Everyday Peace through the Voices of Local Communities: A Case Study of Chana District, Songkhla Province

Abstract

This article is part of the research project entitled “Enhancing Public Participation in the Southern Border Peace Process”. The study examines how meaningful public participation can contribute to the transformation of a society by protracted violence in Thailand’s southern border provinces, with particular emphasis as recognizing local people’s voices as an integral part of the peace process. For more than twenty-one years, civil society organizations have worked collaboratively to address the unrest, with an emphasis on advancing peacebuilding efforts that reflect the needs and aspirations of the local people.

However, a crucial question remains: the very “people” who are often referred to in peace discourse have rarely had meaningful participation or ownership in shaping the peace process from their perspectives.

This study seeks to amplify the voices of local communities—exploring how they wish to participate in peacebuilding efforts in their own context—and to convey these perspectives to key policymakers, senior government officials involved in peace negotiations, and representatives from the opposing groups. The aim is to ensure that the people’s collective voice and their vision of peace are recognized and integrated into the broader peace process.