ReliefWeb

Young people can play a vital role in building peace in Myanmar through creating connections between communities and the leaders of the peace process, as the work of the Pa-O Youth Organization (PYO) shows.

PYO are working in Southern Shan to create greater understanding of the peace process within communities, and greater understanding of the core concerns of communities amongst the Pa O leadership, through their project ‘Community Peace-Building and National Reconciliation’ which is being supported by the Joint Peace Fund. In addition young people are being trained on how to document human rights violations, capture natural resources and environmental issues in their state.

Khun Htee, Chairperson of PYO said his organization, was started in 1998 and therefore has built considerable trust within the local communities where they are now providing trainings. “PYO always organize the primary consultant meetings which include trainees’ representatives from five townships such as Ping Long which belongs to Pa-O self-administration zone, Hopone, Hsihseng, Loilen and Maomae townships. After that stage, we hold empowerment and capacity building trainings to meet local people’s needs,” he said.

Khun Htee said: “We always try to figure out what the actual situation is for communities on the ground. Only people at the community level know what the problems are, and how they can be resolved. This is the approach PYO takes when it is implementing the project.”

“We don’t convince local people of our own ideas. We approach with community-driven strategies. That’s why, our voices are appearing nearly the same as local people voices,” he added.

The PYO is building a channel between Pa-O’s EAOs and Pa-O communities. This aims to strengthen the policy making process, by bringing the voices of the grassroots to the people who are making the policy. It also aims to bring accurate information and updates on the peace process to communities, state government officials, and political parties.

“We are creating a bridge to the local communities to help bring better understanding of the policies and laws which have made by the political parties and government. Without this local communities will never have an understanding of federalism and democracy,” Khun Htee, added.

Nang Kham Chi said she will help fight the human rights violations that remain challenging problems in her township.

“Due to years of dictatorship in the past, our local people still live in fear and they normally don’t want to speak out about their challenges. I would like to promote our local people’s voices and help share my knowledge, particularly on human rights issues, by conducting the PYO’s training for them.” she said.

The twenty youth trainees who have conducted ‘Community Empowerment Training’ are participating the field research in Hsihseng, Hopone, Pinlaung which is the Pa-O self-administration area, Loilen and Maomae townships presently.

With the support of Joint Peace Fund (JPF), those youth were trained by PYO, particularly in federal, peace process engagements, report writing, documentation and facilitation expertise.

After conducting community peace building and national reconciliation related trainings, PYO are planning a two-day ‘Community Peace Forum’ for 300 participants to gather voices of communities and stakeholders in Southern Shan State. At the forum, PYO will present its analysis on land, drug and taxation issues and will record the recommendations of the communities and stakeholders.