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Contributing to Positive Peace in Myanmar: My Free Charity Classes” 

By Aung Aung, Class 8 (Duke MIDP)

 

As a Rotary Peace Fellow alumnus, I have been voluntarily contributing to peace through my free charity class during my leisure time, especially on weekends, since 2017. So far, I have held 16 charity classes at my home in downtown Yangon, the largest city of Myanmar, and 5 in Mandalay, the second largest city. Each class lasts for 6 weeks (12 days over weekends), with 2 ½ hours each day. During the classes, I share my scholarship experiences, especially about Rotary Peace Fellowship (how to apply for scholarships), and my work experiences with INGOs and research institutes (how to find job opportunities at INGOs). 

Although I am not a professor, I feel that I have enough experience to share my knowledge about education and global affairs to people in my country, since I have received 3 full scholarships from Japan, South Korea and the U.S. I have also worked for the government of Myanmar as well as INGOs in Myanmar such as Save the Children, UNHCR, UNESCO, the EU, and the ICRC. On the last day of each class, we visit vulnerable people at orphanages, monastic education schools, mental hospitals, leprosy care centers, and other similar institutions. Additionally, we previously visited a Muslim mosque, Christian church, Hindu temple and Buddhist monastery in one day to promote interfaith awareness in society. 

 

 

Last month, we traveled to the Muslim Free Hospital in downtown Yangon, donated money, and took a tour. All donations came from our own pockets. Although nearly all the students and I are Buddhists or Christians, we were warmly welcomed by the hospital’s officials. I must confess that the idea for these classes originated during my Applied Field Experience (AFE) in Syracuse in 2010, while I was studying at Duke University. As a summer intern, in addition to providing various types of support to Burmese refugees, I conducted two informal training sessions where I shared some general knowledge about the U.S. and education opportunities to Burmese refugees, many of whom would one day become full American citizens.  

Bearing in mind that I am a peace fellow who is committed to the Rotary ideal of “service above self” for life, I returned to Myanmar in May 2011, right after graduating from Duke. Since then, I have worked for several international organizations in Myanmar and served as visiting fellow in Sweden, Singapore and Japan. While working for INGOs and research institutes contributes to peace. I wanted to do more, especially in Myanmar, my home country, which is being torn apart by conflicts. When I returned to Myanmar in 2011, it seemed Myanmar was on the right track, embarking on democratization with great momentum.  President Obama visited Myanmar twice, and more INGOs and some international business firms were rushing in. 

Unfortunately, with the military intervention on February 1, 2021, the whole thing reversed. The country plunged into civil war once again. This time, the conflict is more severe, impacting the entire country. Specifically, the situation has heavily affected Myanmar’s youth mentally, as their dreams of creating a free society have suddenly collapsed. Some have taken up arms, while others strive to leave the country. Of course, the majority remain inside the country.  

I asked myself what I could individually do for the youth as a peace fellow. I decided to resume my charity classes, which had been postponed in early 2020 due to COVID-19 and political instability in Myanmar. Amid the tense conflict in Central Myanmar, I held 5 charity classes in Mandalay over weekends. After the classes, students and I visited a mental hospital, leprosy care center, monastic education school, mosque, Hindu temple and Christian church to conduct informal field visits. I will continue holding these charity classes as long as I have time and resources. This is related to the commitment I made during the Rotary scholarship application process, where I pledged that I would pursue peace and development when I returned to Myanmar. This voluntary work also reflects Rotary’s motto of “Service Above Self”.    

 

The world is becoming more vulnerable in terms of peace and security, with hostilities and mistrust everywhere. If you want to engage with the international system and become a global citizen who keeps pace with the times, you need to set the bar higher. This means studying more, both formally and informally. Focusing on academic records and English language skill are not enough; you need mentoring as well. Here, I would like to express my gratitude to the Rotary Foundation and the Duke-UNC Peace Center for investing in me as a peace fellow. I believe that I have been able to survive in Myanmar amid this complex situation because of the education I received from Rotary.  

Looking at my CV, some people tend to ask how I managed to accomplish these things in a country like Myanmar, especially since I often do two or three things simultaneously – working, writing, and running charity classes. My answer is: yes, I can do it, because of Rotary’s education. I do not tell my students to “make Myanmar great again”, but I do encourage them to make themselves great again, since most of Myanmar’s youth are struggling with confusion and depression these days. With the spirit of Rotary, I was able do the same 15 years ago under the previous junta, and now, nothing can stop me from contributing to positive peace in Myanmar through my free charity classes. 

 

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