GABFAI is a founding member of The Community Theatre Network. Stateless Peoples Network. Child Media Watch.

GABFAI works in alliance with Shan, Keren, Akha, Lisu, Mhong, Burmese communities, and local Thai villagers and urban dwellers. Affiliated with: GATW, Foundation for Women, SWAN, SCPP, SEAPCP. Volunteering. We welcome: submission writers, arts marketing support, researchers, film makers, new media professionals, musicians, any artist who works with community to come and share new skills. However, volunteers will have to take care of transport, food, lodgings. Also, as a THAI organization, where Thai is our main language of communication we ask you to consider what this might mean to you.

GABFAI GABFAI Communiitty Theattre Commun y Thea re

A si ngle candle can lig ht a tho usa nd fla mes

In consultation with community, and depending on their perceived needs, GABFAI utilizes community theatre to enhance: wisdom cultures, advance human rights (gender and child rights), promote non-violent peace initiatives, draw attention to the impacts of globalization, highlight labour migration concerns, human trafficking Theater workshops focus on: 1. Positive Discipline
(non violent discipline and communication)

2. Consumerism
(awareness raising of the power of branding, fair trade sustainability and climate impacts etc;

3. Wisdom Culture
enhancing traditional ways of knowing, and cultural practices and media

4. Trafficking 5.State-less people. rights 6 Anti-globalisation 7. Mobile Theatre 8. ACT Festival

Phone - Fax: 053-404582 Email: gabfai@gmail.com

www.gabfai.com

G A B F A I * is a community
theatre organization based in Chiang Mai, Thailand. It was established in 1996. The staff work together as a strong team and deeply believe that the arts can be used as a tool for community activism to advance self-determination.
*G AB FAI me an s to li gh t (or flame)

GABFAI works with communities throughout Thailand, creating and resourcing opportunities to learn and share through creative methodologies. Its life skills workshops help participants to understand the world around them, develop a critical and analytical frame, so that they are better able to advocate on their own behalf. Their teachings include voice and movement workshops as well as directing and stage management. Performance styles incorporate traditional and non-traditional techniques. Performances can take place in the street, fields, villages and urban settings wherever the people are. Currently they work with over 30 theatre companies ten of which they have managed to source equipment for lights, sound, and staging so that these groups can run their own mobile theatre. . In my fifteen years of experience in
community theatre I rarely come across groups like GABFAI who work with such heart and humility. GABFAI is practicing the change they want to see in the world, handing over skills and the means, limiting ownership and yet remains as a resource for the long term A.D. Third Way Theatre, Australia

Working environment: poverty, and conflict are issues for many minority ethnic groups in the North, as well as people on the borders of Burma and Lao who migrate or flee to Thailand. In a bid to escape this reality some people are easy prey to trafficking: bonded and domestic labor; sexual labor; abduction as child soldiers; organized child begging; and even face the sale of their human organs. Language, cultural barriers, lack of citizenship rights, create gross inequalities within the socioeconomic system leaving people open to human rights violations. Access to information; support; forms of legal protection; health care; education and welfare services are critical for people fleeing situations of conflict, natural disasters, the impacts of globalization and ongoing poverty

Vision: The arts can provide

an alternative to the mainstream media. Through harnessing the interests of local people the arts can be used to exercise the right to self and collective expression. It can represent silenced -narratives -realities, -struggles and, -dreams in order to locate the communities desires, and assist communities to support policy change.

GABFAI creates ways to use the arts as critical literacy. As tools of popular media the arts stimulates discussion on community issues, supports advocacy for rights and services thus working from the ground up to initiate policy changes that address gaps at all levels including changes to policies