The Bulletin

Stephff's world

Nature and climate security: Reframing conservation in a changing world

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Panel discussion, Thursday, 2 July (6.30pm to 8pm)

This panel will bring together activists, practitioners and experts from across the Asia-Pacific region to explore the continued relevance of nature and conservation in addressing today’s interconnected climate and security challenges.

At the heart of national security and prosperity is a thriving and secure ecosystem. The threat and disproportionate impacts of biodiversity loss, however, is not limited to national borders – research shows that between 1970-2020 wildlife populations have declined by 73% worldwide. In a highly connected world, growth and increasing demands, such as food production, results in increasingly scarce resources and over-exploitation, fuelling greater conflicts within and between countries, political instability, intensified natural disasters, disease outbreaks, and economic insecurity. There remains the question, however, whether environmental degradation is a driver of these threats or simply a multiplier of already existing risks.

At the same time conservationists argue that catastrophising biodiversity loss threatens perceptions around the value of conservation. The Asia-Pacific region indeed has many such examples where species loss has been reverted. As we examine both perspectives and engage in a candid discussion on how to mitigate the challenges around climate change and nature loss, join us at the FCCT clubhouse to hear from:

‍Veerawit Tianchainan, executive director, Greenpeace Southeast Asia;

‍Pianporn (Pai) Deetes, executive director, Rivers and Rights;

‍Juliana Masseloux, programme coordinator, M&E specialist, Zoological Society of London – Thailand

‍Paritta Wangkiat, editor-in-chief, Mekong Eye.

Panel discussion moderated by Matthew Perkins, economic affairs officer, Sustainable urban development section, Environment and development division, ESCAP, with opening remarks by Dr Matthew Phillips, First secretary, Mekong regional, British embassy Bangkok and research associate at the School of Oriental and African Studies.

‍The event will be open to all, with the panel discussion followed by a drinks reception. Register here.

Join online here.

This is not an FCCT event.Free and open to all.Bar and restaurant open.

Georgia O’Keeffe: The brightness of light

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Film screening and discussion, Monday, 6 July, 7pm

Georgia O’Keeffe: The Brightness of Light is a feature documentary film exploring the life and art of the most important American woman artist of the 20th century. Known as the “Mother of American Modernism,” O’Keeffe exploded on the New York art scene in the 1920s with her paintings of flowers, bones, and the beauty of nature. Nude photographs of O’Keeffe taken by her lover, Alfred Stieglitz, shocked the public and contributed to the perception that her paintings were sexually charged. In the 1970s, O’Keeffe, famously isolated in the New Mexico desert, emerged as an iconic role model for second wave feminists.From director Paul Wagner, the film (1 hour 56 mins) features music by Emilie Levienaise-Farrouch, narration by Hugh Dancy, and Claire Danes as the voice of Georgia O’Keeffe. Wagner is an Academy Award and Emmy Award-winning independent filmmaker, whose documentaries and dramatic features have premiered at the Sundance, Toronto, Telluride, and Rotterdam film festivals. His films broadcast in the US on PBS include Miles of Smiles, Years of Struggle, about the first African American labor union; Signature: George C. Wolfe, a portrait of the controversial New York theatrical writer and director; Thoroughbred, an inside look at the world of big-time horse racing, produced with Kentucky Educational Television; Good Work: Masters of the Building Arts, a collaboration with the Smithsonian Institution; Out of Ireland, a sweeping history of Irish emigration to America featuring Liam Neeson and Gabriel Byrne; and The Stone Carvers, winner of the Academy Award for Best Short Documentary and the Emmy Award for Best Documentary Director.Wagner’s dramatic feature Windhorse was filmed secretly inside China and in Kathmandu and released theatrically, receiving awards for Best US Feature and Best Director at the Santa Barbara Film Festival. American Cinematographer Magazine recognizes Windhorse as the first digitally-shot feature film. Georgia O’Keeffe: The Brightness of Light, released last year, is his most recent feature-length documentary.Tom Duzanica, a friend of the director and his wife, the film's producer Ellen Wagner, will give the introduction and entertain an open discussion on the film after it is shown. This will be the only the fourth screening in the world outside of the USA and the second in Asia.

This is not an FCCT event.Free and open to all.Bar and restaurant open.

Myanmar’s civil war: What happens next?

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Panel discussion, Wednesday, 8 July, 7pm

Valeria Mongelli

Myanmar's civil war has entered a critical new phase. After major battlefield setbacks in the years following the 2021 coup, the military has launched renewed counter-offensives to reclaim strategic territory, targeting vital economic trade routes and border gateways.

These shifting dynamics coincide with a significant leadership transition at the top of the military hierarchy. A newly appointed commander-in-chief has taken control after former junta leader Min Aung Hlaing stepped down from his military role to become Myanmar's president.

To unpack these developments, the FCCT will host a three-member panel examining the conflict from different perspectives:

Naing Min Khant, researcher, Institute for Strategy and Policy (ISP-Myanmar), will explore the military’s internal dynamics, command structures, and operational strategies.

Thu Thu Aung, editor-in-chief, Frontier Myanmar, will outline the current state of the anti-junta resistance and assess the strategic challenges it faces.

Valeria Mongelli, an independent multimedia journalist, will present images from active conflict zones and share firsthand experiences from the front lines.

The panel will be moderated by Devjyot Ghoshal, Reuters chief correspondent for Thailand and Myanmar, and an FCCT board member.

Members who wish to book in advance should email info@fccthai.com or call the FCCT office on 02-652-0580.

Non-members can use this link.

Members free, non-members 450 baht; students and local media with ID 150 baht.Bar and restaurant open.

Green Drinks networking event

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FCCT, Thursday, 9 July, 5.30pm

This is an informal gathering to connect people interested or involved in the environmental sector.

People usually start arriving around 5:30pm, but please come when you like and stay as long as you want.

If you’d like to join the Green Drinks Line group for details of future events and for a place for discussion, then please click the below link to get the QR code to join the conversation: https://line.me/R/ti/g/SCQN-DFXYc

Free and open to all.Bar and restaurant open.

Co-working at the FCCT

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Tuesday, 30 June, 10am

Need a change of scenery from your home office? Join us for a coworking day at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Thailand (FCCT) -- a perfect space for working professionals, digital nomads and anyone looking to break free from the home-office routine.Enjoy a spacious, comfortable workspace with dedicated tables, a full restaurant, café and bar and exclusive lunch specials just for this event.Whether you're tackling deadlines or networking with like-minded professionals, this is an opportunity to be productive in a collaborative, social environment. Come work, connect, and enjoy great food because working remotely doesn’t have to mean working alone.Free and open to all.Bar and restaurant open.

Board games night

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Tuesday, 30 June, 7pm

Join us for a chilled night of board games with The Boring Club. Try your luck with classics like chess and backgammon or modern games including Catan and Pandemic.The bar and restaurant will be open. Try our pizzas from the new pizza oven. The Boring Club meets at the FCCT clubhouse for games every Tuesday at 7pm.

Free and open to all.Bar and restaurant open.

FCCT pub trivia

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Friday, 31 July, 7pm

Gather your friends and colleagues for a night of pub trivia at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand.

Come for a bite and a beverage and test your knowledge. 1,000 baht bar tab up for grabs for the winning team, to be redeemed on the night.

Advanced table bookings encouraged here.

Free and open to all.Bar and restaurant open.

"As a foreign correspondent, you're
an observer"
Jonathan Head

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Dateline Bangkok podcast

Watch the full video at this link.

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