But…why?

Take a look at Burma, and you will find a few jaw-dropping things. Things like a brutal military regime and millions of people displaced. Scattered land mines and forced conscription. Rape, harsh imprisonment, and human mine sweeps.

It’s almost too much to process, especially in this place where there has been a political climate of control and persecution for decades. The situation is so toxic it affects not only those living within Burma’s borders, but also those living on its borders and the countries surrounding it – which have in turn become victims of Burma’s refugees, opiates and HIV.

Maybe everyone else doesn’t experience the same sense of shock as I did, but when I first heard about Burma, my jaw hit the ground. It wasn’t just the knowledge of these crimes but the individual stories of those living amidst this catastrophe that brought me to Burma, and later Lovemine. I thought, “We have to do something, as human beings we HAVE to do something.”

My idealism was soon challenged by many people’s “realism”, most notably that of my father. A stern and skeptical man, he said something along these lines.

Though it all may sound harsh, it wasn’t the first time I had heard such questions and it certainly wouldn’t be the last. These questions were legitimate. Everyone has dreams of changing the world.

Since then, I have thought long and hard about these questions of pragmatism, realism and reason. I question our naïveté and whether the fruits of this project will make our time worth it. I wonder if Lovemine can actually affect the story of Burma and whether the brutality will ever end. After some long discussions and hours of reflection, I think I have resolved to a singular answer: I don’t know.

But there are a few things I do know.

I know there are people who risk their lives, running with strangers through the jungles of Burma to bring medical relief and life-saving supplies. These heroes believe in helping your fellow man, loving your enemies, and doing what is right. They have given up their comfort, their time and for some of them, their lives.

I know there are men who live in refugee camps with maimed limbs and eyes. These men, who were used as minesweepers for the Burmese army or just fell victim to planted land mines, were already running for their lives, fighting for their livelihoods, and living under the constant terror of military attack. But if you ask them, living in a refugee camp, no longer able to see and in turn function on their own, they are thankful for their lives and the opportunity to tell their story to others while living in a place where they can be cared for.

And finally, I know this conflict is happening everyday. Every minute of every day. And I can sit with my thoughts to ponder and question my pragmatism and reasons for trying to help people inside Burma. And we can make this a theoretic discussion about the pros and cons of investing time and energy in the lives of the oppressed. And we can make this all about ourselves. But for thousands of people, this is no hobby or side project. This is not a choice, and they do not get to decide whether or not they are a part of this civil war.

So everyone asks, why do we do this? Not because we think that we are going to save every ethnic person, orphan or land mine victim. Not because we have this over-idealized and naïve idea of the breadth of our reach or how we are going to save Burma. No, it’s because there are people living this – day in and day out. In the jungle and in the refugee camps. Seeing the bloodshed and the hope. And they tell us the sacrifice is worthwhile. They tell us every word of encouragement, vote of support and display of brother and sisterhood helps. They tell us their lives are worth defending. And we agree.