December was an amazing month when it came to CMIRC’s involvement with the Mae Tao Clinic (MTC). We had the opportunity to collaborate with BABSEACLE as they sponsored their Access to Justice Week. Rotarian William Churchill served as one of the judges during the mock trials. CMIRC and MTC both had tables at the Justice Health and Fitness fair where we met many wonderful people all very interested in raising awareness and community engagement in further strengthening greater access to justice, especially the for the migrant population. And, we co-sponsored a very successful An Evening of Love and Support for the Mae Tao Clinic on Friday, 7 December.
The event was a most excellent example of collaboration between organizations with very similar goals. The Mae Tao Clinic supports the migrants from Myanmar as well as people within that country. CMIRC’s focus is Child Safety, Health and Education. BABSEACLE is committed to creating greater access globally to justice through pro bono, rule of law and justice education initiatives.
At the dinner on Friday, 7 December, we enjoyed the company and the wisdom of Dr. Cynthia Maung, a wonderful buffet dinner and traditional dancers from both Burmese and Vietnamese students. (I'm enjoying a joke with Dr. Cynthia at the event, right.) We were also were treated to a demonstration of just how much our daily lives depend on the legal system. The generosity of Rotarians and our sponsors made it possible for 24 students from BEAM (Bridging Education Access to Migrants Foundation) and 23 Vietnamese law students to attend this event. A special thank you to all who made this possible.
The BEAM students are shown below with Rotarian Gary Herman who led the campaign to raise funds so the students could attend the event. 119 people were in attendance and the Amora hotel was a marvelous host.
Dr. Cynthia and some of her team (right) came to Chiang Mai and participated in Access to Justice Week and the 10th Annual Justice Marathon Event sponsored by BABSEACLE. One of the participants was the Child Protection Officer from Mae Tao Clinic. I chose her photo for the avatar for this article (top left).During the months of November and December, CMIRC’S three-prong fundraising campaign included An Evening of Love and Support for the Mae Tao Clinic and raised 147,500 THB.
Selection for the scholarships is based on academic ability, and interviews. 
These students are currently in the PRE-G.E.D. class at MTC’s Child Development Center. They are bright, hardworking and hungry for an opportunity to give back to their community. There is nothing more sustainable than education, and it’s not too late to get involved. When the final selections are made, we’ll introduce them to you.These migrant students are not able to attend public school in Thailand, so obtaining a G.E.D. is their path to higher education.
These students are currently in the PRE-G.E.D. class at MTC’s Child Development Center. They are bright, hardworking and hungry for an opportunity to give back to their community. There is nothing more sustainable than education, and it’s not too late to get involved. When the final selections are made, we’ll introduce them to you.These migrant students are not able to attend public school in Thailand, so obtaining a G.E.D. is their path to higher education.Donations will be forwarded to the Mae Tao Clinic for use within their Child Protection Department’s programs, including birth registration that helps to ensure that babies are not stateless, and the dry food program which in collaboration with other donors, helps to ensure that every child has at least one meal per day. Who would be more vulnerable to predators than a stateless child who is starving? Please help CMIRC help them!
December also saw Dr. Cynthia win the coveted United Nations Development Program Asia-Pacific UNDP N-Peace award given to honor her tireless work to build peace and empower women in a conflict zone. Several well written articles are available, you might particularly enjoy the one from the Irrawaddy News.
We at CMIRC are looking forward to an exciting year with all our projects designed to increase CHILD SAFETY, HEALTH and EDUCATION. The article MTC Tours and Opportunities mentions ways you may want to get involved! There are also opportunities within the club to get involved in the B.K. Kee House. See the article, Update & Thoughts on the B. K. Kee Patient House, below.