A NEW HORIZON

There is a perceptible sense of excitement in the air with elections around the corner, tinged with optimism and aspiration for the future. These elections are expected to be different with a more visible presence of Aung San Sui Kyi’s NLD party and her supporters, often seen wearning T-shirts with the red flag with a star and peacock in yellow or passing through open vans waving the flag of their party. This, we wee told, is rather unusual if one considered the situation just a few years ago. It is also interesting to see articles in mainstream media including some considered to be more sympathetic to the ruling USDP that covers protests and election rallies.

In the ActionAid Myanmar office too, there is immense optimism about a brighter future for the country, but for different reasons. After being in existence since 2006 (though in reality, programme operations started only around 2009), the team is bolstered by how some of the initiatives are now bearing fruit. “We had to make use of the limited opportunities that the local context provided to build confidence and trust among the local communities and the local authorities on what we are here for. We recognised that the policy space was opening up and we wanted the communities to benefit from these while also persuading the government to consider ways in which they can engage with the local communities”, says Shihab Uddin, the immensely energetic Country Director of ActionAid Myanmar who was asked to initiate the programme.

One of the proudest achievements for this team is the development of ‘Village Fellows’. “It was not a new concept for ActionAid because it had been tried in some other countries like Afghanistan, but we tailored it to the local context”, explains Shihab. The concept of Fellows is very simple. It is about identifying young volunteers who are keen to bring about change in their situation, working with local communities and engaging with the local authorities. They lead on developing village plans which are captured in detail in the ‘Village Book’. “Initially, it was not easy”, says a young woman Fellow. “The local authorities wanted to know why we are having village meetings. This was not usual. We had to be very patient and persevere, and explain that we are here to support the communities develop themselves”, explained on the Fellows. Initially, this was done in the villages that came under ActionAid supported ‘Local Rights Programme’ (LRP), six of them covering a little under 200 villages. “But now, the local authorities are so enthusiastic about it that we have trained even more Fellows”, says Orlene, one of the senior staff members. “Our Fellows now have the confidence of not just developing these detailed Village Books, but also negotiating with the local authorities to make sure that action is taken on some of the key issues, which often relate to education, electricity, water and health”. “Given the growing recognition of the importance of Village Books and how it helps local governments to plan and use their budgets effectively, this is now being taken up by many regions and states, with endorsement from the highest level including chief ministers and union ministers”, says Tauhid, the Head of Programmes. “This is a great opportunity to make sure that the process of decentralisation delivers to the local communities”, says Upendra who advises on governance issues.

Our visit to the Magway region was a great opportunity for us to meet several Fellows who have developed these plans and are using these as documents to constantly engage with the government. “This is very much framed within a rights based approach”, says Aung, who is the Regional Head for Magway regional programme of ActionAid. “These processes empower the local communities and give them the confidence to mobilise local resources and the government in their development programme”.

Another noteworthy aspect of the programme is their focus on enterprise development as a way to empower women and girls through an initiative called the Socio-Economic Development Network funded by a group of external donors. This programme creates marketing outlets for a wide range of handicraft products made by local women’s enterprise for their sustainable livelihood. An outlet in the tourist centre of Bagan, known for its archeological heritage is being further developed to take advantage of an estimated 300,000 tourists who visit Bagan. But this has also led the team to think of other opportunities. One of them is the idea of community tourism.

A couple of years ago, ActionAid supported the local community to build a small dam in this area also referred to as the Dry Zone, to serve as a water catchment. With water now available, the area has been transformed with lush green vegetation. The local community is now being supported to set up a small hotel which can host a batch of 16 tourists at a time, who will also be exposed to the local villages, their culture, traditions and food. In the first year, on a conservative estimate, they expect to raise $ 55,000 which will be used for local development funds. Of course, they also expect that the tourists will also be purchasing the SEDN projects which would mean an increased inflow of resources into the local community. They have tied up with the local Ministry of Tourism to promote this as a partnership between the government and the local community, and also with the local hotels and tour guides.

A theme that runs through very strongly through all the programmes of ActionAid Myanmar is their focus on women and girls. As part of the DFID funded ‘She Can’ project, they are implementing a programme on analysisng issues of women’s safety and using the information to negotiate with the local authorities on public services. “Men and women may have the same needs but for different reasons. We want the authorities to understand what the priorities of women are and why that is the case, as their voice is rarely heard”, says Melanie who advises on the project. Li Lwen, a team member of the women’s rights project concurs. “It is important for us to encourage women and girls to talk about some of their issues, especially the more sensitive ones around their safety and sexual abuse, and to discuss it at a community level to change attitudes of people”, she says, as she explains a community mapping project that was done in the peri urban area of Yangon to identify areas that are unsafe for women, and also identifying possible solutions to address these.

“Our work is built on developing strong relationship with the government, so that they are convinced about our approach and the rationale behind our thinking”, says Sitali, who is part of the programmes team. “It is all about relationships”, says Shihab. “In the context of Myanmar, it was not easy at all for an international NGO like ActionAid to start working. But gradually, by ensuring that our work is rooted in local communities, we have built trust, confidence and relationships. The government now sees as as a key resource as we come up with tangible solutions to addressing some key challenges. That is the reason why we also have a high credibility with a range of organisations from the NGO, international community and the private sector. And this needs to be sustained”, he says. With the energy, enthusiasm and creativity that I witnessed in the team, I am sure this will indeed be the case !

(Since then, the NLD party led by Aung San Sui Kyi has won the Myanmar elections and have formed a government)