Monasteries in Southeast Asia

	Buddhist monasteries throughout Southeast Asia are at the heart of their local communities

Throughout Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia and Myanmar, village temples are frequently centres of social, educational and spiritual life. In such places the Sangha (the community of monks and nuns) can be a powerful force in raising awareness of conservation issues. ARC and its partners are supporting grass-roots initiatives by these communities – mostly by helping them access funding, supporting practical or educational projects, and networking with other Buddhist communities, NGOs or government bodies.

	Buddhist monks have great influence as educators in the towns and villages of Southeast Asia

ARC began work in Cambodia in 2002 and is extending this work into Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Myanmar. These are new areas for ARC and we are hoping to work with members of the Sangha and appropriate NGOs to develop small-scale community conservation projects in monasteries and villages. To this end an international training workshop for Sangha members across the region was hosted by Mlup Baitong, Cambodia's 'Green Shade' movement, in Phnom Penh in spring 2004.

Phnom Penh 2004 conference & workshops

Find out about work in these countries:

Cambodia
China
Laos
Mongolia
Thailand
Vietnam