The document describes a participatory action research project conducted by the Institute for Community Empowerment in Thailand. The project used asset-based community development strategies to empower community members and increase their capacity to engage with the local healthcare system. Over two years, the project worked with 11 communities to build skills like decision making, social skills, and counseling. Through qualitative methods like observation and evaluation, the project found evidence that the asset-based approach improved health and community development from the perspective of community representatives. It also reflected the main themes from data analysis, showing the approach was useful for empowering communities and improving health and well-being.

1. The 21st IUHPEWorld Conferenceon Health Promotion. 2013
Background: Much has been written recently about
how positive organizational scholarship and a focus on
strengths can lead organizations to high performance.
Little has been written, however, about how to build a
strengths-based organization. The Institute for
Community Empowerment (ICE), Chiang Mai, Thailand,
launched a Participatory Action Research (PAR)
project.ICE used participatory techniques and Assets-
Based Community Development (ABCD) strategies, for
increasing community capacity and empowering
community members to actively engage in a newly
formed decentralized health care system.
Objective: 1)To build a more holistic understanding of
ABCD programming byexploring community represent-
atives’ perspectives on their own ABCD programs. 2)
To determine social changes within their 11communities.
Method: Information for this case study was gathered
over a four month period. The 2-year community
development included the process of collective
community efforts directed towards increasing
community control over the determinants of health,
improving self-awareness, self-esteem, decision-making,
practicing decision-making, values clarification, social
skills training, role play assertiveness training, and
counseling. The methods used to gather information were
primarily qualitative including; direct observation and
participatory evaluation.
Conclusion: This case study concludes there is
evidence from the perspectiveof community
representatives that supports theutility of an ABCD
strategy for community development and health
promotion. This observation also reflected themain
themes revealed through qualitative data analysis. Also,
it is required to campaign a wisdom approach for
increasing community capacity and empowering
community members to improve the health and well-
being of Chiang Mai hill-tribes and low-income groups
through people-led health promotion and community
development.
Acknowledgment:Thai Health Promotion Foundation,
Ministry of Public Health, Fulbright Foundation
http://www.scribd.com/doc/3953953/A-Globalization-
Vaccine-by-Uthaiwan-Kanchanakamol
Results: The CBOs in this case study expanded the
standard process of building on ‘strengths’ (local assets,
skills, local resources, to also include cultural traditions,
local music, dance and traditional healing methods).
It is here in the conservation of indigenous ways of
thinking or being that we see the link to both health
(physical, mental) and the environment (physical or
social community development).
A Globalization Vaccine:
Practicing Health Promotion and
Strength-Based Community Development in Thailand.
Mae Chaem Rehabilitation and Development of Herbal Medicine Group
Indicators for Cooperation Star Plot
To Attend in Force
Community
Participation
Dare to express/
Brave to perform
Come together as a groupThink/Do/Decide together
Visiting each
other as habit
Working together for the
benefit of
the community
7
7
77
77
1
75.13
4.88
4.75
5.83
4.67
4.96
5.17