Building the Future of CISV: Why We’re Replacing myCISV and What Comes Next
May 31, 2025
Suebsiri Taweepon, also known as Oil, chats to Elizabeth Wright about his CISV journey, and how he’s applying the things he learned in his professional and personal life.
Oil is a Partner at Tilleke & Gibbins in Thailand, as well as a dedicated volunteer for CISV. He has specialised in Intellectual Property law since 2004, and has recently become a founding member of the International Law Association for Artificial Intelligence, a global initiative that brings together lawyers from around the world who specialise in AI-related legal issues. During his career he has received many awards, and been recognised as a top Intellectual Property lawyer by several international publications such as The Legal 500 Asia-Pacific, Benchmark Litigation, Asialaw Leading Lawyers, World IP Review, and Asia IP.
His CISV journey began in 1997 as a participant on a camp in Bologna. He fondly recalls seeing in the New Year several times throughout the evening as each country celebrated in their own time zone. When he returned from the camp he was inspired to get involved with CISV locally and started the selection process to become a leader. In December 2001 he had the opportunity to take a delegation of six young people to a Step Up in Australia. He remembers having to mediate a disagreement between two of his delegates, which may have been what set him on the path to becoming a lawyer! After this he volunteered as a staff member on mini-camps alongside his studies, until in 2009 he was a leader again, this time for a Village in Sweden. He had a “wonderful experience,” on “CISV’s flagship programme.” In fact, he enjoyed his time in CISV so much that in July 2023 he became President of CISV Thailand, and this year became a CISV parent, sending his son to a Village in Cairo. Oil says that experiencing CISV as a parent has given him a completely new perspective!
But how has CISV helped him in his career? Tilleke & Gibbins is not only Thailand’s oldest law firm, but it also serves a clientele that are largely international, with around 80% of their clients coming from outside the country, so Oil already has a major advantage, having collaborated with so many different cultures in CISV. He says that CISV has given him the “patience to listen,” and the “skill to understand different perspectives.” CISV is what makes him a great lawyer, rather than just a good lawyer. The difference, he says, is that a good lawyer will provide solid legal advice from the book. A great lawyer really understands their client’s ultimate goal, even if they haven’t explicitly stated it. Oil links this to Leader’s Meetings on camp and being able to understand not just what his fellow CISVers are saying, but also the intention behind it. Oil even thinks that his CISV experience could be one of the reasons why he has won so many awards, including being recognised by the Asialaw Leading Lawyers Survey for six consecutive years as a leading practitioner in his area.
Tilleke & Gibbins is not only Thailand’s oldest law firm, but it also serves a clientele that are largely international, with around 80% of their clients coming from outside the country, so Oil already has a major advantage, having collaborated with so many different cultures in CISV.
CISV was founded on ideals of achieving peace and social justice, which is very similar to the role of a lawyer. In both CISV and working in law, Oil says, you are trying to do your best for people you’ve never known before, with the shared goal of making the world a better place.
