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Part 1

The history and importance of passing on local knowledge by cultural
instructors

Local knowledge and everyday life experiences were accumulated b) previous generations who
then determined what was passed on. This collected information helps solve contemporary problems that
Thai people from different localities face. It has also helped them adapt to modem life.
From generation to generation cultural knowledge has been appropriated and preserved in both
direct and indirect ways through the wisdom and the experience of the local elders, philosophers and teachers
as they exercise their intellect.
Even though the cultural instructors usually employ similar methods of disseminating
knowledge, it must be adapted to the individual locality if necessary, and still retain its original identity. To
retain its worth, this knowledge should be inherited and conserved in a proper manner so we can refer to it as
"leading the way with culture to boost the economy and improve the Thai people's life" Another way to
promote the cultural instructors is through circulating the knowledge, abilities, and skills they have gained
from the many situations they have experienced and learned from and also through using natural materials in
their teachings for the preservation of the environment. In each locality the culture is distinct and according
to their local life style, so retaining the real value of the culture is important for maintaining this way of life.
The National Culture Commission Office of Cultural Ministry is aware of the value of the local
knowledge so it has instituted a policy in order bring the role of the cultural instructors and their importance
to the Thai public attention. The National Culture Commission Office is now promoting them for the whole
country to benefit from. The Ministry is allocating a budget to the local community projects in the five
southern provinces for the following purposes 1) finding adequate cultural instructors 2) publicizing the
project 3) publishing cultural instructor's handbooks in three languages 4) inviting children, youth, or anyone
else interested to attend the seminars 5) organizing training sessions for the cultural instructors to participate
in 6) assessing the observations and evaluations of the cultural instructors through the Provincial Culture
Office, and 7) organizing itinerant cultural activities and cultural weekend markets. Publishing the cultural
instructor's handbooks is of major importance because the cultural instructors' knowledge needs to be
documented in-order-to be properly understood by the recipients. These books are also available to the
general public through the National Culture Commission Office who has initially attributed the cultural
instructors' assignment.

Objectives:

1. To inform the people being instructed by the cultural instructors.
2. To make this knowledge available to the general public to understand it and learn from it.
3. To exchange local factual information from one region to another

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