1.

Cover Story
SOCIAL INNOVATION, REAL WORLD OPPORTUNITIES
I will survive 30 years later
From climate change and
disasters
Stop by Step
The interview with climate
change adaptation guru
Better Together
With Geochat : Innovation
for disease surveilance

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Soocviaatihoannge
Inr nclimateatcion onse
fo adapt r resp
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d d isast
an

CHANGE MAGAZINE
editor’s note.
SOCIAL INNOVATION, REAL WORLD
OPPORTUNITIES
2.
Conceptually, CHANGE Magazine was originally
conceived from the simple fact that there was no
magazine with a “social innovation” focus avail-
able here in Thailand. While many magazines genre
exists, catering to different needs and tastes —
lifestyle and homemaking, health and nutrition,
marketing and branding, finance and money
magazine, the list goes on — we have found out that
none of them really speaks about social innovation and
sustainability, with the insights and analysis that
was available in magazines from abroad. We could
not believe ourselves since social innovation and
sustainability has been one of the hottest
topics worldwide for quite sometime, and recently the
concept has been a buzzword among cutting edge Thais.
Inspired by this void, our team has decided to take
the initiative through the creation of CHANGE
Magazine, which aims to providing readers with
unparalleled insights and in-depth analysis about
social sector and social innovation for both Thailand and
abroad.
content.
06. COVER STORY
I WILL SURVIVE 30 YEARS LATER
10. CHANGE INSIGHT
STOP BY STEP
14. CHANGE CASE
BETTER TOGETHER
16. CHANGE INSPIRE
18. CHANGE PEOPLE
CHANGE MAGAZINE
SOCIAL INNOVATION, REAL WORLD OPPORTUNITIES
In our first issue, “Climate Change Adaptation and
Crisis Response” has been an easy choice for the
focal point of the cover story. In the past decade,
the consequences from climate change has never
been more apparent, simply judged by the statistics
of disaster incidents that has grown in frequency and
intensity within recent years. Therefore, the time
is now for all of us to pay more attention to
innovations and solutions that will be crucial to our
survival in perilous times ahead. Lastly, we hope that
in every issue will provide you with new ideas and
perspectives in responding to the impending
dangers, especially ones that involves cross-sector
collaboration and where the private sector can play a
leading role.
Thanapon Sreshthaputra
CHANGE INSPIRE 16.
CHANGE
NEWS
3.
CSR Club and Thai Listed Companies Asso-
ciation are founding partners of ASEAN CSR
NETWORK
The Stock Exchange of Thailand October 12, 2010
Mr. Wattana Opanon-amata, Senior Executive Vice
President of Bangchak Petroleum Public Company Limited in his
capacity as the Chairman of CSR Club took part in
the ASEAN CSR Network as Thailand’s
representative. With delegates joining from
Singapore, Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia, the event was
honored with the presence of Dr. Yaacob Ibrahim, Minister for
the Environment and Water Resources, Ms. Olivia Lum,
President of CSR Singapore Compact and Dr. Filemon Uriarte,
Jr., Executive of Director ASEAN Foundation as the distin-
guished guests at the opening ceremony of the latest Interna-
tional Singapore Compact CSR Summit 2010.
UnLtd Thailand Official Launch
BangkokBizNews October 24, 2010
Great news to all social entrepreneurs who are looking to
turn your ideas into a social enterprise! The UnLtd Thailand
program has now been officially launched and had just
finished accepting applications for social entrepreneurs whose
innovative ventures have what it takes to tackle Thailand’s
social and environmental problems. UnLtd Thailand will select
12 would-be social entrepreneurs based on the sustainability
and feasibility of their business model; qualifying individuals
stand a chance to receive up to 500,000 baht in invest-
ment capital for their ventures. With a team of high powered
advisors and mentors with expertise in a variety of fields,
the program will not only train a new breed of social
entrepreneurs and incubate social enterprises but will offer all
participants a chance to establish strong networks with other
social entrepreneurs within the community.  Despite the pass-
ing of the program’s deadline since November 10, the organiz-
ers of this program have hinted that UnLtd Thailand will be
held once every year. For those of you who are interested to
learn more and download the application forms, please visit :
Web : www.unltd.in.th
Facebook page: UnLtd Thailand 
Email : unltd.in.th@gmail.com / Tel : 02.938.2636
 CHANGE MAGAZINE 5.
SOCIAL INNOVATION, REAL WORLD
OPPORTUNITIES

CHANGE
EVENT
4.
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva establishes Thai Social
Enterprise Office (TSEO) to promote social enterprise in
Thailand
February 5, 2010
 
November 15, 2010 - Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, presiding International Symposium of Social Enterprise Summit 2010
as Chairman of the Economic Cabinet, has adopted a resolu- November 19, 2010
tion to create a separate legal entity for social enterprise and
develop economic policies to promote social enterprise in Thai- The Home Affairs Bureau of the Hong Kong Special
land. Giving the authority to the Thai Social Enterprise Office Administrative Region (HKSAR) government is arrang-
(TSEO) to set out specific criteria for social enterprise that will ing the International Symposium of Social Enterprise
receive tax benefits and other promotional support, the Office Summit 2010 for the third consecutive year in a row.
will work in conjunction with the Ministry of Finance and the For those who interesting in social enterprise and
Board of Investment (BOI) in order to facilitate investments want to connect with other social entrepreneurs,
within Thai social enterprise.
please visit : www.hksef.org
For more information, please visit : www.tseo.or.th

Textile manufacturers convene towards a Sociopreneurship India 2010

more sustainable textile industry November 23, 2010

The two-day Sustainable Textiles Conference held in the Sociopreneurship India 2010 is an initiative by
last week of October in New York City was a conver- YourStory.in and CNBC-TV18 Young Turks which
gence of dozens of international organizations such as showcases social innovations and social
Wal-Mart, H+M, Eileen Fisher, The Gap, Brooks Broth- entrepreneurs where participants can be expect to
ers, Anvil and Organic Exchange. The focal point of the meet and make valuable connections with financial
transformation conference was on finding new ways of investors, experts, and media at the event.
production and distribution of textile goods. Reducing the
environmental impact of textiles of production processes For more details, please visit : www.yourstory.in
was one of the key themes, especially on the dyeing
techniques that is highly damaging to the environment
whose impact is not widely understood. Another key
theme was on the development of more efficient produc-
tion system like a making products based on orders of
the most highly demanded items by consumers, which
will minimize overproduction and waste. In the end, the
conference is expected to generate a movement towards
more green production and the products that better meet
consumer demand.
 CHANGE MAGAZINE 7.
SOCIAL INNOVATION, REAL WORLD
OPPORTUNITIES
6.

I WILL SURVIVE
30 YEARS LATER by climate change adaptation

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)

defines adaptation as the “adjustment in natural or
human systems in response to actual or expected
climatic stimuli or their effects, which moderates harm
or exploits beneficial opportunities.”
(IPCC, 2007)
In this day and age, we all must have heard of the phrase
“Climate Change” and most of us are well aware of the
linkages between climate change and the rising incident of
disasters all over the world. What we might not know is
that there is a global collaborative effort to reduce the emis-
sion of greenhouse gases. Futhermore, very few of us are
aware that greenhouse gases will remained suspended within
the Earth’s atmosphere for over 30 years, which means that
even though everyone in the world collaborates to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions to zero, we will still have to live with the
negative consequences of our past actions for another 30 years
until we can reap the benefits of our actions. Therefore, given
the world’s dim prospects in arresting the rise in greenhouse
gases through mitigation efforts, we need a new lifestyle that
is resilient to worsening environmental condition. With this
imperative, the time is now for us to seriously consider ‘Climate
Change Adaptation’.
Thai stats on natural disaster 1980 - 2008
No of event 98 No of people killed : 11,694
No of people affected : 53,142,429
Ecomomic Damage (us$ x 1,000) : 5,997,797
Average killed per year : 403
Ecomomic Damage per year (us$ x 1,000) : 206,821
Adaptation to climate change is a trend that has been gaining global
prominence, with supporting from various organizations such as the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) of the United
Nations, the very same organization that has provided the definition
to the concept of ‘Climate Change Adaptation’. Another organiza-
tion that is a catalyst for sustainable development is Stockholm
Environment Institute (SEI), which bridges the gap between
science and policy by engaging governments worldwide on sustainable
development, which includes adapting to climate change.
As a country heavily reliant on its agriculture sector, there has been
many research and studies in Thailand on the effects of climate
change on agriculture production and irrigation systems in order to
preempt any damages that may occur to these systems. Moreover,
the establishment of Climate Change Knowledge Management (CCKM)
in Thailand will be instrumental to assisting both the private and
public sector’s planning for future adaptation as well as support the
Thai government’s future strategic plans and policies. The key point
here is that climate change adaptation is not the sole responsibility
of environmental institutions; instead it is an issue that will require
the collective effort of various institutions from different sectors
of society, whether it be economics, finance, agriculture and so on.
A tangible case of climate change adaptation is in the village called
Stakmo, remotely situated in with in the Indian Himalayan ranges.
For countless generations, villagers here have depended on melting
glacier as a water source for agriculture; however, as a result of
climate change, glaciers which has been the lifeline of the community
has shrank to an alarming size, and disrupted the only constant
water supply so essential to the villager’s livelihoods. Face with such
dire circumstances, the village had no option but to act because by
do nothing, the village would have faced inescapably hunger and
starvation.
Fortunately, farming continues as usual even though
glacier levels have retreated, thanks to the ingenuity of an
engineer named Chewang Norphel who came up with an idea to
create artificial glaciers by creating a water retention wall made
from soil and stones in order to slow the flow of water and
store it within a large reservoir. Once collected, cool temperatures
in the winter will turn this stored water into a glacier. On the
other hand, rising temperatures will melt this glacier into water for
villagers to consume in a dry season. With just a simple innovation,
the villagers of Stakmo have been able to preserve their traditional
farming way of life as well as their homeland; for other communities
that cannot adapt climate change, their fate will be much more bleak.
In some cases, climate change adaptation accelerates when
individuals are faced with traumatic experiences such as a
disaster, which results long-term change. During calamitous events,
sudden destruction of properties, loss of lives coupled with a degraded
environment will require a substantial investment to rehabilitate
the area. Therefore, disasters are a situation where all
the stakeholders, government, private and social sector, are willing
to work together on fundraising in order to alleviate the situation
and invest in the rehabilitation as quickly as possible. For example,
the catastrophic earthquake in Haiti resulted in 13.9 billion dollars
in damages but also generated 3 billion dollars in donations and aid
(Source : Inter-American Development Bank, and ReliefWeb). This
figure indicates that every sector is ready to step in and invest in
preventive systems. Thus, we believe that innovative solutions to
disaster response will be a hot investment sector within the near
future, with many organizations willing to devote significant R&D
budgets in order to develop more effective systems.

Source : www.preventionweb.net
 CHANGE MAGAZINE
SOCIAL INNOVATION, REAL WORLD
OPPORTUNITIES
8.
Looking back at the recent flood crisis in Thailand, we
have seen how ‘social innovation’ can occur on many
different levels. One of the clearest examples is the
usage of non-traditional media in reporting information
on disasters. In the past, different groups and orga-
nizations had to rely on their own information, con-
tact a government agency for an update or wait for
the daily report. In comparison, such reporting can be
done by any individual in real-time in order to make
quick situational updates through websites such as
www.thaiflood.com, which is an online communica-
tions platform for the citizen sector that acts as a
repository for flood-related information, such as
channels to donate money and relief supplies,
different types of volunteer opportunities from various
organizations, and other relevant information for
rescuers and flood victims. Having witnessed the
advantages of such systems, the Thai government has
transitioned its reporting traditional systems towards the
more robust reporting system using non-traditional media
channels.
One of the most revolutionary non-traditional media is
online social networks such as Twitter and Facebook,
that has been a direct channel for disaster reporting.
These social media networks allow people at the heart of
the crisis to report the situation on what is really going
on and request the kinds of assistance that are really
needed. More recently, flooding in the South of
Thailand have prompted the use of social media
networks to informed donors and relief agencies to donate
certified Halal foods as per the special dietary
requirements of Muslims and given authorities an
alternative channel to broadcast early warning messages
NUMBER OF DISASTERS
NATURAL REPORTED
WORLD WIDE
450
NUMBER OF
400
350
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960
YEAR
9.
BEFORE
FOLLOW UP REPORTING
instantaneously to those affected. With the data GOVT GOVT
from social media networks, the government has
combined such reports with its own database
using a system called “Ushahidi,” the same system GOVT GOVT
used in the aftermath response to Haiti earthquake
disaster (for more information, please visit: www.
RESPONSE FILTERING & ANALYSIS
ushahidi.com). All the information displayed to the
Only one man player
government’s www.pm.go.th/flood and the citizen
sector’s www.thaiflood.com, where both information
database are linked and continuously synced with AFTER
each other. FOLLOW UP REPORTING
The flow of information is main clog in the CITIZEN CITIZEN
GOVT GOVT
machine that keeps the government, the private sector
and the citizen sector’s disaster response operation PRIVATE
running efficiently. Moreover, for flood victims,
timely information has been crucial to the planning GOVT GOVT
CITIZEN CITIZEN
and decision-making that can mean the difference
between suffering or survival. Inspired by the
effectiveness of the cross-sector collaborative PRIVATE
effort in tackling this national disaster, RESPONSE FILTERING & ANALYSIS
Collaborative platform (SYNERGY)
the government has thus established the
“National Flood Relief Coordination Center” as a central
management and coordination agency that links
various organizations together. Through this new Strategic Master Plan on
crisis response model that draws on the collective Climate Change 2010-2019
strength of the network which comprises of three
main parties: the private sector, the citizen sector, Adaptation is focused on the agriculture and
and the public sector, and combines to create a tourism industry, disaster mitigation and readi-
systematic relief and rehabilitation effort. This ness of public health institutions
is in stark contrast with the relief efforts on the
aftermath of the Asian Tsunami in 2004, where
a lack of an effective coordination system Internationally, the plan envisions a low-
carbon manufacturing society under future
stymied cross-sector collaboration and hampered
climate change scenarios
relief efforts. From this development, what we are
noticing is a seismic shift from the traditional
government position from one that is ready for Master Plan is based on the efficient and
collaboration, yet too disorganized to make effective collaboration of various organizations
cooperation effective towards a position where and agencies
everyone is “on the same team”. Since there
is no better example that can demonstrate the
collaborative success between the state and Leading to successful adaptations to climate
change and greater readiness for disaster
other sectors, this partnership and adaptation of
mitigation
innovation has the potential to become a permanent
standard for disaster relief coordination systems in
the future.
1970 1980
Source : http://emdat.be
CHANGE MAGAZINE
SOCIAL INNOVATION, REAL WORLD
OPPORTUNITIES CHANGE : In your opinion, which
10. aspect of climate change in Thailand do you
believe to be the most significant, and what
actions should we take to mitigate the future
situations?
DR. ANON : “In general, when people talk about
climate change, most people usually refer to
the consequence of global warming. Undeniably,
every individual living within modern society today
is somehow are contributing to the phenomenon,
both intentionally and unintentionally. However,
not all changes result in global warming, some
changes can also happen naturally. For example,
while rising of sea level along the coastlines could be
attributed to global warming, the problem could also
occur because of the natural change in climate. Thus,
the decision on which issues should we focus our
attention on the most are not so clear cut.”
CHANGE INSIGHT
11.
“My wish is that everyone should view climate
change as an existing issue rather than a
new issue, eventhough there have been researches
and studies about the issue for quite sometime.
Since it is quite a new issue, there is still much
discussion and debate to be made. I would like
everyone to focus more on assessing our current
practices in dealing with climate change as well
as under how far we look ahead to the future.
Taking this year’s flood as an example, if we
are uncapable of dealing with disasters from the
current climate scenario, how we are
going to deal with the incoming climate change
induced scenarios? Nonetheless, when we
specifically consider the of consequences from
climate change, there is still a lot to learn, and
it is going to take some time to study and
understand bigger picture.”
CHANGE : Recently, there has been greater
discussions on the issue of climate change
adaptation worldwide. To what extent

STOP BY STEP has the issue been recognized and given

importance at a global level?

DR. ANON : “From my experience, in the

global level, change adaptation has often been
INTERVIEW WITH CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION discussed in terms of specific issues such
EXPERT “DR. ANON SANITWONG NA AYUTTHAYA” as finance and trade issue that has a direct
On Boxing Day of 2004, Thais awoken to find that the Asian Tsunami had completely wiped affect on the world economy. Thus, if they are
the country’s Andaman coastline. In 2006, an unprecedented landslide in struck the town of Lub not well managed, it could grave consequences
Lae in Uttaradit province, swallowing up entire farmlands and houses. And this year, the worst for the economy, since the environmental cost
flashfloods Thailand has ever seen in almost a decade had submerged almost half of the country has scarely been significantly taken into account
underwater. From the increasing severity and frequency of natural disasters in Thailand, there are by the products and services created through-
growing voices of discontent asking : “What is happening to this world?” Yet more importantly, the out the world. On the other hand, the problem
question that begs to be asked is : “How can we best respond to these clear and ever-present for adaptation lies on the limited of availabil-
danger from climate change-induced natural disasters, both now and in the future?”
ity of funds. This is because what is happening
For the first issue of CHANGE Magazine, we bring you an excusive interview with Thailand’s most right now is that many developing nations are
prominent climate change adaptation expert and adaptation proponent, Dr. Anon Sanitwong a Ayutthaya, fiercely competing over these adaptation funds.
currently serving as the Director of the Southeast Asia System for Analysis, Research and Training (START) This is a worrisome trend as the funds might
Regional Center, Chulalongkorn University. While our interview today is not about finding
not be spent properly. Therefore, we need to
concrete answer for all our questions, on climate change adaptation we hope that his keen insight into the issue
will catalyze everyone to ask some hard questions and encourage greater dialogue on climate change ensure that the funds is going to be spent in the
adaptation within Thai society as well as providing us with an invaluable opportunity to ask ourselves way which will help support the development of
a more crucial question: “How can we start to change in order to deal with the situations?” adaptation projects.”
 CHANGE MAGAZINE
SOCIAL INNOVATION, REAL WORLD
CHANGE : How much importance
OPPORTUNITIES should the Thai
12.
government provide towards the issue of climate
change adaptation?
DR. ANON : “First of all, we need to truly understand
Thailand’s climate system because unless we have a full
understanding of the effects of climate change across the
country, we cannot be sure that our adaptation
strategies will be the best solution to the issues we are facing.
On the other hand, this approach in dealing with the
problem also has a few drawbacks. One of them is that
there is a high chance of making a wrong decision, and the
other is that predictions need to be very far ahead into
the future, requiring significant time and effort. In fact, I
sincerely believe that any prediction and plans that only
looks foward only looks forward for 30 years is too
short to be relevant, which is especially true for the issue
of climate change, especially true for the issue of climate
change. First, we need to identify the nation’s development
direction since different directions require different adaptation
strategies and models. For example, if Thailand’s development
models is to become the world’s top agricultural exporter, then the
adaptation required will be radically different to that of world’s
top tourism destination. If each different development model can
synergistically move towards the samedirection, radical
adaptation may not necessary. However, if they cannot go along
together, we need to reconsider whether to pursue the same
course of action or to change directions. In essence, the point is
that we need to be able to identify all scenarios, otherwise we CHANGE : Does the current adaptation mechanism
might be caught off-guard.”
CHANGE : As an agricultural nation, how should
Thailand plan for adaptation?
DR. ANON : “First of all, we need to answer the question
whether Thailand still be an agricultural country beyond the
next 50 years. We need to see how industry experts predict the
future for Thailand, which we can then come up with specific
strategies to realize to vision whether through the utilization of
biotechnology, innovative farming practices and other agricultural
reforms. However, as I said earlier, in any direction we choose,
we need to envision how the future is going to be like. We
need to ask ourselves many questions, such as: “Will the future
be sustainable? If not, how can we make it so?” We need to
address these issues as we learn and discover more data to
support our vision. Only after then should we utilize the available
supportive adaptation mechanisms.
requires discovering and employing new technologies
to assist us or are we using technology to delay the
inevitable
DR. ANON : “Technology is part of the toolset but not a
cure-all solution to the issue of climate change adaptation.
Adaptation is all about management in reducing the risk to the
lowest level. This implies that we cannot expect that every tools
or solution to be perfect; at the end of the day, there will be
both those who gain and those who lose from every decision.
We need to manage in the way that could minimize the risk
to the lowest level possible. However, no matter how good we
manage those risk, losses can always occur. That is why there
is a great need for advanced planning to deal with negative
consequences and collateral damage from out adaptative actions.
The most important thing is that we need to engage in dialogue
among all stakeholders, debate the pros and cons of every
solution and compromise towards the best solution for the
majority. Technology are be just one of the tools in our toolkit
to raise management and production efficiency.”
CHANGE : Since all of us as individuals bear some 13.
responsibility in causing climate change, how show we
be responsible? Or is it something that can only be In conclusion, from our discussions with
Dr. Anon, the case is clear for taking preemptive
tackled efficiently at the policy level ?
action to prepare for, if not prevent, future
DR. ANON : “One problem with looking at the problem at climate change related disasters. As for
micro-economic level is the short-term mentality of most
other unavoidable circumstances, we should
people. By nature, most of us do not contemplate as living for
hundred of years, and this makes us view adaptation in only
seek ways to learn to live with them.
the short term without expanding our views onto a larger scale. Under the present circumstances, given
For instance, if we own an acre of farm, it is most likely that that the jury is still out on which precise
we will never ask ourselves why it rains or why it doesn’t. We adaptation methodology and strategy is
will only concerned whether the amount of rain is sufficient considered ‘best practices’ for climate change
for us to grow our crops or not. If that is the case, when it adaptation, we should remain vigiliant of the
does not rain, we will not be prepared to handle the situation.
situation and actively engage in environmen-
Therefore, in terms of adaptation, the action at an individual
level is not considered to be too minuscule and insignificant. On tal research to ensure that we are moving
the other hand, if each individual form groups and agree to act in the right direction towards climate change
collectively towards the same direction, a tangible impact could adaptation. Lastly, every one of us have
be achieved. I believe that the power of collective action can be a individual responsibility to positively
a powerful drive that enables us to change and live with the contribute to climate change, whether it be by
nature.”
being active in protecting the enviroment or
CHANGE : In the past 4 to 5 years, the severity of by simply minimizing our carbon footprint. By
disasters has been on the uptrend. For example, the walking together step by step, we can lead
current flood crisis in Thailand has been considered as Thailand towards a better future.
one of the most destructive natural disaster in the past
decade. What kind of adaptation should we adopted to
prepare ourselves for such future situations?
DR. ANON : “The current solutions to such natural disasters Dr. Anon Sanitwong na Ayutthaya
are often temporary disaster response and relief mechanism that Present Position: Acting Executive Direc-
are temporary solutions rather than adaptation since it is not tor Geo-Informatics and Space Technology
sys-tematically planned and managed to operate in the long run. Development Agency
In the case of adaptation to flood-related disasters, we might
have to change residential areas into disaster-prone area. We Work Experience:
may have to build a dam to manage the flow of water and limit
- Lecturer at Department of Marine Science,
the area that would be flood-damaged. In some cases, we might
Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University
have to improve our weather forecasting systems so that early
- Director, Southeast Asia START Regional
warning messages could be broadcasted to people within the
affected area ahead of time; this will significantly raise the
Center
- Director, Climate Change Knowledge Man-
survival rate and save a greater percentage of the submerged
agement Center
agricultural produce. We also should considering the study
of the unique resources available in the area that could aid
Education:
adaptation; for example we should study if there are any
Phd. in Oceanography, University of Hawaii
plants or crops that are flood-resilient. In essence,
there are limitless methods of adaptation, all of which depends
on whether they are selected or not. As I mentioned earlier,
there is no such thing as a one size fits all solution. We need
a framework, visualizing the big picture of how we are going to
minimize the losses. Nonetheless, I am a firm believer in taking
preemptive action rather than scrambling to find solutions after
a problem arises occurred.”
CHANGE MAGAZINE
SOCIAL INNOVATION, REAL WORLD
OPPORTUNITIES
14.
CASE
BETTER TOGETHER
In the market economy where profit maximization rules,
potential investors feel that it is not their responsibili-
ty to tackle social issues or supporting disaster relief
efforts. In the past, such matters are perceived to be in the
state’s responsibility to such an extent that the private and
citizen sector made very little contibution to improve the
society. While this paints a bleak picture of the way we
live in modern society, the same situation may present
potential business opportunities to new entrants with minimal
or even zero market penetration compared to the established
players. To seize such opportunities, innovative CSR
programs that has widespread social impact and is
financially sustainable could be the first step towards
creating a competitive advantage for corporations and
create a more socially responsible society in a long run. This
has true been for Thailand, where an initiative to deal with
an immediate public health issue in Thailand has resulted in
several parties working together on this remarkable project
that has proved to be worthwhile and invaluable in fighting
infectious diseases.
During the past few years, it is alarming to see the
strikingly upward trend of contagious diseases, such as
the SARS, Avian Influenza or H1N1, in every part of the
world. Disease outbreaks, which often develops into a
full-blown epidemic, has increased the number of reported
cases of infection has increased over time. This spread has
been undeniably facilitated throughout the world with the
proliferation of air travel. With uncontrollable
epidemics, the majority of people are highly vulnerable
despite the fact that they are well aware of the situation.
Desperately in need of an innovative solution to effectively
and efficiently monitor and control the situation, the recent
spread of the H1N1 virus has resulted in an impressive
collaboration between Thailand and many countries to
keep the spread of the virus at bay. It also gave birth to
Geochat – the very first system to provide alerts on epidemic
situations via mobile phone messages in Thailand.
The success of Geochat lies in simple mobile phone
technology as its backbone and, more importantly,
receiving massive support and cooperation from various
stakeholders and third parties : the Bureau of Epidemiology,
the Department of Disease Control under the Ministry of
Public Health, the Comittee for the Promotion of Preven-
tion, Control and Mitigation of Infectious Dieases under the
Thai Health Promotion Foundation, DTAC’s Do Good Deeds
Everyday CSR Program, InSTEDD, Google Foundation (USA)
and Opendream. While Geochat has initially been developed
by Opendream and InSTEDD, it has been customized to a
certain extent to fit the local usage patterns and technology
platforms available.
Geochat basically enables group communication via mobile
phone messaging. How the system works is quite simple,
with no additional mobile application required. The first
step is to set up a communication group with the desired
number of group members and their mobile phone numbers in
Geochat. To share or communicate with other group
members, the group member only has to send their text
message to a Geochat gateway number and the text
message will be replicated and dispatched to the rest of
the group via DTAC, a local mobile phone operator. In
addition to the field team being apprised of the situation, the
data is transferred to the Bureau of Epidemiology and the
Department of Disease Control to assist the execution
of disease prevention and control measures. Geochat has
also been adopted by earthquake relief teams in Haiti to
reduce time spent on data analytical processes from days to
hours as well as to cut back on the number of phone calls
it has to make from 120 phone calls to 7 calls per day.
In this sense, Geochat is not merely a communication and
collaboration tool but it is also a front-end platform for
data analysis.
15.
The active collaboration that has brought about Geochat Clearly, this initiative has illustrated that everyone has to
is essentially a win-win situation for all stakeholders. take part in making society a better place. It is within
InsTEDD and Opendream have both made a significant our capacity to support one another by filling in the gaps
breakthrough in introducing their innovation in Thailand from a by combining each individual strengths which leads to a
technical and commercial standpoint. From the Thai greater level of social responsibility. Everyone can now be a
government’s perspective, GeoChat enables effective and change agent: the government, corporations and social sector
timely communication and action planning in line with organizations. Change can only be possible if we start with
changing epidemic situations. From the corporate point ourselves. By joining hands to do good things together, we
of view of DTAC, this is an ideal CSR project. that are making our society better together.
showcased its commitment to showcase its commitment
to social betterment and its powerful mobile
technology services, positively highlighting its image
to the general public.
System management : InSTEDD and Opendream
Network provider : DTAC
Project management : ChangeFusion Institute
Communition Communition Communition Communition
group group group group
01 02 03 04
GATEWAY
Bureau of Epidemiology and
Department of Disease
Control
CHANGE MAGAZINE The most valuable lesson, to Nan, is not so much how significant a change she has made to the lives of the people she has 17.
SOCIAL INNOVATION, REAL WORLD
OPPORTUNITIES
touched on during the projects. Rather, it is what she and her friends learned from those people and communities – experiences,
such as how to make organic fertilizer or building a toilet, that cannot be gained even from years in school or living their daily
16. lives in the city, that matters most. But one thing is clear, it is undeniably such a fulfilling moment and feeling when she could see
the happy faces of people around her.

Nan believes that everyone needs to be reminded, from time to time, that they are not being left out, that there is at least some-
one out there who actually cares about their well-being, that they are not marginalized. Nan feels that the presence of her team
in these remote areas is, in a way, a boost of moral support for the communities – to make them feel that they are not alone.

Saruta Mahatthanarak In return, she feels that she is an integral part of society that stretches far beyond her family and her circle of city friends. The
villagers she befriended with during the projects are like family to her, not simply significant others.

With background in Economics and first-hand experience in the field, Nan wants to work in the field of social development, focus-
ing on community agricultural development projects. Income disparity that farmers are experiencing, Nan thinks, is mainly due to
their inability to compete with large agro-businesses. If she could do one thing to make Thailand a better place for everyone, the
first step would be to minimize the social inequality between rural farming communities and powerful businesses conglomerates.

In light of severe flooding that has struck Thailand, our fellow Thais in many parts of the country need help more than ever.
Volunteering to help is a good start if one wants to see a brighter future for this country. Nan thinks that we do not necessarily
have to be in the flood-affected areas to be able to help, but there are so many ways to do so if we care enough. Limited and
untimely flood warning is one of the reasons that Nan mentioned has resulted in preventable damage to people’s lives and proper-
ties. The use of appropriate technology for early flooding detection, effective contingency and communication plans and adequate
knowledge sharing to communities are areas that Nan believes the government should focus on. While the floods have uncovered
the flaws in our systems and we have to learn to strive for the better Nan believes that now it is about time we join hands and
do more for our country than to ask for something from it.

Storm, Tornado and Tsunami Interconnected

Module (STATIM) Shelter System
Creative idea have often been inspired by times of great
duress, just like the Storm, Tornado and Tsunami Intercon-
nected Module (STATIM) Shelter System, which was the
brainchild of a Puerto Rican inventor named Miguel Serrano.
Simply put, the idea is an inland lifeboat that was born from
the devastating aftermath of Asian Tsunami in 2004 and
Hurricane Katrina.

STATIM’s ingenuity is in the simplicity of the design;

made from ready-made modules of concrete that is easily
Nan – Saruta Mahatthanarak, 22 assembled, it low cost due to the wide availability of
Education: Senior, Bachelor of Economics - International Program, Thammasat University concrete yet highly durable. Furthermore, the shelter has
been designed to float and self-balance like a simple
Disparities in various forms and aspects so visible in Thai society have inspired Nan to get involved in
lifeboat, and with enough space and ventilation for up
social development projects in the first place. “For the greater good, not for your own good” is what Nan to 50 people as well as other survival equipment and
lives by and it has now become her passion to be a change agent for the betterment of her country in consumables, the shelter is therefore completely life
whatever way she can. sustaining until rescuers can access the vessel.

The second year into university, Nan took part in a summer rural community development project with a In conclusion, given the STATIM Shelter System’s
group of similar volunteering minds at her university for the first time. With an inexplicable liking for par- revolutionary concept that both highly effective and low
ticipation in this kind of activity, the second and third time followed, taking her to places far away from the cost, it comes as no surprise that the invention has been
comfort and convenience of Bangkok such as Loei, Koh Yao and Chumphon. Being part of these projects patented in the US and has been very well received by
has made a great impression on Nan, who, at one point happily took on a role of the project lead. governments and many resort operators on coastal areas
as well as industrial parks.
CHANGE MAGAZINE
SOCIAL INNOVATION, REAL WORLD
OPPORTUNITIES
18.
change people
Chris Cusano
Chris Cusano, currently the Director of Ashoka’s Entrepreneur-to-
Entrepreneur program in Asia, has spent the last 15 years working with
social innovators in Asia. Chris joined Ashoka in November 2000 and
spent his first four years expanding Ashoka’s “search and selection”
system for identifying social entrepreneurs around the world, enabling
the Ashoka Fellowship to grow by nearly 500 members in that time.
Chris also founded Ashoka’s Global Fellows program, which seeks out
social entrepreneurs making change on a global scale. Today Chris is
responsible for engaging the business sector in Ashoka’s vision of
cross-sector collaboration. He leads the effort to establish the Ashoka
Support Network, a membership body of business leaders throughout
Asia. Chris also matches leading business entrepreneurs and social
entrepreneurs in productive partnerships that are beneficial to society.
Apirak Kosayodhin
Former advisor to the Prime Minister of Thailand and consecutive-
ly elected Governor of Bangkok, Apirak Kosayodhin was a leading
businessman with 20 years of experience in working with multinational
companies including PepsiCo and publicly-listed Thai companies such
as GMM Grammy and TA Orange. A graduate of Harvard AMP and
NIDA MBA, Apirak also held the position of Govemor of the Stock
Exchange of Thailand as well as the President of Marketing Association of
Thailand. Most recently, Apirak and is highly active in the field of social
entrepreneurship, social innovation and corporate social responsibility.
Most recently, he has launched the Asian Knowledge Institute (AKI), an
Asia focused university and research institution.
19.
Dr.Saranarat ‘Oy’ Kanjanavanit
Saranarat ‘Oy’ Kanjanavanit is the Secretary General of the Green World Foun-
dation, a Bangkok-based local NGO and is best known for her popular writings
on natural history and sustainable development and in particular, the develop-
ment of an investigative environmental education program in Thailand. As the
founder of “Environmental Detectives” education program, popular techniques
for public biological monitoring were developed in order for communities to
become more aware of the state of the local environment, which lead to em-
powerment of the local community and civic society in the management of their
natural resources. Starting with “Stream Detectives” in 1997, her environmental
monitoring techniques now cover coastal habitats and the urban environment.
Widely employed within schools and by local conservation groups throughout
Thailand, Dr. Saranarat’s most recent development is the use of lichens as an
indicator of air quality in cities and industrial zones.
Sarinee Achavanuntakul
Sarinee Achavanuntakul is a writer, independent academic, adjunct profes-
sor, and Open Online (www.onopen.com) editor. Sarinee graduated with BA
in economics from Harvard university and MBA from New York university.
She spent over 8 years in finance industry in Thailand and Hong Kong. Her
last position was Executive Director at Hunters Advisory Limited before
deciding to write and research full-time. In Thai blogosphere, Sarinee is known
as “Fringer,” from her personal blog (www.fringer.org) and as a columnist
at Open Online (www.onopen.com), for which she is currently editor. Most
of her writings reflect her interests in social enterprise and social finance,
such as the Thai translation of “Banker of the Poor” by Muhammad Yunus,
and “Humane Capitalism.” Nowadays, Sarinee is also adjunct professor at
Thammasat University, teaching a course called “Business and
Society.” Sarinee is co-founder of Thai Netizen Network (www.thainetizen.org),
Creative Commons Thailand (www.cc.in.th), and two publishing houses: Chai-
kob Publishing, and Openworlds.
CHANGE MAGAZINE
SOCIAL INNOVATION, REAL WORLD
OPPORTUNITIES
20.

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