สวัสดีครับ (Hey!)

ผม ซื่อ Cormac! ผมมาจากไอร์แลนด์ ครับ ทำงาน มูลนิธิเอ็มพลัส ที่นี.

Phew! Okay I need to work on that a bit more.

Anyways, my name is Cormac, I’m from Ireland, and I’m volunteering with Mplus+ in Chiang Mai this summer as part of the EIL Ireland Global Awareness Program in HIV/AIDS.  Like my partner in crime at Mplus+ - Maria Flavin – I’m a travel award winner with EIL.  

Mplus+ is a fantastic organization that works mainly in promoting sexual health among men who have sex with men (MSM), preventing HIV and other STIs by promoting safer sex with condoms and lube, and encouraging and facilitating testing. In addition it aims to promote LGBTIQ rights and positive visibility – just last week we had an event on LGBTIQ rights and social movements in Thailand (shown below), and on Sunday Mplus+ hosted the annual Miss Healthy Thailand, an event focusing on sexual health, rights, wellbeing and positive visibility for trans women in Thailand.  I am really excited to be working with this organization, and I have already learned so much from them.  I hope that my different experiences and background in LGBTIQ and HIV efforts back home will mean I can contribute at least in a small way to the project, as we exchange ideas and experiences in this area.

You can spot us quite easily in the above picture. I’m to the left of Maria and we’re in the left of the photo. This photo was taken at the opening of the LGBTIQ History Gallery for the ‘No His-tory but Ours’ 2 day event on LGBTIQ issues last week. That’s most of the team there – they are so much fun! Also shown below is myself and Maria at the opening of  Miss Healthy Thailand 2015!  

About me: I’m a medical student in Dublin just finished my second year at University, and I’m also a committee member of my University’s LGBTQ+ Society – so you’ll usually find me at a lecture, the library, a coffee morning or workshop.  I’m interested in sustainability, renewables and development – I was that ten year old kid who used to pester the principal about getting a compost bin and pleaded with my parents to get solar panels – I still get really excited about developments in the field and how each one of us can empower ourselves to make for a more sustainable, greener life. I’m also a Disney fan and like to listen occasionally multiple times a day to cheesy pop music!

So far my experience in Chiang Mai has been thought provoking, adventurous and inspiring.  I have already learned so much not alone from the people at work and in the locality but from living with the other volunteers.  Each of us has our own unique background and experiences and it’s allowing us to find out more about each other, which is fantastic. 

I also like languages (I’m learning some French in University and I did Spanish in secondary school) and the language here (especially the written language) is very different to my experience of European languages. The language is tonal which means how you say a word changes its meaning, and Thai script so far has been a bit of an unfolding mystery. For example, Thai script is written as an abugida rather than an alphabet (which means that vowels can go above, below, to the left or right of consonants and the form of the vowel changes depending on the syllable in question), so reading it is like playing detective, because you do get more familiar with it in time and there is a nice feeling of accomplishment when you finally get why something is written like it is. At the same time, while the tones and script make for another dimension to the language, much of the grammar is simpler than its European counterparts, such as with tenses, plurals and conjugations. Given how friendly and willing to engage the locals are - even with my plundering tones and faulty strung-together phrases – I’m looking forward to getting more familiar with this interesting and exotic tongue

I can’t wait to see what the next six weeks has in store for me, both in work and with the other volunteers. You can follow my EIL blog at http://www.eilireland.org/users/cormac   

Thanks, Cormac 

The Satellite Project 2015 - CCT / ARI Global Fundraiser... We Need Your Help!

Dear volunteers, friends and supporters of CCT and ARI,

For the first time in its nine year history Cultural Canvas Thailand and Art Relief International will coordinate a worldwide fundraising event campaign we are calling ‘The Satellite Project 2015’, which will take place from June 15 to August 15. The objective of the campaign is to raise funds for CCT and ARI via the coordination of various satellite fundraising parties hosted by previous volunteers, supporters, friends and family members at different locations across the world. 

Party hosts will assist party goers in making donations via the online donation feature on the CCT / ARI websites or via CCT’s PayPal, or the host will collect cash and then deposit it in to CCT’s bank account. This will enable CCT and ARI to achieve its ongoing goals through delivering further workshops, increasing volunteer programs, enhancing our marketing and communications, purchasing more art supplies and better managing ongoing costs. You will also be promoting our programs!

As you probably know, CCT / ARI is a very small, local non-profit and Non-Government Organisation, and therefore every dollar (or baht) we make goes straight back in to the organization, so we are able to continue to run art workshops and manage our volunteers whilst serving the most marginalised across Chiang Mai.

We are seeking individuals or groups who are willing to host a party or event any time between June 15 and August 15 to help us raise as much money as possible. Anyone is able to host a party – previous volunteers, family members, friends, organisations, artists, human rights advocates - as long as they’re passionate about our work, the people we work with and they are committed to creating a successful party. The party host who raises the most money will also win themselves an ARI Merchandise pack!

The party itself can be anything you want it to be, and we will try and support you as much as possible by providing you with event ideas and lots of information, by being available to answer any questions you might have, by sending you a party pack to assist with your organising and by facilitating a Party Host Facebook Group where ideas, hints and photos can be shared. It can be as big as a Thai banquet, a fancy dress party or a fashion parade, or as small as a morning tea. To keep the event on track we will also provide you with links to our various websites and social media platforms, numerous on-line videos and we would also love to host a live Skype session with you during your party.

So if you, or anybody you know, might be keen to host an event during the above mentioned dates and help us achieve our 2015 goals, then please contact Dan Hales at admin@culturalcanvas.com to register your interest and nominate a flexible party date. CCT / ARI will keep a log of all parties and check in before, during and after.

We are super excited to host The Satellite Project 2015, and perhaps even make this the cornerstone of our future fundraising efforts, and we would LOVE for you to join us in the fun!

We look forward to hearing from you, and we hope you are all keeping happy, healthy and arty.

In creativity and compassion,

The CCT / ARI Team