PROMOTION OF CITIZEN POLITICAL PARTICIPATION IN CHONBURI PROVINCE BY BUDDHA-DHAMMA APPLICATION

Abstract

Objectives of this research article were: 1. To examine the issues related to promoting political participation. 2. To synthesize the promotion of political participation in accordance with Buddha-dhamma. 3. To propose the practical application of promoting citizen political participation in the urban areas of Chonburi Province by Buddha-dhamma application. The research methodology was the mixed methods incorporating both qualitative and quantitative research methods. In-depth interviews were conducted with 24 key informants, and surveys method collected from a total of 400 respondents from the population in Chonburi province. The data were analyzed using statistical methods, including frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation.

The research findings indicated the following: 1. Issues related to promoting political participation in the urban areas of Chonburi Province included the fragmentation of community meetings, lack of readiness to attend meetings, difficulties in accessing community leaders, a lack of awareness of their roles in political participation, and a hesitancy to engage in politics. 2. Communities that adhered to Buddha-dhamma tended to have better-informed citizens who share similar perspectives, respect social rules, understand their roles, respect human equality, and prioritize the continuation of Buddhism as a guiding principle. The overall average score for political participation promotion in the urban areas of Chonburi province is high, with an average score of 3.62. This comprises political activities (average score of 3.80), leader characteristics (average score of 3.74), local administration (average score of 3.61), and policy formulation (average score of 3.33). 3.Promoting political participation in the urban areas following Buddha-dhamma involved regular meetings where local issues were discussed, encouraging members to follow the decisions made during these meetings, emphasizing the importance of political activities, and fostering citizen engagement and collaboration with government agencies. These findings suggested that promoting political participation in urban areas could benefit from incorporating Buddha-dhamma and fostering a sense of community and shared responsibility for local administrative organizations.