Our Family

Many ideas open the way.
– Hmong Proverb

The Cultural Crossroads Asia Mission, Vision, and Blueprint have been carefully developed over many years with the support of a committed CCA Board of Directors, Council of Indigenous Leaders, and Consortium of International Advisors. Members of these, who extend their wisdom, experience, and guidance, represent Thai and International Scholars, Anthropologists, Ethnic Leaders and Activists, Museum Directors and Curators, Business Executives, Financial Advisors, NGO Directors, and Professionals with a passion for Cultural Heritage. We are honored to have them in our CCA Family.

President, CCA Foundation

Dr. Chayan Vaddhanaphuti earned his BA from Chulalongkorn University, his MPA from the National Institute of Development Administration, and both his MA in Anthropology and PhD in International Development Education (with a concentration in Anthropology) from Stanford University. In 2004, he was honored with an Honorary Doctorate in Social Anthropology from Göteborg University, Sweden. In 2019, the French Republic recognized his academic contributions by awarding him the Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Palmes Académiques. Most recently, in 2023, he received an Honorary Doctorate in Social Service Management from Burapha University, Thailand.

Known as a prominent ‘academic activist,’ Dr. Chayan’s research interests

include development studies, ethnic relations,ethnic identity, cross-border issues, knowledge and power, health social science, and the regionalization of development in the Mekong sub-region. His work focuses on ethnicity, development, resource management, and multiculturalism, emphasizing the intersection of social science and development.

Dr. Chayan is currently the Founder and Director of both the Regional Center for Social Science and Sustainable Development (RCSD) and the Center for Ethnic Studies and Development (CESD) at the Faculty of Social Sciences, Chiang Mai University.

Board Member, CCA Foundation

Suwaree Wongkongkaew has played an important role in protecting the historical significance of Chiang Mai, Thailand, in collaboration with various organizations, both academic groups and civil society, working on conservation and sustainable urban development. She first served as a planning and policy analyst for Chiang Mai Municipality, a position she held for several years, contributing to several urban planning and physical improvement projects.

Most notably, Khun Suwaree founded the landmark Chiang Mai City Heritage Center in 2002, and served as its director for two decades. While there, she oversaw three museums—the Chiang Mai Arts and Cultural Centre, Chiang

Mai Historical Centre, and Lanna Folklife Centre—located in the heart of the Old City. These were established to serve as educational centers that highlighted Chiang Mai’s traditional culture.

Khun Suwaree established the Chiang Mai Community Center to work in tandem with the Chiang Mai Heritage Center to use history as a driving force for the development of a better future for the city. Throughout her respected career, Khun Suwaree has spearheaded numerous research projects and continues to work as a consultant for civil society groups in Northern Thailand.

Board Member, CCA Foundation

Dr. Prasert Trakansuphakon is a highly respected specialist of Indigenous Studies in Thailand and Southeast Asia at large.  Of Karen origin, he holds a Doctorate in Sociology, knowledge he applies both in the academic world and in civil society as a researcher and senior Indigenous NGO activist. Dr. Prasert is author of numerous articles on local wisdom and traditional modes of subsistence, which he studies among indigenous people. Since the1990’s, he has assumed responsibilities required for the numerous honorary positions he holds in various national and international organizations.

Dr. Prasert founded Inter Mountain Education and Culture in Thailand Association (IMPECT) and served as its first Director for ten years.

Additionally, he established the Regional Indigenous Knowledge and Peoples in Mainland Southeast Asia (IKAP), acting as its Regional Director for seven years. Dr. Prasert presently serves as the Director of Pgakenyaw (Karen) for Sustainable Development (PASD), and on the Advisory Board of the Asia Indigenous People Pact Foundation (AIPP).

Director, Cultural Crossroads Asia Heritage Center / Living Legacy Project

Victoria has spent her life in music, following diverse paths in search of the heart response to melody and rhythm. Trained as a classical violinist, her degrees include a Bachelor and Master of Music from the University of Michigan, and a Master of Arts in Liberal Studies from DePaul University, Chicago, Illinois.

Having performed for many years in symphony orchestras, Victoria specialized in the Suzuki Method, a form of music education that inspires children through the ‘Mother Tongue’ approach, in essence through oral tradition. These experiences propelled her to explore the cultural importance and primal power of music embedded in all civilizations throughout time.

This lifework has taken her around the world, with teaching positions at music schools and universities in London, Marseille, Ann Arbor, and Chicago, and with invitations to present at international music conferences in Asia, the Pan Pacific, Europe, the Caribbean, Canada, and throughout the United States. Her most recent appointment was to the faculty of the School of Music at DePaul University.

Victoria then shifted from teaching classical music to documenting world music. Inspired by graduate studies at Cadi Ayaad University, in Marrakech, she began research in northern Africa, where she shot and produced her first film, ‘The Music of Morocco and the Cycles of Life,’ in 2002.

Her next stop: Southeast Asia. Victoria moved to Chiang Mai, Thailand, in 2005, to document the ancestral music of highland communities in Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and China. Trekking to remote mountain villages for over two decades, Victoria has amassed an extensive body of work— photographs, films, recordings, and collections of musical instruments and textiles. This has given rise to the Songs of Memory Project, which includes books and multi-media exhibitions, created with the intention of preserving the age-old wisdom of these traditional peoples.

To complete the circle, Victoria launched Cultural Crossroads Asia, a massive initiative founded on two pillars: the CCA Heritage Center in Chiang Mai, Thailand, that preserves material culture; and the Living Legacy Project that sustains ancestral wisdom through collaborative outreach programs in ethnic villages.  May this circle be unbroken.