Digital Video Conference at U.S. Embassy, Bangkok.

Assumption University faculty members attending Digital Video Conference at U.S. Embassy on December 17, 1999.

The Public Affairs Division of the U.S. Embassy, Bangkok, in cooperation with its Narcotic Affairs section organised a Digital Conference on “ U.S. Strategies for Drug Rehabilita-tion”, during 08.00-l 1.00 hrs on 17th December, 1999.

The Assumption University deputed three faculty members, Gregory S. Kharmalki, Glen V. Chatelier and Wanita Itaburan to the conference. The DVC is the newest conferencing technique in which the interlocutor from U.S., Prof. Mark Kleisman of the School of Public Policy and Social Research (UCLA) (Maryland) interacted with two representatives in Bangkok, Judge Boonyaket Phumtip and Mr. Narong Wuwaripiam, while the rest of the participants sat in the main hall of the Embassy. The DVC ran for one hour, followed by another one hour of discussions. The next one hour was devoted to interaction be-tween the local interlocutors or the participants, followed by presentation of views by personnel of the Narcotic Affairs section of the U. S. Embassy viz Barry R. McCafferey and Bill Simpson, respectively. Other partici-pants were judges, probation officials, community health personnel and representatives of concerned government and nongovernment agencies. The discussions mainly dealt with successes achieved and continuing challenges involving drug abuse, law enforce-ment, treatment and rehabilitation, improvement in behaviour and condition and shrinkage of markets.

The faculty representatives felt they have benefited immensely by par-ticipating in this conference using ad-vanced technology. They have also been able to set up a link with the U.S. Narcotic Affairs section of the Embassy, to work more closely in this program in an effort to reduce drugs demand and improve crime control by organising such programs in our university.

Reported by A. Gregory