Homeward Bound
Insight Myanmar14 Tammi 2025

Homeward Bound

Episode #301: “I want to invite everybody to see the Karen people not just as victims, but to experience the real beauty in the culture, the uniqueness, the simplicity.”

These are the words of Saw Sha Kerpaw Wah, a humanitarian from Karen State, Myanmar, who shares his story of displacement, identity, and commitment to his people. Born in 1995 during the fall of Manerplaw, the headquarters of the Karen National Union, his family fled through the jungle, marking the start of their journey as refugees. Sha Kerpaw Wah spent his early childhood in a refugee camp in Thailand, before his family resettled in Norway. There they found safety, but engendered a sense of cultural dissonance. Although warmly welcomed in Norway, and living there for 20 years, Wah always felt a deep spiritual connection to Kawthoolei, the Karen homeland, feeling that it was his "duty" to return and serve his people.

A major turning point in Wah’s life came during his final year of college when he watched a video of Karen indigenous leader, Saw O Moo, inspiring him to leave his studies and fully dedicate himself to humanitarian work. He began making frequent trips back to Kawthoolei, working to support those displaced by Myanmar’s ongoing civil war.

Today, Sha Kerpaw Wah continues to serve the Karen people, advocating for education, self-reliance, and a united leadership among Karen leaders. His ultimate dream is to see a peaceful, independent Kawthoolei where future generations can grow up free from the violence and trauma that have shaped his life.

Jaksot(506)

The Will To Fight

The Will To Fight

Episode #389: Mie Mie Wynn Bird, a retired U.S. Army officer and defense strategist runs leadership and capacity-building workshops for Myanmar’s pro-democracy movement. In this episode, she argues th...

2 Syys 20251h 10min

The Spirit of Disobedience

The Spirit of Disobedience

Episode #388: “Every day in Myanmar, people are living in constant fear, fear of air strike, fear of artillery, fear of arbitrary arrest, fear of extra judicial killing. As long as the military is in ...

1 Syys 20251h 16min

Long Walk to Freedom

Long Walk to Freedom

Episode #387: “I think vipassana has always been a response to crisis, not just a quest for spiritual purity,” says Gustaaf Houtman, anthropologist and author of Traditions of Buddhist Practice in Bur...

30 Elo 20253h 6min

Barely Breathing

Barely Breathing

Episode #386: Maw Htun, Deputy Minister for Electricity and Energy in Myanmar's National Unity Government (NUG), has navigated a path defined by personal tribulation and transformation since the 2021 ...

28 Elo 20252h 19min

Return to Nowhere

Return to Nowhere

Episode #385: Minna Fredriksson, human rights advisor at the Swedish development organization Diakonia, describes her humanitarian work and critiques the humanitarian aid field based on her years of w...

27 Elo 20251h 54min

Dark Signals

Dark Signals

Episode #384: “As a journalist, you always hope for consequences. I mean, otherwise our reporting is meaningless,” says Bjørn Nordahl, a Norwegian investigative reporter who led a two-year probe into ...

25 Elo 20251h 31min

Heritage and Hope

Heritage and Hope

Episode #383: The 4th International Conference on Burma/Myanmar Studies (ICBMS) was hosted at hosted by Chiang Mai University. This major event brought together many scholars and experts to discuss My...

23 Elo 20251h 6min

Losing My Religion

Losing My Religion

Episode #382: Zack Tu Nan, a queer, ethnic Zaiwa activist and student living in the Netherlands, reflects on his journey through marginalization, faith, identity, and exile. Born in 1994 in—literally—...

21 Elo 20251h 47min

Suosittua kategoriassa Politiikka ja uutiset

aikalisa
ootsa-kuullut-tasta-2
politiikan-puskaradio
tervo-halme
rss-ootsa-kuullut-tasta
viisupodi
rss-vaalirankkurit-podcast
rss-podme-livebox
rss-asiastudio
otetaan-yhdet
the-ulkopolitist
et-sa-noin-voi-sanoo-esittaa
rss-tasta-on-kyse-ivan-puopolo-verkkouutiset
rss-kaikki-uusiksi
rss-hyvaa-huomenta-bryssel
rss-kiina-ilmiot
linda-maria
rikosmyytit
radio-antro
rss-polikulaari-pitka-kiekko-ja-muut-ts-podcastit