Suwanee Boonyuenkul grew up with a deep connection to her Indigenous Akha heritage. Even though she left her community in Thailand to study at a young age, she always carried the lessons of her elders and the memories of the green hills of Chiang Rai with her. 

The Akha people believe that all things in the universe are connected: human beings, nature, and the spiritual world. They are dependent on each other to sustain life. For Boonyuenkul and her community, modern problems like deforestation and global warming happen because we have become disconnected from nature. 

Boonyuenkul’s goal is to restore that respectful relationship. It was this objective that led her to apply to the EarthRights School program in 2021. Located in Chiang Mai, Thailand, the EarthRights School offers a unique blend of education in human rights, environmental law, and community advocacy, as part of a residential program lasting seven months. The program combines classroom learning with field research, preparing young leaders to return to their communities armed with tools for change.

As a student at the EarthRights School, Boonyuenkul improved her advocacy skills and created lasting networks with other environmental defenders from across the Mekong region. She gained knowledge about how to examine complex power structures, how economic pressures affect Indigenous communities, and how to create collaborative advocacy plans that can bring about lasting change.

After graduating, Boonyuenkul returned to her community with a renewed sense of purpose. She now works with the Mekong Akha Network for Peace and Sustainability, working to protect Indigenous rights and connecting local women and youth groups to strengthen their networks.

In 2024, Boonyuenkul joined the EarthRights School Alumni Network. She also became a member of the Thai alumni core team in the same year, fostering collaboration and reconnecting alumni from across Thailand through meetings and events. 

Through her work, Suwanee Boonyuenkul continues to prove that reconnecting with nature is not only an act of preservation but the path toward a more just and sustainable future.