(NAME-MCE) Thai visit county as part of international program

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Thai visit county as part of international  program
http://www.neshobademocrat.com/main.asp?SectionID=2&SubSectionID=297&ArticleID
=16325&TM=65551.48ternational  program

_By DEBBIE BURT  MYERS_ (mailto:dmyers at neshobademocrat.com) 
Managing Editor

Two visitors from Thailand were in Neshoba County Monday  under the auspices 
of the U. S. Department of State's International Visitor  Leadership Project.

Dr. U-Maporn Kardkarnklai of the graduate facility at  Srinakarinwirot 
University, and Satit Leelathawornchai, a lecturer in the  English section at 
Naresuan University, met with the Board of Supervisors,  accompanied by Sunda 
Kingsley, an English language officer with the Department  of State in Virginia. 
They were to meet later in the day with Mayor Rayburn  Waddell and tour the 
Choctaw Indian Reservation and Pearl River  Resort.

The Leadership Project, March 3 through March 21, is being  administered by 
the World Learning Visitor Exchange Program.

The group  was in Washington, D. C., New York, N. Y., Providence, R. I. and 
Indianapolis,  Ind., before arriving in Jackson on March 15.

In Mississippi,  participants are learning about civil rights history, 
Southern studies, Native  American community and structure, religious diversity and 
rural  America.

Their next stop was to be in Los Angeles, Calif.

County  Administrator Benjie Coats gave the project participants an overview 
of county  government and fielded several questions from Leelathawornchai who 
was  interested in the county's economy and the working relationship it has 
with the  Tribe.

He also asked how supervisors represent the interests of Tribal  members in 
the county.

District 1 Supervisor Keith Lillis and District 2  Supervisor Kevin 
Cumberland told the group that their districts had Tribal  members.

"How do you become popular among the Choctaw Indians,"  Leelathawornchai 
asked.

Lillis explained that in his district and in  other areas of the county that 
the two races grow up together and get to know  each other on a personal basis.

One objective of the Leadership Project  is to gain a deeper understanding of 
the American society, culture and  institutions.

Participants also learn about U. S. historical, political,  literary and 
cultural themes as subjects for academic study, writing and  research.

Other objectives outlined by the Department of State:

•  Survey current trends in the field of American Studies, including teaching 
 methods, curriculum design and academic resources in the United States;

•  Establish links with academic institutions having exemplary American 
Studies  programs, including ethnic and gender studies program;

• Exchange ideas  and resources with other American Studies scholars.

Dr. Kardkarnklai is  with the M.A. and Ph.D. Program in American Studies, 
English, Business English  for International Communication and Teaching English 
as a Foreign Language at  Srinakarinwirot University in Thailand.

Leelathawornchai was previously  the editor of Maplus (a Japanese magazine in 
English and Japanese) from  2004-2005; secretariat assistant, AIDS 
Educational Program, at Chiang Mai  University, 2004; and English tutor, with English 
Language Training Program for  Medical Students, CMU Language Institute, Chiang 
Mai University,  2004.



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