Myanmar

For a Pluralistic, Inclusive and Peaceful Society

Myanmar is one of the most multi-facetted countries in the world. With this project, Helvetas and its partners support the dynamic and diverse civil society in five regions of the country to create space for dialogue among different groups of the society by using arts and culture.

Project Name

Culture for Peace – C4P
Project Phase

2020 to 2023
Funding

The project is co-funded by the European Union
Thematic focus

Voice, Inclusion & Cohesion

Myanmar faces important challenges in achieving inclusive and sustainable peace. It is one of the world’s most heterogeneous countries in culture, religion and ethnicity. Since independence and more than 50 years of military rule, Myanmar is in a post-conflict fragile transition to a more open democratic government. Despite restrictions to civic space in Myanmar, the country’s uneven transition displays cautious openings for greater citizen engagement.

That is why Helvetas, together with the local partners Local Resource Center (LRC) and Religions for Peace Myanmar (RfP-M), aim to contribute in the course of this four-year project to a pluralistic, inclusive and peaceful society in Myanmar by supporting civil society organizations to play a prominent role in fostering intercultural dialogue, non-discrimination and respect for diversity.

By supporting more than 300 local civil society organisations (CSOs) through 1) capacity development, 2) financial support and coaching, 3) public relations activities and 4) advocacy actions for a pluralistic society, this project facilitates safe and creative spaces for inclusive exchange and peaceful dialogue among and between different groups.

To further capacity development, Helvetas worked with local partners and the Artists Board to develop the Culture for Peace Pluralism Toolbox, which guides CSOs in creating safe, neutral and facilitated spaces for dialogue through arts and culture.

The Project started off with internal sensitization workshops on pluralism and the C4P Approach with our project partners © Helvetas Myanmar

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Standing together for Peace. Topics of the internal workshops were self-reflection and conflict sensitivity © Helvetas Myanmar

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Together with stakeholders from academia and media partners, ten attractive short audio-visual documentations providing evidence for the importance of pluralism are developed and shared via social media. Besides, a network of likeminded actors on pluralism is created and its advocacy work addressing formal and customary law that discriminates ethnic and religious minorities is supported. Apart from that, artists, one of the most marginalized groups within societies, will be given an enhanced voice through this project.

The C4P action builds on results of previous actions supported by the EU as well as on the experience of the successful projects Open History-Arts for Peace and PEACE by Helvetas.

The project is co-funded by the European Union.