The documentary, “Nickel City Smiler”, relates the story of Smiler Greely, the epitome of a Burmese Karen man. He is joyous and optimistic, honest and tireless, and thinks not in years but generations. Resettled refugees in this country get a raw deal, which the movie shows. It’s a little harsh on the understaffed and underfunded resettlement agencies, but captures exactly how resettled refugees feel. Order the dvd or find out more here.

A police patrol captured clandestinely by the photographer.

National Geographic published an insightful piece about Burma this summer. Check out the beautiful (as always) photos that accompany the piece. The author records some very candid and unusually open discussions with average Burmese citizens. The author of the story took risks, but the people interviewed took more- and they speak for their people.

The story touches on it briefly, but this is a time of great uncertainty in Burma- the military government technically transitioned to a civilian government this year, though most of the key players are the same. Still, there are signs the government is loosening up just a bit. Just last week the government announced it was stopping a much-criticized dam project that would have destroyed thousands of homes, and, in the end, send most of the energy to China, instead of to its own people. The next year will prove whether the government is all talk, or actually committed to change.

Coming in December, this film tells the story of Burmese democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi, who won the Nobel Peace Prize while under house arrest. Watch for it in theaters!
The Lady movie trailer

Amber Pleasant /Writing from Chiang Mai, Volunteer with FBR

Throughout the year, many nonprofit organizations will solicit donations from people on their mailing lists. For some people, this can be a nice cleansing process to clear out the excess that seems to accumulate remarkably quickly in our lives. For others, it is a convenient way to dispose of “trash” – stained, tattered clothes, broken house wares, and sometimes even expired food items seem to make their way into give-away bags.

It seems that this same mentality of viewing donations as a convenient means of disposing of rubbish now knows no borders.

Since arriving in Chiang Mai, I have been duly impressed with the vast and diverse collection of people who seek to support the oppressed ethnicities of Burma. There are literally volunteers from around the world who come to the region. Additionally, people send in generous donations of different kinds of supplies that are desperately needed by villagers stranded in the Burmese jungle. However, the donations are not always given in the most conscientious manner. I do not believe donors see what they are doing as insulting, but I would like to take this time to call all donors to be cognizant of the fact that the manner in which you provide help impacts those in need.

Cardboard boxes with a giant label “THIRD WORLD” splashed across the side panel sit at the medical office. Inside these boxes you will uncover a vast, and varied, collection of medical supplies. Some it is useful, but much of what is given is far past its expiration date. It is one thing to donate doxycycline from 2008 – some people are not aware that medicine does indeed expire. However, when you start pulling out used bottles of Pepto-Bismol from 2005, you begin to wonder what that individual was thinking when they placed that in a donation pile (perhaps they accidentally mistook it for the trash bin?).

Seek to empower the people you wish to help. A great step towards accomplishing this comes with recognizing that a person in need is your equal. Would you give your friend something that would hurt them? Expired medicines such as doxycycline grow increasingly more potent with age, and are unusable shortly after their expiration date. Opened, expired bottles of Pepto-Bismol? I don’t think I need to expand upon why that is inappropriate.

Placing a people group in the “third world” category can be quite insulting, and even if it is not insulting, the label is certainly not a conduit to empowerment. The talented and magnanimous individuals in the region continuously humble me, and if anything – I feel inferior to them. Their kindness and hospitality continues to remind me of the fact that we are united by our common basic needs, and I find it beautifully ironic that I came to the region to help, but am probably getting far more in return for my efforts than these “third world” people will ever receive from me.

So next time you prepare a box for donation, consider the message you are sending, and remember that the golden rule also applies to the manner in which you help the global community.

Ten Reasons To Care About Burma (Part 3 of 3)

08. Destruction of the Environment
The government sponsors: large scale clear-cutting of some of the world’s oldest remaining natural teak forests; toxic mining practices; and poorly planned and built dams. These abuses are affecting surrounding countries and future generations.

09. Control of Narcotics
The regime condones and profits from Burma’s drug trade. They are the world’s #2 producer of opium/heroin, behind only Afghanistan. It is also southeast Asia’s leading producer of methamphetamines, on of the top in the world. (Watch a report.)

10. Regional Security
Burma’s regime maintains its control with assistance from China and is pursuing a nuclear program with the aid of North Korea.

Ten Reasons to Care About Burma (Part 2 of 3)

05. Abhorrent Public Health

Burma ranks near the bottom of global rankings on public health, often sharing the bottom spots with Somalia and Sudan. There is a growing HIV/AIDs epidemic, fueled by drug activity, and about 1 in 10 children die in Burma before their 5th birthday. Among refugee families, that number is 1 in 5. Refugees also have great difficulty obtaining health care. (See hope from internationally recognized Mae Tao clinic)

06. Religious Persecution

Non-Buddhist groups often face religious persecution. Burning of churches and persecution of religious leaders is common.

07. Forced Labor and Humans Minesweepers

The military routinely takes villagers and prisoners to work on state projects, work as porters and serve as human minesweepers during military campaigns.

…Stay tuned for Part 3

Ten Reasons to Care About Burma (Part 1 of 3)

A friend of ours calls Burma “the craziest thing you’ve never heard about.”
He’s probably right. Here are ten reasons you should learn more and do something:

1) Abuse of Human Dignity
The regime uses rape as a weapon of war, burns entire villages, murders parents, chases children from their homes and denies them an education, makes arbitrary arrests, and in short, keeps their people living in fear. Read this report from the Harvard Human Rights Clinic summarizing the long list of war crimes.

2) Denial of Democracy
A free and fair election was nullified by the military dictatorship without cause in 1991; the international community has widely acknowledged last year’s election was not free and fair, and simply kept the same players in power in different uniforms.

3) Political Prisoners
The military government holds 2,000 political prisoners, many arrested arbitrarily, and uses torture as punishment.

4) Abuse of Ethnic Rights & a Making a Durable Peace
Ethnic minorities compose over 40% of Burma’s population and most of its refugees. The government’s campaign against ethnic groups has resulted in over 1 million internally displaced persons and over 2 million refugees.Without partnership between and with the ethnic groups, there can be no lasting peace.

Stay tuned for #5 through #10

Exploding A Lovemine Amidst Oppression in Burma

One of our founders, Rachel Ryon, was asked to guest blog for The Pangea Blog. Read her thoughts on being a social activist for Burma here:

http://www.thepangeablog.com/2011/06/17/exploding-a-love-mine-amidst-oppression-in-burma-rachel-ryon/#comments

Meet Sia.
She is a lot like me.
She is a young woman in her twenties.
She likes movies, and friends, and children.
She will be attending graduate school in the fall at Azusa Pacific University.

But she is a little different. First, she is from an Akha hill tribe family  from Chiang Rai, Thailand. She has spent the last 4 years working for Compasio in Mae Sot, one of the rougher border towns in Thailand. There she works with Thai and Burmese street kids, orphans and prison babies. It is an uphill battle for these kids, and for her. This is the kind of place where volunteers get burned out. But Sia is not quite a volunteer. She is a person affected by this conflict helping others affected by this conflict. This is part of her story.

And now she wants to go to school. She wants to learn about non-profit management so she can go back and give her people a fighting chance- from the inside out. But she needs help. Sia is intelligent and warm. She is resilient and determined. Sia is the kind of person that could one day help to put back together the pieces. Sia is the kind of person we should be supporting, any way we know how.

To learn more about how to support Sia – email info@lovemine.org
To learn more about Compasio – compasio.org