Insights from (Itim) Parit Wacharasindhu - Former President of the Oxford Union
By (Prim) Preeyanun Atikarnbodee
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As a former King’s Scholar at Eton College, Parit Wacharasindhu, also known as “Khun Itim,” continued his academic journey by pursuing Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE) at St John’s College of Oxford University. Notably, in 2014, he became the first Thai person to be elected President of the Oxford Union, one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious debating societies, renowned for its commitment to unrestricted debate and free speech. These principles of open discourse resonate deeply with the values and mission of the Devil’s Advocates Journal, which thrives on showcasing diverse perspectives. As the leader of such a platform, I was particularly excited to engage with Khun Itim, hoping to gain insights from his leadership of the Oxford Union and his reflections on both modern Thai and global society. Below is my interview with him:
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1. What did your experience as President of the Oxford Union teach you?
My experience as President of the Oxford Union taught me the importance of being curious, asking questions, and opening yourself up to a diversity of views. In any society, it is impossible and unnatural that every person would agree on every issue, hence it is important to understand different and even conflicting perspectives on each issue before forming your own opinion and judgement. This is why the Oxford Union was an important platform for every idea to be challenged, debated, and treated with equal respect, regardless of whether the idea comes from an experienced professional or a student.
2. How would you respond to someone asking, "Why should I study PPE?"
I believe PPE is a course that provides just the right amount of flexibility. On the one hand, the course offers its students a very broad range of subjects to choose from (especially in your second and third year), which means that you can tailor your PPE journey to match your individual preferences and interests. On the other hand, once you graduate, I believe the skills that you pick up during your PPE journey will help prepare you for a wide variety of career options, which means you will not necessarily be tied down to one career path by the choice you make at university level.
3. Do you believe in the importance of freedom of speech?
Free speech is a basic human right that is an integral part of any democracy. While freedom of thought is something which can never be denied by any authoritarian society, freedom of speech is an important element of a democratic society that enables people to freely express their opinions, whether that opinion is shared by most people or by very few people in that society. In addition, I believe society as a whole also benefits from freedom of speech as it enables decision-makers to truly understand the differences of opinion that exist, and hence are able to incorporate all opinions into their decision as well as design the most suitable method in finding an acceptable solution or consensus on each issue.
4. How do you believe youth participation in politics can be increased?
Promoting youth participation in politics should be grounded on the principle that young people are equally affected by the decisions that are made in our society, and should hence be treated as “equal partners” in shaping our society. In the context of Thailand, I believe the priority includes lowering the minimum age for running in elections to be more in line with global democratic standards, reforming the youth parliament to be a more effective mechanism in driving policy changes that are supported by the youth, as well as promoting student participation and equipping them with the necessary set of skills starting from within a school context.
5. How do you think young people could benefit from a platform like ours?
In the modern age where technology and social media algorithms often result in us being exposed primarily to content and people that hold similar views to us, which in turn increases the risk of us being put in our very own ‘echo chambers’, having a platform that allows young people to get exposed to contrasting viewpoints will help young people in being able to access a wider range of opinions that exist out there in society, and hence form an opinion on issues that is based on a more balanced set of information.