Aksel, Bachelor in Anthropology and letters
Internship Country: Myanmar
Canadian NGO: Forum of Federations
Local NGO: Forum of Federations, Myanmar (FoF)
I believe in my first blog I talked about the benefits of Thailand, so it only makes sense to discuss the second object of my internship, namely, Myanmar. Also commonly known as Burma.
I have not had the pleasure of visiting Myanmar. The main reason for this is its volatile security status... mainly due to being engulfed in a civil war, the flames of which have most recently been fanned by a Military takeover in 2021.
It is incredibly unfortunate that Myanmar is not able to acquire the same degree of visibility as other regions. While all centres of conflict are dealing with unimaginable outcomes, I do think it is telling that we hear nothing at all about Myanmar: which has had one of the longest ongoing conflicts in the world. (74 years in Karen State!) I suppose such a long conflict is not as interesting to the Media. One wonders what one truly needs to do to acquire visibility in this day and age.
Very little action seems to have been taken by the global community to aid the Rohingya, who have been violently expelled from their homes. Or to the religious tensions of Myanmar. Myanmar has one of the highest levels of statelessness in the world, and it is impossible for anyone to naturalize.
The people of Myanmar's many states and regions are always kind and eager to share their cultures and their stories. Even in Thailand, everyone is very friendly and has a unique story. I met a family who took me in and fed me and shared their own past with me; they absolutely refused any gifts I had to offer in return... People are generous with no expectations beyond listening to you and wanting to be heard in return.
The people I have met are very strong and all my concerns seem trivial in comparison.
I have been able to meet individuals with stories to match those of any Nobel Prize winner. Every time they share their history, their stories, I am simply gobsmacked. What do you say to someone who has been through these experiences? "I know how you feel." ? No! No honestly, I really don't.
To my fellow students, I implore you to learn more about this fascinating country. Its history is thousands of years old and very unique.
Canada is quite remote; entire oceans separate us from the concerns of the rest of the world. You can read all you want about what happens in a place, and know it in your head... but it is an entirely different beast to meet the normal people who have suffered from mismanagement and active government persecution. It is surprising to know Burma was once the richest country in Asia - now it's one of the poorest.
My main takeaway from this internship is more profound than simply enjoying another country; it is well and truly worldview altering.
Who determines what information is valuable? Why is one region more important than another? How do we campaign for women's rights and customary laws and values at the same time? How can one construct a stable country while ensuring minorities are offered the linguistic support they need? How do you stabilize a country that has been in conflict for the past 70 years?
These are all important questions, to which you may have varying degrees of success at finding answers; though none complete.
Truthfully, I feel ashamed I am leaving. Much work needs to be done in support of Myanmar. I can't wait to visit Myanmar once it's stable once more, and so I can really see what an amazing place it and its people are.
Finally, as a suggestion to anyone interested in coming here; take a few beginners lessons in Burmese or Thai on italki or another app. You can live quite happily in pure English, however I think you'll find people more amenable if you put in even the most basic effort. They'll tell you it's not necessary, it's not important, it's too complicated, it makes no sense etc.. but my biggest regret is not trying harder with the language or taking classes here. Do be aware that it is very difficult to find resources on Burmese in particular, though, so a private tutor would be necessary.