Forging Solidarity Across Conflict
Insight Myanmar19 Jan 2024

Forging Solidarity Across Conflict

Episode #213: Isaac Evans-Frantz outlines the mission of Action Corps, a U.S.-based organization dedicated to justice and solidarity in the face of global disasters. One of their initiatives is in support of ethnic and religious minorities facing persecution in Myanmar.

Even though Isaac has never visited Myanmar, the work hits home in a personal way. “When I was a child, somebody came to my class and spoke about surviving the Holocaust. He had been in a Nazi death camp, he showed us the number on his arm, and he told us horrific stories. I promised myself after that, that if I were ever in a position where I knew about some genocide that was happening… I would do everything that I could to stop that!” So for him, it was only natural that the situation in Myanmar would find a place in his heart.

Jade, a Kachin-American, has been working with Action Corps, and joins Evans-Frantz in the discussion. She emphasizes the importance of building a collective identity among diaspora communities, which has two parts. One regards the younger generation of the Burmese diaspora and their struggles with cultural identity as “third culture kids.” The other is the challenge of unity within the diaspora community, which is hindered by historical social, cultural and political divisions. The ability of the wider diaspora community to engage in advocacy is further complicated by the economic struggles many face in the U.S. and cultural norms of stoicism in the face of difficulties.

“Feel encouraged that there are people out here who are trying to make a difference and that you can too!” Jade says in closing. “No one is ever alone. Our power really does come from coming together and being in solidarity.”

Episoder(506)

The Revolution Will Not Be Meditated

The Revolution Will Not Be Meditated

Episode #476: Minnthonya, a deeply committed Burmese monk, recounts his remarkable journey from traditional monastic education to becoming a key figure in Myanmar's resistance movements. Initially dra...

29 Jan 2h 20min

Building Bridges From Norway

Building Bridges From Norway

Episode #475: “So many peoples in Myanmar who are fighting for democracy and human rights... they don’t get any title or any recognize, but they did what they believed in.” Wut Hmone Win carries a leg...

27 Jan 1h 52min

A Not So Quiet American

A Not So Quiet American

Episode #474: Scott Aronson, a career humanitarian and conflict expert, describes his years in Myanmar between 2015 and the 2021 coup as “a really dynamic but also very challenging time to work in Mya...

26 Jan 2h 1min

Liberal Dreams, Illiberal Ends

Liberal Dreams, Illiberal Ends

Episode #473: “The military was pursuing an illiberal strategy to peace, and Norway became complicit, not necessarily by design, but by its effect, it became a de facto sponsor of a strategy for illib...

23 Jan 1h 51min

Still I Rise

Still I Rise

Episode #472: “Where is my grandmother’s vote?!” asks Thiri. Her core argument is that Myanmar’s struggle today is not a failed revolution, but the evolution of a long, cyclical people’s movement, who...

22 Jan 1h 47min

The Art of Letting Go

The Art of Letting Go

Episode #471: Sebastian Copija's journey from being a Buddhist monk to embracing lay life is a story of deep introspection and balance. Monastic life had afforded him security and structure, but Sebas...

20 Jan 2h 12min

Reclaiming The Narrative

Reclaiming The Narrative

Episode #470: This episode of Insight Myanmar continues our three-part series covering the Decolonizing Southeast Asian Studies Conference at Chiang Mai University, bringing together voices exploring ...

19 Jan 1h 19min

Here Be Dragons

Here Be Dragons

Episode #469: “This is not simply about solving the conflict, but about understanding the conflict to begin with,” explains Bhanubhatra “Kaan” Jittiang, an assistant professor of political science at ...

16 Jan 2h 2min

Populært innen Politikk og nyheter

giver-og-gjengen-vg
aftenpodden
i-retten
forklart
aftenpodden-usa
stopp-verden
popradet
lydartikler-fra-aftenposten
det-store-bildet
fotballpodden-2
rss-gukild-johaug
dine-penger-pengeradet
rss-ness
hanna-de-heldige
nokon-ma-ga
aftenbla-bla
e24-podden
frokostshowet-pa-p5
bt-dokumentar-2
rss-penger-polser-og-politikk