SPERI’s work toward creating a Grassroots foundation for Traditional Civil Society Organizational & Institutional Development beyond national, territorial, social, and political borders has resulted in the creation of Mekong Community Network Action for Ecological Trading (MECO-ECOTRA).
Livelihood Sovereignty is ‘a holistic ethical alternative solution’ which consists of five inter-relative rights: 1) The right to land, forest and water, clean air and natural landscape (basic); 2) The right to maintain one’s own religion (unique); 3) The right to live according to one’s own way of life and values of happiness and wellbeing within one’s own natural environment (practice); 4) The right to operate according to one’s own knowledge and decide what to plant, initiate, create and invent on one’s own land; (holistic); and 5) The right to co-manage or co-govern natural resources with neighboring communities and local authorities (strategic).
Nature is the Mother of all creatures. Such a simple and long lasting philosophy should always remind us to promote ‘Friendliness in mind - Faith in our behaviour - and Beauty in our relationships’.
The Scientific Committee of SPERI is responsible for scientific technological advices to ensure practical and objective methodologies of SPERI's direction, development researches and operation of the Director Board. The Committee is set up and operated along with the particular scientific issues to serve the development of SPERI programs, as well acts voluntarily.
MEMBERS OF THE SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE
Prof. Dr. Le Van Khoa- Chairman of the Scientific Committee
His background is environmental and Soil Science. Currently, he is a senior lecturer in Faculty of Environment, Vietnam National University of Natural Science - Ha Noi National University.
Writer Nguyen Ngoc - Member of the Scientific Committee
Reputed in many Vietnamese generations with his a series of novel related to cultures and people of indigenous ethnic groups in Tay Nguyen (the Central highland) of Vietnam such as Đất nước đứng lên,and others like Rẻo cao, Đường chúng ta đi, Đất Quảng, Rừng xà nu, Có một đường mòn trên biển Đông, Cát cháy, Tản mạn nhớ và quên, Nghĩ dọc đường, Lắng nghe cuộc sống, and Bằng đôi chân trần.
Mr. Nguyen Trung- Member of Scientific Committee
Specialized in economic and development; used to work at the Vietnam Ministry of Foreign Relation as Ambassador of the Vietnam Embassy to East Germany and Thailand, and Central Government office as a secretary for the Vietnam Prime Minister.
Mr. Ton Gia Huyen
Specializing in land administration, the former head of the Vietnam General Land Department of Administration.
Associate Prof. Dr. Khong Dien
An ethnopolgist, former director of Ethnic Research Institute, and former director of Vietnam National Society Studies.
Dr. Chayan Vaddhanaphuti
a political scientist at the Chiang Mai University - Thailand, Founding Director of the Regional Center for Social Science and Sustainable Development - RDSC.His publication since 2005 includes Commonplaces and Comparisons: Dynamics in Regional Eco-politics of Asia (2005), Revisiting Agrarian Transformations in the Greater Mekong Sub-region: New Challenges (2011), Spatial Politics and Economic Development in the Mekong Sub-region (2011), Transcending State Boundaries: Contesting Development, Social Suffering and Negotiation (2011), Burma at a Glance: Social History, Power and Democracy (2011).
Dr. Keith Barber
Senior lecturer at the Arts & Social Sciences of the University of Waikato. His research interests include ethnicity, ethnic and indigenous minorities, and economic anthropology, with a particular focus on rural/urban livelihoods in Papua New Guinea and Southeast Asia. Publications from 1997 onwards for Dr Keith Barber by following link: http://www.waikato.ac.nz/php/research.php?mode=show&skin=sass&author=kbarber
Consultation workshop for approval the customary laws based community regulations in watershed forestland management in Luang Prabang, Laos 
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