5:30 pm tonight at SynerGeo, corner of Idlewood and Albemarle:

We will have a special guest at our community dinner Monday, Mr.
Kovit Boonjear. Boonjear is a social worker, community organizer, and
social activist who has worked and lived in Khon Kaen, Thailand for
the greater part of his life. Most of his work has revolved around
working with Khon Kaen’s urban poor communities and informal labor
sector, helping to organize and mobilize groups to address the social
and economic issues that they face, such as their rights to fair
labor, adequate housing and land, and protection and support from the
local and national governments. He has also worked with various
education communities, such as the local public school system and
with the CIEE program located at Khon Kaen University. His intention
in visiting and studying in the U.S. is that he will learn to speak
more fluent English and gain useful experience working with social
workers, activists, organizers, and NGOs who are working in a similar
field as he. Shayne Thomas is working in conjunction with Educational
Network for Global and Grassroots Exchange (ENGAGE) on an the
initiative to help our colleague and mentor, Mr. Kovit Boonjear,
embark on this extended study trip to the United States. Shayne
Thomas spent the fall 2007 semester studying globalization and
development in Khon Kaen, Thailand with the Council on International
Education Exchange (CIEE). There will be photographs from this
project, the images are the result of a collaboration with a
community that lives and works at the city landfill in Khon Kaen,
Thailand. Ban Kambon Noi has existed on the edge of Khon Kaen city
for over 30 years. It is located beside the municipal landfill;
families who scavenged there eventualy decided to settle, and now 60
families (approx. 235 individuals) have homes next to the waste. In
2002, 50 percent of the villagers residing in the landfill were born
there, and at least one person from each household makes their living
by scavenging. More than 70 people work among the garbage, earning up
to 150 baht per day. Khambon Noi villagers are entirely dependent on
the landfill for their income. They are aiding Thailans’s recycling
efforts, as well as providing a great service to the city- so far
they have extended the life of the landfill by 7 years. They took
these pictures to show others what they wanted them to see about
their lives.