The RYS Thailand 2008 is scheduled this coming October 9-13 in observance of the United Nations' International Day for Natural Disaster Reduction which is commemorated annually every October 10th in support of the 7th UN Millennium Goal: Ensuring Environmental Sustainability. The project will also be part of the UNEP's "One Billion Tree" Campaign.

     The project will be held in Nakhon Si Thammarat, the second largest province in southern Thailand, which is about 485 miles from Bangkok. It occupies an area of 3,800 square miles, consisting of high plateaus and mountains in the west that slope down toward the east to become a basin along the coastline of the Gulf of Thailand.

     This project will be co-organized by UPF-Thailand, together with Mr. Nattawut Parapob, who is President of Nakhon Si Thammarat Sports Association (Ambassador for Peace), and the Rajabhat University of Nakhon Si Thammarat that is offering us the use of their dormitory and meeting rooms during the project. We are organizing three work projects: (1) Repainting the Children's Playground at Sathit School of Rajabhat University of Nakhon Si Thammarat, (2) Tree Planting, and (3) Coastal Clean-up. The afternoon education programs include special lectures on the current problems in the 3 provinces constituting southern Thailand, a Drug Prevention lecture, and a talk on Family Values, as well as excursions to various religious sites in Thammarat.

     We are expecting 80 participants coming from the three major religions in Thailand: Buddhism, Christianity and Islam.