to broaden peace processes with inclusive participation of all peace networks have produced great results. The Institute of Peace Studies (IPS) and its partners achieved key goals which included (1) Development of Local media for broadened communication on peace in the Deep South through various activities to promote three components of knowledge (i.e. peace process, Melayu language, and communication) (2) Promotion and dissemination of alternative media to enhance communication networks and encourage access to information by extending more accessible spaces for information about the Deep South vis-à-vis discourse on the existing peace process (3) Establishment of Academic Learning Center on Community Peace in three provinces (Safety Net: Kampong Damai) which aims to open political, democratic, and safety space for people to participate in peace building in potential communities in the three southernmost provinces. (4) Building the capacity of local leaders to exercize a firm command on positive peace components (i.e. justice, equality, and autonomy) with the expectation that local leaders will recognize the importance of participating in the peace-building process and feel empowered to do so. (5) Conducting trainings and workshops under the auspices of various organizations on the peace process for local communities and fleshing out peace networks (6) Promotion of Insider Peacebuilders’ Platform (IPP), which for years has been a platform for NGOs/CSOs to meet on a regular basis and discuss peace and conflict in the Deep South, in order to develop a joint roadmap to settle the conflict peacefully. IPP also encourages all parties to establish a safety zone for the fragile peace through close collaboration with academic institutions and civil society organisations in the region.

The activities to empower vulnerable groups to access justice in this reporting period continue to focus on the development of an Alternative Dispute Resolutions (ADR) Manual. The College of Islamic Studies (CIS) collected data on ADR practices in state in and Aceh in Indonesia for comparative studies. After the data was collected and an ADR prototype drafted, a focus group of eminent scholars,

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local community leaders and religious leaders enumerated and categorized dispute resolution mechanisms, with special attention paid to the divergence of social and religious backgrounds of local people in the region, that may be compatible with the social context of Deep South. The ADR manual is expected to be finalized by December 2016. Another key activity to promote access to justice in this reporting period was supporting Heart Support Group (Duay Jai), an NGO located in Songkhla working to empower families (Women and children) of detainees charged of national security offences in the Deep South. The STEP II project initiated discussion with Duay Jai with the aim of providing a small grant to the group in order to facilitate its aims, i.e. empowerment of detainees’ families on access to justice, to provide legal aid to the detainees through capacity building activities, and to support the detainees’ families through various activities including family visits.

In addition, July to September was a productive period for local community projects supported by small grants; the eight local community groups selected by the small grant committee have made significant progress in starting up their project. Most of them have sacrificed their time and energy to move their project forward based on each group’s specific needs and skills. Some have manufactured their products and begun selling them at local markets. Others are still in the process of obtaining health certificates for their factories. As the capabilities of community-enterprise management or project implementation of each local community group are at different levels, some projects have moved slowly and while others more quickly. However, despite these discrepancies, all of them have been consistently supported and advised by the consultants according to their needs. Additionally, the involvement of local government agencies in development of the aforementioned livelihood-improvement projects was augmented. Various local government agencies such as Sub- Administrative Organisations, Non-Formal and Informal Education (ONIE), District Livestock Development Office, Provincial Public Heath Office, and Provincial Community Development Office have been invited to provide assistance and consultation to local community groups. The involved local governments have demonstrated responsiveness and accountability to local communities, and this participation has built a positive relationship between the two which will further strengthen cooperation and trust among them. To connect all local community groups, a platform called “Small Grantees Meeting” was established to provide an opportunity and a comfort zone to local community groups through which they may present their projects’ progress and share experiences and lessons learned while running their projects. This will help foster social cohesion between Buddhist and Muslim communities and promote sustainable livelihood development.

3. Key Results

This section covers key achievements from 1 July to 30 September 2015 based on the following three outputs of the STEP II Project:

Output 1: Participation in peace processes are broadened through strengthened capacity of local peace networks and better access to information.

In this quarter, there was a change of director of the Institute for Peace Studies (IPS), an implementing partner. Asst. Prof. Dr. Bussabong Chaijaroenwatana, the Director

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of IPS, has been appointed as the Dean of Faculty of Management Sciences and has been in the position since the 1st of October 2015. Assistant Prof. Dr. Wichai Kanchanasuwon has been appointed as the new director of the IPS. He obtained a B.A. in Policy and Administration from Thammasat University in Thailand, an M.P.A. in Political Science from Texas Southern U., U.S.A., and a Ph.D. in Political Science from University of North Texas, U.S.A.

Even though there was a change of director, activities moved consecutively through local partners of IPS as follows:

1. Local media development Institute for Peace Studies (IPS) continues to support the Deep South Journalist School (DSJ) to develop media for communication on peace in the Deep South through various activities. This media development aims to promote three components of knowledge: the peace process, Melayu language, and communication. From July-September 2015, DSJ has organized two activities as follows: (1) The 2nd meeting between Sinaran and Melayu language networks took place on 9 September 2015 at the foundation of Southern Tadika Coordination, Muang, Pattani. In the meeting, there were a Jawi Melayu language workshop and a dialogue on “the role of Tadika (Islamic primary school) in Melayu Language Development ” by Mr. Abdul Muhaimin Saleh, the president of Southern Tadika Coordinating Foundation (PERKASA); Mr. Abdul Rohman Dewani, the deputy president of Melayu Language Institute of Thailand (Dewan Bahasa Dan Pustaka Melayu Thailand-DBPMT); Mr. Muhammad Dueramae, editor of Sinaran newspaper (a newspaper in Melayu); and Sarohni Duereh, president of Southern Melayu Broadcaster Networks Association. The participants were also provided with materials about the peace process. (2) Thai-Melayu Translation Workshop was organized on 12-13 September 2015 at the Deep South Watch, Prince of Songkla Univeristy, Pattani in order to 1) build capacity of youth translators and interested people for appropriate and precise peace communication and, furthermore, extensively disseminate information regarding the peace process to people in the Deep South to promote the use of Melayu 2) encourage all organisations to translate news and information on peace both from Melayu to Thai and vice versa to accommodate stakeholders involved in the peace process in the Deep South who speak either language. A news reporter from TV 3 Chanel of Malaysia based in the Deep South of Thailand was invited as the resource person for the workshop. There were 30 participants including students studying the Melayu language from Prince of Songla University who comprised a translator network, translators of DSJ, and other interested people.

2. Alternative media for communication in communities The project aims to promulgate information to people in relevant communities and extend more spaces for information sharing about the Deep South to wider society. Local media has played a key role in publicizing news stories concerning developments within the southernmost provinces to audiences within the Deep South and beyond via various outlets such as community radios, local newspapers, civil society networks, and other related organizations. This alternative media is an

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effective mechanism to promote access to information and raise awareness of the existing peace process that stresses non-violence.

Articles and interviews related to STEP II project and the peace process were published in a local weekly newspaper named Focus. One hundred copies were distributed to provincial Islamic Committees, Islamic private schools, and other stakeholders to expand areas for broader communication from communities to wider society and to promote the Deep South peace process. News and articles published in Focus from July to September 2015 included:

o “Patani 2020: Peace Vision, the answer is at civilian”, Volume 18, Issue 897, 13-19 June 2015 o “Talk to the watcher: One decade of violence”, Volume 18, Issue 898, 20-26 June 2015 o “Deep South crisis resolution: Community restoration for building pride on homeland of local people”, Volume 18, Issue 899, 27-3 July 2015 o “UNDP builds capacity of development actors to link the knowledge of communities and government agencies”, Volume 18, Issue 902, 18-24 July 2015 o “STEP II moves forward to open for all-round media spaces and to empower vulnerable groups”, Volume 18, Issue 903, 25-31 July 2015 o “After having swayed a junk through storm: Thienya, a conflict-affected woman group, is healed with livelihood development project”, Volume 18, Issue 904, 1-7 August 2015 o “Peace on economic basis: Communities determine their own development”, Volume 18, Issue 906, 15-21 August 2015 o “Comprehensive Justice, a universal voice of Islamic scholars”, Volume 18, Issue 907, 22-28 August 2015 o “Tracing a long walk to freedom of Nelson Mandela: Justice does not arise as sunshine” Volume 18, Issue 908, 29 August-4 September 2015 o “Unlocked Deep South peace process: Viewpoint of peace experts”, Volume 18, Issue 910, 12-18 September 2015

3. Academic Learning Center on Community Peace (Safety Net: Kampong Damai) This project aims to open political, democratic, and safety space for people to participate in peace building through the establishment of an [CAPS?]Academic Learning Center on Community Peace in all three of the southernmost provinces. They are as follows:

o Tha Kamcham sub-district, , o Bacho sub-district, district, o Palukasamor sub-district, ,

IPS has provided strong support to a local NGO (Academy of Patani Raya for Peace and Development: LEMPAR) to assume responsibility for the establishment of an [CAPS?]Academic Learning Center on Community Peace Committee in three provinces. A Safety Net Committee was designed to be an implementing body to cooperatively share ideas and plan a strategy for this Safety Net project. The first Safety Net Committee was conducted on 17 July 2015 to find a mutual

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understanding of the purpose of establishing the learning center for communities. In the meeting, the committee agreed to focus on three strategies of Campaign, Development, and Networking to lead to the creation of the Community Peace Learning Center named “Kampong Damai”.

4. Capacity building for local leaders Capacity building remains a key activity in empowering local leaders. From July- September 2015, a training workshop on positive peace (justice, equality and autonomy) was conducted for the benefit of local leaders to provide them with the knowledge of positive peace with the expectation that local leaders understand and be aware of the importance of participating in the peace building process. The workshop consisted of a short course designed to emphasize the importance of the local leaders’ involvement in the peace building process at the grassroots level and to illustrate how they could effectively partake in building positive peace. Another activity under the positive peace building agenda included the Output I Implementation Preparatory meeting, conducted on 29 July 2015 to discuss the operational plan for project implementation. The committee concluded that there will be further capacity-building training for local leaders in the Deep South which will be co-organized by the Faculty of Political Science, Prince of Songkla University, Pattani Campus. There were 6 participants in this preparatory meeting.

5. Trainings and workshops on peace process for local communities in the Deep South Local communities and peace networks were promoted and empowered through training and work conducted by various organisations.

(1) Peace study seminar on “Long distance to freedom: Past and future of South Africa” The seminar was organized on Friday 14 August 2015 at the Learning and Resources Center, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai Campus with the aim of broadening perspective through learning from peace building in local communities and reconciliation in South Africa from the past to present. Experiences and knowledge of experts and scholars in this seminar were shared with 30 participants consisting of local people and local government officers with expectation of precipitating improvements toward suitable educational policy for education in the Deep South. The participants included students, teachers, and local people in the three Southern most provinces. The activities in the seminar were: o Presentation on “A Long Walk to Freedom: Past and Future of South Africa” by H.E. Ms. Robina P. Marks, Ambassador of South African in Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Lao PDR o Panel Discussion on the book “Nelson Mandela with his uneasy walk to Freedom: Lesson Learned from his Autobiography” by professors and graduate students from the Institute for Peace Studies, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai Campus,

(2) Historical Academic Seminar on “History of Siam-Patani: New Information on the relations with Mekkah” Organized on 18 September 2015 at Prince of Sonkla University, Pattani Campus, Pattani province, the seminar featured the participation of 300 people from universities, media, CSOs, NGOs, and religious schools in the three southernmost provinces. It

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was the second year of the seminar and aimed to provide information on relations of both Siam and Patani with Mecca, an important historic place which, as a city of faith, has been closely associated with denizens of the Sultanate of Patani, Siam, and the Cham people in Cambodia and Vietnam. In addition, the seminar inspired people to seek new knowledge of historical and multi-dimensional relations between the Kingdom of Thailand and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. With the expectation that this historical information will help usher in greater perspective and understanding in Thai society at both the local and national levels, the history of relations between Siam-Patani was provided to the participants through the following activities:

o A talk on “Critical History: Siam and Patani” by Professor Dr. Thanet Apornsuwan, a well-known historian and scholar, Faculty of Arts, Thammasat University, Bangkok. o A panel discussion on “Serambi Makkah: History of Siam and Patani in the relations with Mekkah” by Dr. Maroning Saleaming, Dr. Numan Hayimasae, and Dr. Muhammad Arafat bin Mohamad, experts and professors from Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla.

(3) Movie Event named “Building Happiness and Good Environment in Society” on 19 September 2016 from 13.00 – 16.00 hours at the theater room, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai Campus featured the participation of 50 people including students and local people from Songkhla and Pattani. The movie event was an effective peaceful mechanism to communicate with students and local people about the current situation in the Deep South. It also helped them understand the impacts of conflict and how disputes are resolved in communities. During the event, a movie about the Deep South was shown. A photo exhibition was also arranged to present the multiple dimensions of conflict: political and environmental conflict. Finally, a small concert at the conclusion of the event provided a relaxation space for people after having been instructed in regards to the conflict and peace building in the region.

(4) International Conference on “TriPEACE via ASEAN Muslim Societies: Muslim Societies, Knowledge and Peacebuilding in Southeast Asia” The Institute for Peace Studies along with its network partners, (1) AL-SALAM Institute, Fatoni University; (2) Center for Conflict Studies and Cultural Diversity (CSCD) Prince of Songkla University (PSU); (3) Faculty of Political Sciences, (PSU); (4) Peace Resource Collaborative (PRC), PSU; (5) College of Islamic Studies (CIS), PSU; (6) Deep South Watch (DSW), PSU; and (7) People’s College (PC), organized the international conference on “TriPEACE via ASEAN Muslim Societies” on 30 September 2015 at Imam al-Nawawi Conference Hall of International Islamic College, College of Islamic Studies, Prince of Songkla University (PSU), Pattani, Thailand, to open space for all peace networks to:

 Share and exchange knowledge among Muslim and non-Muslim academicians about Muslim dynamics in conflict areas  Generate debate on controversial topics and issues about conflict and peace from Islamic perspectives

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 Create academic and Muslim intellectual networks in the domestic region and Southeast Asia

As in recent years, the Institute for Peace Studies and its key collaborator, the Center for Conflict Studies and Cultural Diversity (CSCD), among other network organizations have been developing multiple peacebuilding support mechanisms. The activities involve academic and outreach projects such as research, training programs, conferences, and workshops designed to empower scholars as well as civil society practitioners to contribute toward peace efforts in Thailand’s Deep South region. Being aware of the difficult and sensitive process of peacebuilding, which depends on many different factors and social contexts, CSCD and other peace networks have decided to organize the International Conference on Muslim Societies: Knowledge and Peacebuilding in Southeast Asia to introduce local perspectives concerning conflict resolution in Thailand and other countries and sub-regions, including the Southern Philippines and Aceh in Indonesia. The core idea of the international conference is to bring together the lessons and thoughts of Southeast Asian academicians concerning Islam and Muslim societies in order to build a platform for future cooperation between academic institutions and civil societies within Southeast Asia. It is expected that the experiences of guest speakers from international and national communities will greatly contribute to local insights on peace processes bringing about enhanced peacebuilding platforms for the southernmost region of Thailand.

400 persons including academicians, civil society participants, government officers and students attended the conference. The STEP II project’s potential partners (the Faculty of Political Science, Deep South Watch, and People’s College), which are key actors working on peace in the Deep South, took this opportunity to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to present their commitment to share and work closely to build peace in the region.

National and international experts were invited to join a panel discussion to share knowledge and explore new peace and conflict related issues with members of peace networks and local communities. Experts who presented at the conference included (1) Professor Yusny Saby, Former Rector of Universitas Islam Negeri Al-Raniry, Aceh, Indonesia, (2) Professor Macapado Abaton Muslim, President of Mindanao State University, the Philippines, (3) Assistant Professor Ismail Lutfi Chapakiya, Rector of Fatoni University, Thailand, (4) Associate Professor Khairuddin Aljunied, Department of Malay Studies, National University of Singapore, (5) Professor Datuk Dr. Osman Bakar, Sultan Omar ’Ali Saifuddien Centre for Islamic Studies, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, and (6) Associate Professor Abdul Razak Ahmad, National Defense University of Malaysia. In addition to panel discussion, paper presentations were issued as follows:

 “Conflict Resolution of Muslims in the Contemporary World: From Principles to the Tools” by Ms. Yasmin Sattar, Ph.D. candidate, Institute of Social Sciences, Political Science and International Relations, Istanbul University, Turkey.

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 “Islamophobia, Ignorance or the Miscommunication? The Response of Muslim Community to the Adhan Conflict in Phuket Thailand” by Mrs. Oracha Rakdee, Lecturer, Faculty of Political Science, Prince of Songkla University, Thailand.  “Basic Law and the Future of Socio-political Structure of Mindanao” by Professor Asnawil G. Ronsing, Dean of The King Faisol Center for Islamic, Arabic and Asian Studies Mindanao State University, Marawi, the Philippines.  “Roles of Universities in Socio-political Development in Post Tsunami” by Dr. Muhammad Abdurrahman, Deputy Dean Faculty Of Science & Technology UIN Ar-Raniry, Banda Aceh, Indonesia.  “Leadership Roles: Muslim Women in Three Southern Provinces of Thailand” by Dr.Suthirus Choochuen, Lecturer, Faculty of Political Science, Prince of Songkla University, Thailand.  “Deliberative Democracy through Citizen Jury: The Case of the Administration in the Three Southernmost Provinces of Thailand” by Assistant Professor Suthisak Duereh, College of Islamic Studies, Prince of Songkla University, Thailand.  “Examining the Role of Islamic Finance in the Peacebuilding Process in Southernmost Provinces Thailand” by Dr.Tawat Noipom,Lecturer, College of Islamic Studies, Prince of Songkla University, Thailand.  “Role of Business in Peacebuilding: A Preliminary Survey on the Southernmost Thailand” by Mr.Aris Hassama, Lecturer, College of Islamic Studies, Prince of Songkla University, Thailand.

There was also a special discussion on “Practical Knowledge in Conflict Area” by experts and activists from various sectors including (1) Mr. Mathus Anuvatudom, King Prajadhipok's Institute (2) Mrs. Soraya Jamjuree, Office of Extension and Continuing Education, Prince of Songkla University / Women Networks for Peace in Southern Thailand (3) Mr. Wae-isma-ael Naesae, People’s College, and (4) Ms. Ngamsuk Rattanasatain, Institute of Human Rights and Peace Studies, Mahidol University.

6. Insider Peacebuilders’ Platform (IPP) For years, the Insider Peacebuilders’ Platform (IPP) has been a platform for NGOs/CSOs to meet on a regular basis to discuss peace and conflict in the Deep South. The Institute for Peace Studies together with the Center for Conflict Studies and Cultural Diversity (CSCD) has been supporting its implementing partners (Deep South Watch, Deep South Journalist School (DSJ), and People’s College) to participate in IPP. Government agencies and national and international peace experts have been invited to share and discuss peace issues in the platform with the mutual hope that conflict will be solved and peace will be built with the cooperation of multi-stakeholders. IPP has been active in expanding peace networks and promoting the role and participation of NGOs and CSOs in the peace process in the Deep South. This platform brings together various peace builders including Thai- Buddhists, Thai-Chinese, Malay-Muslims and people with different political convictions who share a common interest in the peaceful settlement of the conflict in the Deep South of Thailand. The Platform started out as a joint conflict analysis to

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foster a common understanding of the unrest in the region and is widely perceived as being rather enigmatic.

During the period of July to September 2015, the 17th Insider Peacebuilders’ Platform (IPP) was organized on 29-30 August 2015 by the Center for the Study of Conflict and Cultural Diversity (CSCD), Peace Resource Center (PRC), and Deep South Watch (DSW) at the Faculty of Political Science, PSU Pattani Campus to bring together people of differing political persuasions (Party A and Party B) who nonetheless professed a joint interest in finding a peaceful solution to the conflict in the three southernmost provinces. The representative of the Royal Thai Government, Maj-General Nakrob Boonbuathong, Deputy Director-General of Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC)'s Fifth Operations Coordination Centre, and representatives of media and CSOs were invited to share their experiences and critical analysis on the formation of MARA Patani (Patani Consultative Council: PCC). MARA Patani was formed on 25 October 2014 by a coalition of young and elderly members of the BRN to participate in peace talks with the Thai Government and is known as an umbrella organization of six Patani movements. It is comprised of representatives from the six movements below: 1) Barisan Revolusi Nasional - BRN Action Group 2) Barisan Islam Pembebasan Patani (BIPP) 3) Pertubuhan Persatuan Pembebasan Patani (PULO-P4) 4) Pertubuhan Pembebasan Patani Bersatu (PULO-dspp) 5) Pertubuhan Pembebasan Patani Bersatu (PULO-mkp) 6) Gerakan Mujahidin Islam Patani (GMIP).

IPS and its peace networks have expected that IPP will continue to be a key platform for all peace stakeholders. The IPP participants have worked on developing a joint roadmap to facilitate conflict resolution through peaceful methods. They also used the IPP platform to encourage all parties to establish a safety zone to protect and ensure the implementation budding peace efforts through close collaboration with groups of academic and civil society organisations in the region.

Output 2: Vulnerable groups empowered to access justice with support of key institutions and networks.

During this reporting period, two main activities have gradually achieved their key aim of developing access to justice for local people through the following mechanisms:

1. Alternative Dispute Resolutions (ADR) Manual The College of Islamic Studies (CIS) continued to collect data on existing ADR practices in the target areas through the following activities: (1) Baseline data collection of ADR in Muslim countries In parallel to collecting baseline data and information on ADR’s used in the southernmost provinces of Thailand from religious and community leaders in Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat, Satun and four of Songkhla province (Chana, Thepha, Na Thawi, and Sabayoi), CIS has also collected data on ADR in two predominately Muslim countries, Malaysia and Indonesia, for comparative studies and to develop new prototypes.  Data Collection in Malaysia from 29-30 July 2015: CIS interviewed two main groups of community leaders in Kelantan state, Malaysia. The

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first was the community leaders group supported by the opposition Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS party). The second was a group of community leaders supported by United National Organisation (UMNO party). Two community leaders from each group (totally 4) were interviewed in depth.  Data Collection in Indonesia from 1-5 August 2015: CIS interviewed various groups of people in Aceh, Indonesia. Aceh is a semi- autonomous Indonesian province on the northwest tip of Sumatra Island and showcases an interesting lesson learned about conflict resolution and peace building. Nine people—including community leaders, religious leaders, academicians (professors who did a research on ADR in Aceh), and the vice-governor responsible for customary law enforcement for dispute resolution were interviewed.

(2) ADR Prototype Drafting CIS established a focus group of eminent scholars and organized the first focus group meeting on 11 September 2015 at College of Islamic Studies, Prince of Songkla University, Pattani Campus, to draft the ADR prototype. Fourteen participants, including Religious leaders and community leaders from Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat, Satun and Songkhla, were also invited to provide comments in the meeting. After the first ADR prototype-drafting meeting, the focus group compiled and categorized the similar types of ADR already existing in communities and took into account the dispute resolution mechanisms that may be suitable or work very well in the Deep South with due focus on the disparities of social and religious milieu of local people in the region. A female community leader from Adilan Center, under the Southern Border Provinces Administrative Center (SBPAC), discussed the justice system in sexual cases for women and noted that there should be a female officer in all levels of dispute resolution in sexual cases for the security and safety of women. The focus group agreed that it should reconvene and invite legal aid organisations to brainstorm in order to determine the most suitable approach to ADR in the social and cultural context of the southernmost provinces.

2. Awareness raising: On resolving the problems in the Southern Border Provinces, the “Safety of Area, Safety of People” approach has been promoted by the Royal Thai Government. However, violence has been continuing in the Deep South and injustice has been a consequential issue of conflict. STEP II project has urged for cooperation from responsible parties to empower local communities to access justice. On 3 August 2015, STEP II project met with Mr. Kitti Surakhamhaeng, director of SBPAC's Justice Administration Bureau, Southern Border Provinces Administrative Centre (SBPAC), and Mr. Santhan Rattana, Provincial Justice, Pattani Provincial Justice Office, to explore avenues of cooperation in order to raise awareness of local communities and promote the existing justice system and its accessibility for all. The production of an alternative media outlet for information, education and communication in communities was also discussed. Even though there are a great number of organisations, both government and non-government, providing assistance to local people to access justice, there are barely enough publications or materials that provide comprehensive information on the existing justice system. STEP II project together with SBPAC and Pattani Justice Provincial Office agreed to cooperatively work to produce much-needed publications, either a

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manual or booklet, about the justice system and legal services. They have planned to establish a working group to develop the publications.

3. Small Grant: On 6 August 2015, STEP II project met with the Heart Support Group (Duay Jai), an NGO located in Songkhla working to empower families (women and children) of detainees charged of national security offences in the Deep South, with the aim of providing a small grant to the group in order to assist the detainees and support the families of the detainees. In August and September 2015, STEP II project and Duay Jai group worked together for small grant proposal preparation. Many meetings and workshops were conducted to assess and analyse the situation of detainees and set the objectives and design activities of the project. As the families of detainees, one of the vulnerable groups being affected by the conflict, have trouble finding accessible legal service or representation through the justice system, they need to be empowered to take advantage of these basic services to which they are entitled. The proposal of the project on empowerment of detainees’ families on access to justice was initially drafted. The project aims to provide legal aid to the detainees through capacity-building activities and support the detainees’ families through various activities including family visits. The proposal will be finalized prior to submission to the next Small Grant Committee.

Output 3: Local communities more resilient, with stronger social cohesion, through the improvement of livelihoods.

Local communities in the three Southern provinces have been supported through multiple mechanisms to be resilient. In this reporting period, the project has made significant progress; it has been especially productive in establishing small grant livelihood-improvement projects, which aim to enable local communities to enhance their wellbeing and quality of life. Multi-local government agencies such as Sub- district Administrative Organisations, Non-Formal and Informal Education (ONIE), District Livestock Development Office, Provincial Public Heath Office, and Provincial Community Development Office have been invited to accommodate local community groups to meet their technical or specific needs. The involved local governments have demonstrated responsiveness and accountability to local communities. Consequently, small grants provided to local community groups to run their project or community enterprise help not only ameliorate the living standards of people in local communities but also construct a positive relationship between local communities and local government agencies, which will in turn reinforce cooperation and trust between them. The STEP II project regularly establishes a platform called “small grantees meeting” to provide local community groups who receive grants with an opportunity and a comfort zone to present their project’s progress and share experiences and lesson learned while running their project. From July-September 2015, the following measures were implemented to ensure that social cohesion will be gradually built in the Deep South:

1. Small Grants: The following eight local community groups (small grantees) whose proposal were approved by the Small Grant committee in the previous quarter have efficiently started their activities after having been trained on project management and project implementation: 1) Project on “Production of Kolae Boat Model–a traditional wooden boat souvenir”, Datoh village, Laem Pho sub-district, , Pattani. The

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members of this project are underprivileged youth between 13-25 years of age living in Datoh village—a high-risk area where illicit drugs are prevalent. The project was initiated with the membership of 10 vulnerable youths and with the main objective of taking unemployed or vulnerable youth in the community away from the corruptive environment of drug use or dealing. After the project was approved and members were trained on how to manage the project, the group members started to buy quality tools for making Kolae boat models and planned to organize regular workshop (once a month) for members to learn basic and specific skills for production. In this reporting period, two workshops were conducted for members: a workshop on boat carving and a workshop on tracery painting and Kolea boat models, in which they were made and sold out. Two months after the project began, some youths and children in the village voiced their interest in joining. Group membership of this project has since increased from 10, at the initial establishment of the project, to 16 members. The members have planned to invite technical experts to provide them with other necessary skills for making Kolea boat models and will manufacture more and sell them at resorts and hotels located in tourist areas in Pattani.

2) Project on “Roasted Coconut”,Thienya village, Thienya sub-district, Yaring district, Pattani. The group is comprised of conflict-affected Buddhist and Muslim women from Thienya village. It is a newly-established group whose members do not have experience in running either a small business or community enterprise. However, they, having suffered loss as a result of the southern conflict, have collectively demonstrated a strong entrepreneurial spirit and put forth great effort toward bettering their quality of life by learning and gaining more skill to manage a small-grant project. Villagers in Ban Thienya earn their living from growing rice and palm and coconut trees. As there are many coconut trees in the village, the group wants to use this locally acquired raw material to generate income.

From the start, the group proposed the project produce hot-pressed coconut oil for cooking. However, as no one in the group had experience making it, a workshop dedicated toward teaching the process was organized on 24 July 2015 at the Nutrition Learning Center, Prince of Songkla University, Chana District, Songkhla province so the group members could learn the entire procedure After the workshop, the group members collectively decided against producing the hot-pressed coconut oil due to a number of factors and instead agreed to produce roasted coconut to compliment southern-Thai dishes. When the final decision was made, the group initiated its first step of roasted coconut production by preparing to purchase the kitchenware and other necessary equipment.

3) Project on “Palm Sugar Development”, Ban Thung and Ban Huakhlong, Panareh district, Pattani. This group is a Buddhists-Muslim mixed group. There are approximately 70 members from 35 households in these two villages. The villagers earn a living by growing rice and some have additional sources of income from fish farming and growing various crops such as coconuts, palms, beans, and cashew nuts. Normally, the group members produce palm sugar for household consumption, though sometimes for sale as

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well. However, since each member previously had their own method of producing palm sugar, their final products varied in quality from household to household. Therefore, the group decided to establish a livelihood project that was most suitable for their needs and way of life and agreed to standardize the process of yielding palm sugar and thus the quality of the product,

To ensure standardization and to brand the product, the group began by collecting basic data from each household member (including existing equipment, equipment lacking, number of palm trees possessed by each member, quantity of palm sugar produced per household, markets, and problems). After the data survey, the palm sugar production sites for each household were assessed. The project found that kitchens and shelters were used as factories and methodology of production was not standardized. Next, the group planned to make adjustments to their shelters to construct proper factories for palm sugar production. In this reporting period, this group has productively started their small-grant project with data collection/survey and renovation of factories to guarantee consistent product quality.

4) Project on “Sustainable Waste Management”, Laem Pho sub-district, Yaring District, Pattani. Laem Pho sub-district is a seaside area that provides an oasis amid violent conflict and serves as an income-generating activity for those living in difficult situations. Seaside tourism in Laem Pho sub-district has expanded and new resorts have blossomed in recent years, but with little planning. As it is a densely inhabited area with a population of about 9,000 coupled with the rapid expansion of tourism, one of the most severe problems is unmanageable wastes; the garbage is not disposed of properly and is littered everywhere. Thus, the Laem Pho (sub-district) Administrative Organisation (TAO) is in need of technical support and a sustainable and environmentally-friendly approach to waste management. A goup of villagers has gathered who have shown their willingness to voluntarily solve this waste problem.

Prior to planning activities to be implemented, the Laem Pho TAO, as a responsible organization and consultant for the group, invited representatives from relevant local government agencies including village public health volunteers, public health officers from sub-district health promotion hospitals, and members of Laem Pho Tambon Administrative Organisation to discuss the waste issue and seek cooperation in waste management. The discussion led to the conviction that the measures of awareness raising, campaign activity, and policy implementation should be seriously implemented to derive a lasting solution. The group together with Laem Pho TAO started visiting households in the 4 villages of Laem Pho sub-district to talk to them about the waste management project and ask them to become involved in or support the project. After the approval of the project during the first quarter, information concerning the waste predicament was publicized in order that the households and schools comprehend the severity of the waste issue—namely its negative impact to their health and other aspects of life. The group expects that there will be a surge in activity cooperation and progress will move along quickly once the villagers have the mutual understanding of what needs to be done to

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solve the waste issue and how rectifying the problem will help improve quality of their life.

5) Project on “Meat Goat Raising” Paka Harang, Muang Pattani, Pattani. Paka Harang sub-district is a Muslim community wherein most of the villagers earn a living through rice farming, crop rotation, and goat farming. The Meat Goat Farming Group was established not only to increase the income but also to maintain the goat-raising occupation in the community. To develop the goat- herding vocation for sustainable livelihood improvement, goat farms need to be well established and goat farming should be promoted to meet market demand for local consumption to improve the income of the local people in the southern provinces of Thailand.

As the nature of the meat goat raising which requires a suitable enclosure, after having received the first payment in August 2016, the group members began by consulting the Pattani Province Livestock Office to obtain a drawing plan of a standard enclosure. When the drawing plan was approved, construction of an enclosure was planned. The Meat Goat Raising Project moved quickly through active cooperation of the members. At the end of August, the construction of goat enclosure began and the members spent their leisure time from other work (rice farming and working for wages) to build the enclosure. While the members were cooperatively building the enclosure, the group leader not only helped and supported, but also attend workshops with the provincial Livestock Office to receive further education regarding the goat- raising process. The group leader in turn disseminated the knowledge he gained from the workshops to his group members in order that they be well prepared for goat farming. The group expects to have the enclosure completely built by the end of this quarter.

6) Project on “Dried Fish Crackers and fresh fish Cracker”, Na Pradu sub- district, , Pattani. The Fish Cracker Group named “Harofat” was initiated in 2004 by a local family in order to produce and sell homemade fresh fish crackers and dried fish crackers. They have been using a small factory built and located on the backyard of the group founder for production. The Fish Cracker Group is currently a group of 15 villagers who have a mutual aim of becoming self-sufficient and to generate income by producing fresh fish crackers and dried fish crackers for sale. Even though the consumption of fish crackers is high, the community group is unable to compete with big businesses due to various factors, key of which are its needs to acquire health/halal certification and to improve its unattractive product packaging. Therefore, the group endeavored to develop the products and obtain health/quality standard certificates.

As the group members want to develop and standardize the quality of their products, they contacted the Provincial Public Health Office and the Consumer Protection Office to seek consultation concerning the manufacturing process, product quality, and factory standards. A public health officer and pharmacist visited the group’s factory and decided that the group needs to take into account all factors including location, environment, quality control, and sanitation of the factory and workers to be eligible to obtain a primary GMP

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(Good Manufacturing Practice) certificate. After having consulted closely with relevant government officials, the group was helped with factory planning and design. The group members expected that the factory site would be demolished or renovated at the beginning of October after receiving a complete factory plan.

7) Project on “Development of Prepared/Preserved Garcinia”, Sai-Khao Sub- district, Khok Pho district, Pattani. Sai-Khao sub-district is well known for harvesting seasonal fruits of the South, among which is Garcinia—a sour fruit widely planted in Sai Khao. The Sai-Khao Agriculturist Housewife Community Enterprise, currently comprised of 50 elderly members, was established to process Garcinia in order to add value and yield a greater profit. They have produced a variety of products from preserved Garcinia and want to develop even more. They also wish to have a GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) certificate in order that the group may expand its market.

The small grants project consultants visited the factory and met with the group members to discuss what should first be done for the group. It was agreed that obtaining GMP certification was a priority issue to be taken into account because it is a significant component of a successful food business/industry. A public health officer was contacted to provide advice to the group. As the factory of this group is well built, it did not need to be immensely renovated; only some parts were improved to meet the requirements outlined by the GMP standard. In September, the group spent the whole month to improve the factory and at the same time created new products like Garcinia tea and spicy preserved Garcinia. The group members together with the project consultants have created a recipe of spicy preserved Garcinia in addition to other kinds of prepared/preserved Garcinia and will experiment with the different trial recipes to develop the best new products.

8) Project on “Energy Saving Oven Production”, Lochut sub-district, , Narathiwat. The group is composed of 30 unemployed youths from 5 villages in Lochut sub-district. This project, in its initial phase, aimed to take the youth away from illegal activities and in turn assist them in earning a living and encourage them to be more productive with their leisure time. It helps promote the use of energy saving household appliances and income generation in the community through the production of energy-saving ovens and charcoal kilns.

As most of the villagers in Waeng district still use charcoal stoves for cooking instead of electric stoves in order to save energy and economize on expenditure of the household, charcoal is in demand. Therefore, the group will produce not only energy saving ovens/stoves but also charcoal kilns to meet the demand of users. In September, the Pleasant Community Development Foundation, an escort organization of the youth group, planned to organize a workshop on production of energy saving ovens and charcoal kilns. Village philosophers of the foundation and an expert from Narathiwat Energy Office was invited to teach and share their knowledge in the workshop. After the first workshop trained the group how to build ovens and kilns, the group will be trained about charcoal making. The group also planned to build a charcoal kiln

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for its members at their houses in order that its members have a kiln to make charcoals for household consumption and for sale. They expected the workshops for members to start in October.

In addition to the existing eight local communities, STEP II project has sought for more potential local communities. On 6 August 2015, STEP II project met with the Network of Civic Women for Peace (NCWP), an NGO working to promote the rights of conflict-affected women in the Deep South and encourage them to participate in peace process. Two groups of conflict-affected women from Gujingluepa village, Chalerm Sub-district, Ra-ngae District, Narathiwat and from Po-Ming Sub-district, Panareh District, Pattani, who have been participating in peace platform at the community level, were recommended because they have faced many difficulties in their day-to-day lives and also experienced trouble earning a living due to the unsafe situation in the area. The two groups have shown their interest and will run an income generation activity to promote the livelihood of villagers. As they lack experience in writing project proposals and project management, they were provided with a two-day workshop from 13-14 August 2015 wherein resource persons were invited to instruct them as to the steps that should be taken to prepare a project proposal and teach them necessary project management skills. In the workshop, the women groups discussed the amount and degree of social capital in their communities and how to create products by using existing social capital or materials and add value to the products. After the two-day workshop, the two women groups will prepare their project proposal and submitted to the Small Grant Committee.

On 10 August 2015, STEP II project met with the Deputy Governor of Yala and the president of Yala Bio-diesel Community Enterprise to discuss the possibility of supporting a group of people with disabilities (PWDs) who have earned a living by buying used cooking oil from households and restaurant and selling it to Yala Bio- diesel Community Enterprise to earn some profit. In virtue of its impressive work on environment protection and income generation for PWDs, the Yala Bio-diesel Community Enterprise was advised to prepare a project proposal to generate income for the people with disabilities in Yala province.

2. Social Capital Survey: On 9 July 2015, STEP II project organized a meeting to present the results of the social capital survey from STEP Phase I by the King Prajadhipok’s Institute at C.S Hotel, Pattani. Thirty-five people participated from various responsible parties and academic institutes including UNDP Thailand, the Institute for Peace Studies, College of Islamic Studies, Fatoni University, Center for Conflict Studies and Cultural Diversity (CSCD), Sub-District Administration Office, Provincial Local Administration Office, Faculty of Communication Sciences of Prince of Songkla University, and Community Development and Education Center. In their presentation, researchers from the Research and Development Office, King Prajadhipok’s Institute, indicated that the social capital survey was conducted in two sub-districts in Pattani, the Laem Pho Sub-district (Yaring district, Pattani province), and Mae Lan sub-district (, Pattani province), to find value, natural resources, and folk wisdom in communities [to devise a] development plan for government agencies. The social capital survey was developed as the “Social Capital-Based Development Plan and Budget Allocation Manual,” which will help strengthen local governments by public participation through the process of social capital-based development-plan preparation. It showcases the process of

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development planning and budget preparation based upon public participation and a working-capital paradigm, defining and explaining the concept of “working capital”, displaying the methods whereby to identify working capital and how to produce a community’s ground diagram, utilizing the working capital with respect to preparing the plan, and following up with and evaluating the development plan. The resulting report of social capital survey and the “Social Capital-Based Development Plan and Budget Allocation Manual” will be disseminated to Sub-district Administration Offices in the three Southern most provinces to be of use to those who take interest in the subject of public participation in development planning and budget allocation.

In connection with the usefulness of the social capital survey, the sub-Administration offices from Yala, Pattani, and Narathiwat were asked to consider whether or not their offices would be interested in cooperatively conducting the social capital survey in their sub-districts. A consultative meeting to select the potential sub-districts for social capital survey will be assembled later.

3. Social cohesion and participatory governance capacity: To build social cohesion within communities and participatory governance capacity, a small grantees meeting was conducted on 1 September 2015 at C.S Pattani Hotel, Pattani in which 65 participants from various local government agencies and the eight grantees (local community groups) were invited to meet and share their experience in running their small grant projects. Local government agencies in three Southern provinces such as the Provincial Office of Non-Formal and Informal Educations, Provincial Public Health Offices, Provincial Community Development Offices, and Provincial Commerce Offices were also invited to discuss and provide guidance for each community project. In the meeting, local community and local government agencies were matched for partnership in order that each community project be developed with multi-participation of stakeholders. The small grantees meeting was planned to be conducted quarterly to exchange knowledge among community groups, maintain the relationship between Buddhist and Muslim families from different communities, and provide links between communities and local government apparatuses.

4. Project Management and Monitoring

July to September 2015 was the period of assisting small grantees to start up their community projects. Time and resource persons contributed to all levels of community project planning and development including technical trainings, consultant recruitment, government partnership meeting, project site visits, and so forth. With the enthusiastic engagement of local communities and constant support of related local authorities, some community projects have been operating at a fast pace.

To make all project’s activities effectively manageable, the projects have opened up a variety of communication channels such as phone, electronic mail, and regular meetings for local communities, implementing parties, and all stakeholders to communicate with the project when any help or cooperation was needed. As we considered communication to be an important tool to make the project run effectively and help solve any problems which might occur during the activity implementation, monthly meetings were conducted to ensure mutual understanding of what course of action should be taken and to keep all parties in synch and updated on their progress

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and challenges. Additionally, reporting was an effective means to keep all stakeholders updated on the status of project implementation and budget spending.

To monitor the project, there were all levels of project monitoring mechanisms used to ensure that activities project were managed efficiently and the activities were implemented productively as planned. In this reporting period, in addition to regular communication through various channels ranging from phone calls to small group meetings and project site visits, a project monitoring committee meeting, consisting of 17 participants, was conducted on 8 July 2015 at CS Hotel Pattani to update the progress of the STEP II’s six-month project implementation from January to June 2015. The Governors of the three southernmost provinces and representatives from the Pattani Islam Committee Office, Development Strategy Division, Provincial Office for Local Administration, Network of Civic Women for Peace (NCWP), Muslim Attorney Center (MAC), Prince of Songkla University, Fatoni Univeristy, as well as STEP II project implementing parties—the Science College of Islamic Studies and Institute of Peace Studies—participated in the meeting. The responsible parties of each output of the STEP II project presented their project’s progress. The project monitoring committee commented on the access to justice issues and suggested religious leaders and community leaders be involved in the justice process and dispute resolution.

5. Risks/ Constraints/Mitigation Measures

The violence in the Deep South from July to September has remained mostly contained. Local communities, CSOs, and NGOs have tried to urge the Military government to find a solution through peaceful dialogue. The military government has been committed to dialogue. In August, representatives of Thailand’s military government met with MARA Patani in Kuala Lumpur with the intention of restarting formal peace talks. The head of the Thai delegation, General Aksara Kerdphol, declared the talks a success, but there was still no evidence of progress or a clear result. While talks are important to all parties, it seems their expectation for productive talk is low because the sessions are very initial meetings and the likelihood of a formal peace process is a very long way off. The insurgents have been trying to compel the government to make the peace process a national priority because they think that if it is not on the national agenda, there will be no continuity in the dialogue. Even though the possibility of having successful peace talks between the government and the insurgent group is low, local communities, academic institutes, civil societies, and non-governmental organisations have been actively establishing a peace platform to provide opportunities for local people and establish peace networks to share information and discuss the situation to arrive at appropriate resolutions or recommendations for both parties. The issue of creating a “safety zone” in the Deep South was also a topic discussed widely in various platforms. The government wanted one place in each of the 41 districts across the provinces of Narathiwat, Yala, Pattani and parts of Songkhla that have been affected by the insurgency to be guaranteed free of violence. One safety zone for the entire south was proposed. The Thai government insists on these safety zones as a sign of goodwill, but this proposal seems to be considered a non-starter by the insurgents. The STEP II project has continued to support responsible parties to open platforms and activities for communities including peace networks in order to promote their participation in the peace process and to build their capacity regarding peace and

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conflict. However, these activities were carefully implemented to avoid causing any problem that may lead to the difficulty of or limitations on entire project implementation.

The sensitivity of the issues and the ongoing violence limited the project’s role in some activities and the project’s access to project sites. However, to expedite the activities and obtain updated information on activity implementation, the responsible parties familiar with the area were requested to conduct some activities cooperatively. The project also tried to facilitate meetings for all beneficiaries and stakeholders from different areas for reporting. These measures helped reduce risk and save time.

In addition to the violence that impeded project implementation, the cooperation and engagement of the implementing parties was another constraint. In this reporting period, implementing parties had many commitments and could not fully involve themselves in project management and implementation. This causes the delay of activity implementation and report submission. To deal with this situation, the STEP II project helped lighten their load by sharing their work as well as creating a report template and a data collection form for the implementing parties and responsible parties to help them spent less time on preparation of narrative reports.

6. Financial Management

From 1 July to 30 September 2015, USD 130,664.69 (18.3 percent) out of the balance of USD 711,985.35 from quarter 2 was disbursed as per outputs as follows. Budget Summary (USD$) As of 30 September 2015 Funding Source (USD$)

CPR TF JP/UNDP TRAC Total Output Fund Code: Fund Fund (USD$) 26921 Code:32045 Code: 04000 Approved Budget 500,000.00 300,240.00 13,500.00 813,740.00 Disbursement 101,754.65 - - 101,754.65 Quarter 1: 15,528.52 Quarter 2: 86,226.13 Balance from quarter 2 398,245.35 300,240.00 13,500.00 711,985.35 (as of 30 June 2015) Output 1: Participation in 29,509.70 - 29,509.70 peace processes through capacity building and better access to information Output 2: Empowerment 18,320.45 - 13,500.00 31,820.45 of vulnerable groups to access to justice

Output 3: Social - 45,225.53 - 45,225.53 cohesion through the improvemnet of local

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communities’ livelihood Output 4: Project 24,109.01 - - 24,109.01 Monitoring and Managemnet Total Expenditure 71,939.16 45,225.53 13,500.00 130,664.69 Balance 326,306.19 255,014.47 - 581,320.66

7. Key Expected Outputs in the Next Quarter

In the next quarter, the top priority will be the development of the eight local community projects and the selection of additional local community groups for small grants, as the project needs to expand to include more local community projects for livelihood improvement in all three of the southernmost provinces. Even though the community projects were initiated a very short time ago, the great support and constant participation of local government agencies in the eight community projects have proved that livelihood improvement through small grants will be a successful mechanism for building social cohesion in the communities and trust between them and local authorities. As the targets of the small grants are local communities in which people lack experience in writing proposals or managing projects, the potential communities will be supported with technical workshop on project proposal and project management prior to submitting their proposals. This means the approved local communities will not only have their livelihood improved but will also gain comprehensive knowledge through small grants.

Peace platforms will remain prioritized in the next quarter through capacity building of peace networks and promotion of participation of local peace networks including civil society organisations, non-governmental organizations, and local communities with special focus on women in peace platforms. The Institute for Peace Studies (IPS) and the STEP II project’s implementing parties together with its partners—the Center for Conflict Studies and Cultural Diversity (CSCD) and Deep South Watch (DSW)— have regularly conducted national and international conferences, training workshops, and peace dialogues to open space or platforms for peace networks, local networks, students, and local people to discuss peace and conflict. International and national experts including peace networks and responsible authorities have been invited as speakers to panel discussion in the conferences, which will benefit people in the area. The STEP II project will continue to support the responsible parties to maintain peace platforms and capacity building. STEP II will also promote the role of local media as an alternative to mainstream to produce quality and reliable news or articles regarding the Deep South situation both in Thailand and Melayu and to make information accessible for all.

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ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS

ADR Alternative Dispute Resolution CIS College of Islamic Studies CSCD Centre for Conflict Studies and Cultural Diversity CSO Civil Society Organization DSW Deep South Watch DSJ Deep South Journalism School IPS Institute for Peace Studies ISOC Internal Security Operations Command KPI King Prajadhipok's Institute MAC Muslim Attorney Center Foundation Mol Ministry of Interior MoJ Ministry of Justice NGO Non-Governmental Organization PSU Prince of Songkla University RTG Royal Thai Government SBPAC Southern Border Provinces Administration Centre STEP II Southern Thailand Empowerment and Participation Project TAO Phase II Tambon Administrative Organization UNDP United Nations Development Programme

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