Youth Power Driving Soft Power: the case study of Marine Science Group of Plutaluang Wittaya School’s Student, Sattahip District, Chonburi Province

Abstract

This article is a part of the research study on Roles of Soft Power and Citizen Engagement for Strengthening democracy and Social Cohesion. The objective is to present a method for raising social capital to soft power through the power of youth. The research uses Participatory Action Research (PAR) process, combined with participatory observation and in-depth interviews 3 target groups; advisors and students of Marine Science Group of Plutaluang Wittaya School’s student and the villagers in Samae San, Sattahip district, Chonburi Province. The finding shows that Soft power can be developed systematically through the development of 3 capitals together consists of human capital, social capital and culture capital through the following processes: 1) promoting civic education to create a sense of citizen participation in democracy, together with capital finding 2) knowledge sharing along with capital activation 3) creating awareness together with finding common good for co-creation activities and 4) driving activities together. The case study of Marine Science Group of Plutaluang Wittaya School’s student shows that youth are human capital that has potential to develop to be the leader in driving social and cultural capital towards soft power. Starting by promoting citizen awareness in conserving marine resources through civic education. After that continue doing coral planting activities until later it was able to turn the opposition side in the community into support students' coral planting and marine resource conservation activities.