Myanmar/Burma Program
Introduction
In view of both the prevailing complex political, social and humanitarian challenges in Myanmar/Burma and the limited scope of opportunities for meaningful direct engagement with the regime and civil society there, HBF has more recently adopted a rather indirect approach consisting of “small steps” towards the country’s democratic change. The country program rests on the following three pillars:

 
  • A Scholarship Program
  • Alternative Communication and Education Channels
  • Advocacy for Pro-Engagement
Scholarship Program
by Moritz Pfaehler-Loercher
The Scholarship Program addresses the existing needs for bridging educational disparities between the country and her more prosperous ASEAN neighbours: The Foundation offers young Myanmar scholars three M.A. scholarship programs at two major Thai universities, Chiang Mai and Chulalongkorn, focusing on international development and sustainable development studies or economics, combined with relevant extracurricular activities. Our scholarship program helps to build the intellectual capacity of a small but growing number of Burmese civil society actors. In our carefully designed educational process, the young scholars become inspired to use their expertise and knowledge in such practical fields as journalism and social activism upon return to Myanmar/Burma. The scholarship program also produces a strong alumni network which helps to sustain information exchange among its graduates and fosters a sense of social solidarity and intellectual affinity.

‹‹CALL FOR MASTER OF ARTS SCHOLARSHIP ACADEMIC YEAR 2010››

Alternative Communication and Education Channels
This initiative emphasizes smallscale social, political and cultural projects, bringing together a diverse group of stakeholders from within and outside the country. The Foundation’s local and global collaborations include art & culture projects (e.g. exhibitions, artist in residency co-operations with galleries and art spaces in the Southeast Asian region), new media capacity building initiatives (e.g. documentary film-making workshops), cross-cultural exposure, and the launch of educational/informational website portals for both Burmese and international users, providing country-relevant critical content on historical and current affairs.

SEE SAMPLE PROJECTS
“Contemporary Art in Myanmar/Burma”
In the framework of its forthcoming 10th anniversary the Heinrich Böll Foundation Southeast Asia Regional Office, Chiang Mai, has taken the opportunity to present some aspects of its current three programs in a series of events during the year 2009. After two successful events have already taken place, the last event of this series was related to the Myanmar/Burma program and focused on “Contemporary Art in Myanmar/Burma”.
By Olga Duchniewska more»
Advocay for Pro-Engagement
This third pillar of the Foundation’s Myanmar/Burma program challenges the highly polarized national and international discourses around Myanmar/Burma politics. This initiative contributes to raising the quality of the Burma policy discussions and media coverage, with specific regard to the long-term damages to the potential growth of civil society and liberalization of Myanmar/Burma’s politics and economy which are being brought by the current pro-sanctions and pro-isolationist policy regimes imposed by the West. Furthermore, the Foundation helps to explore more strategic and viable international policy options and collaborates with other international NGOs and think tanks in search of a viable, reality-driven Burma strategy that has at its core the interests of the country’s 54 million people. The Foundation organizes and supports policy and public educational events such as seminars, conferences, round tables in Europe and Southeast Asia, integrating voices and perspectives from within Myanmar/Burma.