A Report: Seminar and Workshop on Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding in Myanmar. Introduction

Transcription

1 A Report: Seminar and Workshop on Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding in Myanmar Introduction With the dual objectives of supporting the ongoing democratic reform and abetting the effort to end the 60 plus years of armed conflict in the Union of Myanmar, the Council for Democracy in Burma (CDB) organized a two-day seminar and three-day workshop for leaders of political parties, NGOs, and civil society organizations in Burma. The Seminar and Workshop on Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding took place December 16-20, 2013 at Inya Lake Hotel in Yangon, Myanmar. Over 80 participants attended. Our speakers comprised of high-profile leaders: veteran politicians from the 1990 general election, prominent democratic movement leaders such as the 1988 generation people s movement, leaders and policy makers actively involved in parliament since the 2010 election, and leaders of the ongoing nationwide ceasefire negotiations. Participants included leaders of various political parties, civil society organizations, journalists, and local and international NGOs working to support democratisation effort in Myanmar. Our seminar and workshop resource persons consisted of distinguished and internationally acclaimed experts and practitioners: two conflict resolution experts, Dr. Anna Snyder and Dr. Stephanie Stobbe from Menno Simons College, Canadian Mennonite University; Dr. Brian Rice, historian from the University of Winnipeg; Dr. Lian H. Sakhong, Director of Burma Centre for Ethnic Studies; and Dr. Kjell-Ake Norquist, a conflict transformation expert from Sweden. This report highlights the historical background of Myanmar conflict, objectives of the event, approaches to addressing the conflict, outcomes of the seminar and workshop, and our contribution to Myanmar s ongoing struggle to bring about peace and national reconciliation among its diverse ethnic groups under a democratic system of government. Our event was sponsored by senior business leaders from Canada, through the DeFehr foundation. We are very grateful to Mr. Art DeFehr and his wife, Leona DeFehr, for traveling from Canada to take part in our event on behalf of the sponsors. Historical Background on Myanmar The Union of Burma (Myanmar) as a country was born out of a treaty known as the Panglong treaty, which was signed on February 12, 1947 by the pre-colonial independent leaders of the

2 ethnic Shan, Kachin, Chin, and Burman or Bama. Myanmar/Burma was colonized by Great Britain and later gained independence on January 4, From 1948 to 1962, Myanmar/Burma practiced a quasi-federal system under a parliamentary democracy. However, due to the military coup in 1962, Myanmar/Burma was under military government until March, Since March, 2011, Myanmar/Burma has been undergoing rapid political reform under the new government led by President Thein Sein, whose administration introduced a package of democratic reforms. The contemporary Union of Burma (Myanmar) is a multi-ethnic country made up of eight major ethnic nationalities, which include the Kachin, Karenni, Karen, Chin, Mon, Arakan, Shan, and Burman (Bama). Considering that they all have distinct cultures, languages and their own territory, there is a strong sense that they each must protect and preserve their national heritage. In the context of Burma s political conflict, the various sizes of ethnic populations is of great importance. To get a sense of the population distribution, there is one dominant ethnic group, the Burman or Bama, who accounts for 60 percent of the entire population; the remaining 40 percent comprises all the other seven ethnic national minorities. As the country emerges from many years of military dictatorship, one of the challenges facing the country is a lack of mutual trust and understanding between the dominant ethnic group (Burman/Bama) and other ethnic national minorities. All military dictators, who governed the country since the military coup in 1962, have been ethnic Burmans. As a result, there is ethnic discrimination and consequent misunderstanding contributing to the chronic problem of distrust, making it difficult to promote the spirit of inter-ethnic cooperation. Objectives Inter-ethnic dialogue has been shown to deepen mutual trust among diverse groups, and the CDB provided a platform for interactive discussions through the seminar and workshop. Our objectives are as follows: (a) To provide a forum for different ethnic and religious groups to get together to constructively exchange their views on numerous topics with the objective of introducing various ways to cooperate in order to reach a negotiated agreement; (b) To promote mutual trust, consolidating a spirit of inter-ethnic cooperation and unity, and deepening understanding among Burmese ethnic groups (i.e. between the dominant ethnic Burman and ethnic national minorities); (c) To equip people with relevant negotiation skills to address conflicts at different levels and to share the applicable experiences of other countries undergoing democratic transitions from dictatorship; and, (d) To eliminate the embedded authoritarian culture in Myanmar by nurturing democratic values, norms, and practices. In order to achieve our objectives of the event, we intentionally invited selected participants from diverse ethnic backgrounds and religions. These people were well represented at the seminar and workshop.

3 Program Summary On the 16 th of December, 2013 we held an opening ceremony which included a number of local leaders speaking on different topics relevant to Myanmar. We concluded the first day of our event with a special dinner at the Inya Lake Hotel. On the second day, we had a seminar mainly for the political parties. Please see the program for the 17 th of December for further information about our resource persons and the issues they were presenting on. From the 18 th to the 20 th of December, we held a number of workshops facilitated by our resource persons, Dr. Anna Snyder and Dr. Stephanie Stobbe. On the last day, the 20 th of December, 2013, there was a closing ceremony program in which we presented a Certificate of acknowledgement to our graduates who completed three days of workshops on conflict resolution. During the ceremony, Mr. Art DeFehr and Leona DeFehr (the event sponsors) and Mr. Mark McDowell, the Canadian Ambassador for Myanmar, delivered encouraging speeches to our participants. We would like to express gratitude to the Canadian Ambassador for attending our closing ceremony and dinner. Approach In our effort to contribute to the overall democratic struggle to secure peace and full democratization in Myanmar, we needed to identity the challenges and obstacles to the ongoing peace process. For example, the lack of trust and absence of cooperation are major concerns. Based on these observations, we developed training materials that address the root causes of conflict. Our approach to tackle the problem of ethnic distrust was guided by our belief that building mutual trust between different ethnic groups requires them to interact with each other and work together in some kind of project or program. While we are supporting the ongoing reform process at the top-level administration, we are mainly working for reform and change from the bottom-up. Our concern is that without changing the mindsets at the grassroots, for people who have long been subjected to authoritarian culture, our effort to democratize will not be meaningful or unsustainable. By working with local practitioners who have close connections and contacts with either the leaders at the top or with ordinary citizens, we can create meaningful change. Training local trainers by selectively choosing participants from different ethnic groups also allowed us to reach citizens in remote areas. Outcomes Our event is unique in many ways. In both the seminar and workshops, we stressed the importance of cooperation and collaboration. Note that participants all seemed to appreciate our

4 basic approach: inter-ethnic dialogue and peaceful interaction among different ethnic groups. They also believed that this approach is absolutely necessary to eliminate the deep-seated problems of racially-based distrust and misunderstanding. Providing broad representation: We have achieved our initial objective of the seminar and workshop, which was to bring people from different ethnicities and religions together for the common purpose of building and nurturing mutual trust among them. When we asked our participants to share their feedback on the strength of our event, the overwhelming majority of them concurred, referring to, for instance, the gathering together of people from all different ethnic groups, across the political spectrum, and different religions to have a peaceful interaction by exchanging views on ranges of chosen topics and issues among them, which allowed them to have a better understanding of other cultures and concerns. Our event included all eight ethnic groups, all religions including Buddhist nuns, 23 political parties, and over 15 civil society organizations. To our knowledge there is no other organization that has organized an allinclusive gathering by bringing people together from all ethnic backgrounds, religions, and parties. Instilling a sense of individual and collective responsibility: One of our aims in organizing this event was to encourage the participants to take charge of their country s future to take charge of problems and find ways to resolve them. In trying to instill personal and collective responsibility to resolve problems, we required them to identify and analyze the conflict issues in their country. In small groups, they were asked to answer the following questions: (1) What are the root causes of the political conflict in Myanmar?; (2) What are the consequences and symptoms of the conflict?; and (3) What are some possible resolutions to the conflict? Most importantly, working together in a group not only allowed them to interact with each other, it also helped them to deepen their understanding of mutual respect and sense of cooperation. It was very encouraging to see the passion and effort that the participants put into the activities we asked them to do in dealing with many of the questions. In their own way, they have all been involved in nation-building projects at the community, state, and country level. Since they are all practitioners and doers, they have much to contribute. In the workshops, the participants were actively engaged in break-out group activities, shared their groups findings, and absorbed new ideas presented to them by our resource persons. In their feedback, they also expressed their willingness to have more time for discussion. In sharing or presenting their views, we did not come across any negative confrontation as there was great respect for different points of view. Supporting leaders of the political parties and civil society organizations: To put Myanmar in context, the country is now in the process of democratic transition, where leaders of all political parties are well aware that there will be no significant reform in terms of resolving Myanmar s political conflict without the substantive overhauling of the 2008 constitution first. Currently, all the political leaderships are more concerned about reforming the political system such as amending the constitution of 2008 to make the country fully democratic. Knowing that the political parties share goals for democracy and have the leverage to affect positive reforms

5 inside and outside the parliament, we squarely focussed our two-day seminar for the political parties to help shape the formulation of their policy making process. To meet the specific needs of Myanmar s transitional period, our speakers and resource persons presented relevant experiences of countries such as South Africa, East Timor, Laos, and Latin American countries- that have undergone transition process from dictatorships to democracy or peaceful co-existence. In fact, our participants found the presentations of our speakers very useful, which they believe they could utilize in developing policies as well as managing conflicts in their organizations, parties, and country. Working in the spirit of cooperation and collaboration: Peace in Burma cannot be achieved by one person or one party single-handedly. We need the cooperation of all people. Instead of competing with each other, this is the time to complement each other in activities that contribute to attaining our shared goal of peace. With that in mind, we collaborated with Burma Centre for Ethnic Studies (BCES) and Mizzima News agency, one of the national media organizations, to help run our seminar and workshop. This joint effort demonstrated to the whole movement that we can work together on common issues and support each other along the way in order to achieve our shared goal of peace regardless of our diverse backgrounds. This was achieved by bringing participants from diverse political, social, religious and ethnic backgrounds, and by collaborating with two other national-level organizations. Through our events, we have shown that it is possible to not only transcend divisions, but also demonstrate our principle of cooperating with all who share our goals of peace and democracy in the country. Supporting the ongoing ceasefire and peace negotiation: Since August 2011, the Myanmar government has taken unprecedented initiative of trying to secure ceasefire agreements with all the 15 armed opposition groups that have been fighting against the military government in order to bring about the restoration of democracy, internal self-determination and autonomy for ethnic national minorities, and lasting peace in the Union of Myanmar. Thus far, within the last one and a half year, the government obtained ceasefire deals with 11 of 15 groups. Now, both armed ethnic groups and the Myanmar government are having a series of meetings with the objective of achieving a nationwide ceasefire agreement this year The overall goal of this current nationwide ceasefire negotiation is to have a political dialogue to resolve the political conflict facing the country for over the past 60 years since Myanmar gained independence in Our workshops and seminar on conflict resolution and peacebuilding is in line with the shared goals of both the government and all ethnic armed groups, to find a negotiated settlement to Myanmar s political crises. Connecting with leaders and practitioners on the ground: In organizing this event, one of our secondary objectives is to be well-connected with the mainstream leadership. In order to connect with the leaderships, we have managed to visit and meet with almost all the political parties at their offices. During the five-day seminar and workshops, there was a broad representation of participants representing 23 political parties and many civil society organizations (see the attached list of participants). In additions, we also had 29 journalists attending our seminar and

6 received wide media coverage of our events both in print and TV. Just to also show the support we received from local leaders, we enclose our program agenda indicating a number of prominent leaders who were able to make presentations at the seminar. Most notably, we had leaders such as U Khun Tun Oo, the second most popular leader; Koko Gyi, one of the 88- generation movement leaders; Harn Yawnghwe, Director of Euro-Burma Office; Dr. Lian H. Sakhong, Director of Burma Centre for Ethnic Studies (BCES); U Zo Zam, Chairman of Chin National Party and Member of Parliament; U Tha Ban and U Nai Ngwe Thein, both of them are veteran Politicians and life-long campaigners for democracy and federalism in Myanmar; Dr. Naing Aung, head of Forum for Democracy in Burma (FDB) and former Chairman of All Burma Student Democratic Front (ABSDF); Mark McDowell, Canadian Ambassador to Myanmar; Miss Mia Yen, senior Trade commissioner of Canada; and leaders from the Myanmar Peace Centre, U Aung Naing Oo, Director of Peace negotiations and political dialogue, and Dr. Min Zaw Oo, Director of Ceasefire Negotiation and Implementation, who attended our dinner program to show their support for the events. Conclusion The situation in Burma is changing rapidly. To their credit, President Thein Sein and reformminded generals within the army have made the choice to modernize the political system from a totalitarian regime to a semi-authoritarian system. The objective is to gradually transition into a fully democratic system. To complete Burma's transition to democracy, the country is in dire need of thriving and vibrant civil society organizations (non-state actors), to provide civic education for the citizenry and promote democratic principles such as transparency, accountability, freedom, and human rights. There will be no sustained development without political stability and rule of law. Now is the ideal time for international organizations and donor countries to support capacity-building programs inside the country for both government and nongovernmental organizations. With the unprecedented level of openings inside the country since the new semi-civilian government came to power in March 2011, we have the opportunity and freedom to organize and run programs that will assist the country in their move towards peace and democracy. In terms of challenges, there are many and we do not have any illusion that it will be a long and difficult journey. However, seeing that there is hope for peace and knowing that everyone in attendance at the seminar and workshops are committed to constructive change, we believe that what we do by working with local practitioners through programs and trainings that meet their needs will be very effective in helping to eliminate prevalent roadblocks for peace in Myanmar. We have confidence that our work for peace will gradually spread across the country and hope that the small role we play would be meaningful for the country of Myanmar. Appedix: Pictures of the event below.

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8 Mr. Zaceu Lian, Director of the Council for Democracy in Burma (CDB), giving welcome speech! Dinner on the eve of the Seminar and Workshop at Inya Lake Hotel, December 15, 2013

9 Mr. Art DeFehr, the Event Sponsor ( The DeFehr Foundation), addressing his special remarks. This is a group presentation..

10 Conflict Resolutions expert Dr. Stephanie Stobbe, Menno Simons College (MSC), Canadian Mennonite University, one of the resource persons and facilitators.

11 Conflict Resolution expert Dr. Anna Snyder, Menno Simons College (MSC), Canadian Mennonite University, one of the resource persons and facilitators.

12 Koko Gyi, one of the leading Political figures and mastermind behind the 1988 people s revolution in Myanmar. A special Gala Dinner with distinguished guests at Inya Lake Hotel, December 16, 2013.

13 Hon. Pu Zo Zam, elected Member of Parliament and Chairman of the Chin National Party (CNP).

14 Dr. Lian Hmung Sakhong, Director of Burma Centre for Ethnic Studies (BCES), presenting on the current peace process in Myanmar. A line-up for Dinner at Inya Lake Hotel..

15 Dr. Brian Rice, the University of Winnipeg and Miss Cherry Zahau, the interpreter. This is also a break-up group activity and finding.

16 Group Presentation.. very engaged group indeed.

17 Role Play: Justice, Peace, Mercy, Facilitator, and Truth with the facilitators Dr. Stobbe and Dr. Snyder.

18 From Left to Right: Leona, Mark, and Art, while eagerly waiting for the closing ceremony.

19 Special Dinner with prominent leaders at the House of Memories, the office of Myanmar s Independence Hero, General Aung San, the Father of Noble Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. Art was talking to U Khun Tun Oo, the second most Prominent Leader in Myanmar.

20 Mr. Art DeFher, speaking at the closing ceremony.. December 20, Group Photos with Workshop Participants

21 Dr. Norquist, conflict resolution expert, from Sweden speaking at the Seminar. One of our graduates holding his certificate of completion for three day of our workshop on conflict resolution: He was posing picture with Canadian Ambassador, Mr. Mark McDowell and our group.

22 Mr. Mark McDowell, Canadian Ambassador to Myanmar, speaking at our closing ceremony. Dec. 20, 2013.

23 This drawing is the visualization of a peaceful and developed city, collectively drawn up by one of the groups.

24 Miss Thin Thin Aung, Women League of Burma and co-founding director of Mizzima News Agency U Harn Yawnghwe, Director of Euro-Burma Office and the son of the first President of the Union of Myanmar. Mr. Harn discussed the current Ceasefire negotiation process in the Union of Myanmar.

25 From LtoR: U Nai Ngwe Thein, Dr. Lian H. Sakhong, and U Tha Ban (they are all veteran politicians and thinkers) Dr. Naing Aung, the former Chairman of All Burma Student Democratic Front (ABSDF) and the head of Forum for Democracy in Burma (FDB).

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27 Appendix: Programs for Seminar and Workshop Program for Opening Ceremony and Dinner: Workshop and Seminar on Conflict Resolution and Democratic peace-building in Myanmar (December 16, 2013) At Inya Lake Hotel, 37 Kaba Aye Pagoda Road, Yangon, Myanmar Phone , Jointly Organized by: The Council for Democracy in Burma (CDB), Burma Centre for Ethnic Studies (BCES) and Mizzima Program for Opening Ceremony (from 1:00 pm to 5:30 pm) Masters of the Ceremony: Dr. Stephanie Stobbe, Dr. Anna Snyder and Zaceu Lian No Topics Speakers 1. Welcome and Introduction Zaceu Lian, The Council for Democracy in Burma (CDB), and Ms. Thin Thin Aung, Cofounding director, Mizzima. 2. Special Remarks Arthur DeFehr, CEO and Chairman of Palliser Company, (MBA, Harvard School of Business). 3. The state of the ongoing democratic transition in the Union of Myanmar Ko Ko Gyi, One of the 88-generation leaders 4. The Ceasefire process and its future U Harn Yawnghwe, Director of Euro-Burma

28 prospect Office (EBO) 5. The view of ethnic national minorities U Nai Nhgwe Thein, leader of the ethnic Mon and a veteran politician, Union Nationalities League for Democracy (UNLD), the largest and umbrella political alliance representing all ethnic minorities 6. Encouragement Speech U Zo Zam, Member of Parliament (MP) elected in 2010 election, and the current leader of Chin National Party (CNP) 7. Three Stages of Peace Dr. Kjell-Åke Nordquist, In-charge of Research Program on Human Rights and Peace-Building, Stockholm School of Theology, Bromma, Sweden 8. The role and initiatives of ethnic National minorities in rebuilding the Union of Myanmar U Tha Ban. Journalist, prolific writer and a veteran politician. 9. Challenges of Exile s Return Dr. Naing Aung, Former Chairman of All Burma s Students Democratic Front (ABSDF) and Forum for Democracy in Burma (FDB) 10. Closing remarks Dr. Lian H. Sakhong, Director of Burma Centre for Ethnic Studies (BCES), and Martin Luther King Peace laureate. Program for the second Day: December 17, 2013 From 7:00 am to 8:30 am Breakfast From 8:30 am to 9:10 am The Great Law of Peace: A North American Traditional Story about Confederation". Dr. Brian Rice, The University of Winnipeg, Canada. 9:10 am to 9:30 am Q & A Session

29 9:30 am to 10:10 am The underlying causes of Myanmar s Conflict, the current peace negotiation process, and a way Forward, by Dr. Lian H. Sakhong, Director of Burma Centre for Ethnic Studies 10:10 am to 10:30 Q & A Session 10:30 am to 10:45 am Coffee Break 10:50 am to 11:30 am Respecting Identity, Creating Justice, and Building Peaceful Relationships in Laos through Traditional Conflict Resolution Process, Dr. Stephanie Stobbe Professor in Conflict Resolution Studies at Menno Simons College, the University of Winnipeg (Canada)." 11:30 am to 12:00 noon Q & A Session 12: 00 to 1:00 pm Lunch Break 1:00 pm to 1:40 pm Refugees Building Peace: A Study of Refugee Women's Organizations from Sudan, Tibet, and Myanmar", Dr. Anna Snyder Professor in Conflict Resolution Studies at Menno Simons College, the University of Winnipeg (Canada); 1:40 pm to 2:00 pm Q & A Session 2:00 pm to 2:40 pm From Agreement to Reconciliation: Philosophy and mechanisms - Lessons from Indonesia/East Timor, Israelis- Palestine, Cyprus, and Sudan. By Dr. Kjell-Åke Nordquist 2:40 pm to 3:00 pm Q & A Session 3:00 pm to 3:15 pm Coffee Break

30 3:15 pm to 4:30 pm Group Discussion 4:30 pm to 5:00 pm Wrap-up session Three-day Workshop On CONFLICT RESOLUTION, PEACEBUIDLING, AND RECONCILIATION Dr. Anna Snyder and Dr. Stephanie Stobbe, Professors in Conflict Resolution Studies (CRS) Menno Simons College (a College of CMU) at the University of Winnipeg DECEMBER 18-20, 2013 WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY CONFLICT ANALYSIS PEACEMAKING PEACEBUILDING/RECONCILIA TION Morning Morning Morning 8:00-8:30 Breakfast 8:00-8:30 Breakfast 8:00-8:30 Breakfast 8:30-10:30 Dr. Snyder & Dr. Stobbe - 8:30-8:45 Introduction & Guidelines 8:30-10:30 Dr. Snyder & Dr. Stobbe 8:30-8:40 Welcome & Check-In 8:30-10:30 Dr. Snyder & Dr. Stobbe 8:30-8:40 Welcome & Check-In INTRODUCTION TO CRS Dr. Stobbe COMMUNICATION SKILLS Dr. Snyder 8:40-9:20 - Lecture Listening INTRODUCTION TO PEACEBUILDING Dr. Snyder

31 8:45-9:30 Lecture - Introduction to CRS, culture, conflict analysis, c transformation - personal, relationship, structural, and cultural, 9:30-10:30 Group Exercise Statement of hope for positive peace in Myanmar (Burma) on flipcharts (different colours for Personal, Relationship, Structural, and Cultural) If time permits: Roleplay of Interpersonal Conflicts Skills - types, why important, 9:20-9:30 - Brainstorm example of time when they felt listened to (characteristics); brainstorm principles of good listening/communication; 9:30-9:50 - Pairs Exercise Dr. Stobbe 9:50-10:20 - Lecture Speaking Skills respectful language, honorifics, nonverbal communication 10:20-10:30 Small Groups - brainstorm examples cultural differences in communication 8:40-9:30 Lecture - Introduction to peacebuilding Lederach s Diagram (socio-economic, socio-political, socio-psychological, spiritual); triangle (top, middle, grassroots) IDENTITY & TRUST Dr. Stobbe 9:30-10:30 Lecture - Identity (Rothman; Northrup); Trust (Lewicki & Wiethoff; Lencioni) Pairs Exercise Trust Small Groups: Relationship/Team- Building Exercise 10:30-10:50 Coffee Break 10:30-10:50 Coffee Break 10:30-10:50 Coffee Break 11:00-12:30 CONFLICT ANALYSIS Dr. Snyder 11:00-11:45 Lecture - Five Level Analysis (Ramsbothan, Woodhouse & Miall); Identity 11:00-12:30 CONFLICT RESOLUTION STYLES Dr. Snyder 11:00-11:20 Lecture - Five conflict resolution styles (Thomas-Kilmann) 11:00-12:30 RECONCILIATION Dr. Stobbe 11:00-11:45 Lecture - Reconciliation (Lederach & others) 11:45-12:30 Small Groups brainstorm What are the causes of conflict in Burma based on the 11:20-11:50 - Complete styles questionnaire 11:45-12:30 - Reconciliation role play (Lederach)

32 model? 11:50-12:00 - Discussion of results 12:00-12:30 - Role plays community conflict; political conflict 12:30-1:00 Lunch 12:30-1:00 Lunch 12:30-1:00 Lunch Afternoon Afternoon Afternoon 1:00-3:00 DIALOGUE & NEGOTIATION Dr. Snyder 1:00-2:30 Lecture - Dialogue & Collaborative Negotiation; Power What is your experience with the conflict? 1:00-3:00 VARIETY OF CONFLICT RESOLUTION PROCESSES Dr. Stobbe 1:00-1:40 Lecture - elicitive learning, shared values & CR processes 1:00-3:00 TRUTH & RECONCILIATION COMMISSION (TRC) TRC DVD VIEWING Dr. Snyder 1:00-1:15 - Intro to TRC - TRC in Canada Dr. Stobbe 2:30-3:00 Lecture - Conflict Tree Model (Fisher et. al.) 1:40-2:00 - Lao Folktale 2:00-3:00 - Small Groups How are conflict resolved in your community? Dr. Stobbe 1:15-1:45 Intro to S. Africa & watch DVD Dr. Snyder 1:45-2:15 Intro to Peru & watch DVD Dr. Stobbe & Dr. Snyder 2:15-3:00 - Discussion 3:00-3:15 Coffee Break 3:00-3:15 Coffee Break 3:00-3:15 Coffee Break

33 3:20-5:00 APPLICATION/PRACTICE Dr. Stobbe 3:20-3:30 - Explanation of Exercise Dr. Snyder & Dr. Stobbe 3:30-4:30 - Collaborative Negotiation Exercise in Small Groups Discuss the main problems, effects of the problems, causes of the problems (tree model), and collaboratively negotiate needs and interests related to underlying causes of conflict. Dr. Stobbe & Dr. Snyder 4:30-5:00 - Large Group report back discussions from small groups 3:20-5:00 CONFLICT RESOLUTION SPECTRUM Dr. Snyder 3:20-3:40 - Western CR Spectrum Diagram Dr. Stobbe 3:40-4:00 - Asian/Lao CR Spectrum Diagram Dr. Snyder & Dr. Stobbe 4:00-5:00 - Small Groups Identify conflict resolution processes that are used in Myanmar (Burma) 3:20-5:00 PEACEBUILDING ACTION PLAN Dr. Snyder & Dr. Stobbe 3:20-4:20 - Small Groups - activities demonstrating peacebuilding action: 1. Personal Activities 2. Communal Activities Dr. Stobbe & Dr. Snyder 4:20-5:00 Discussion Action: Negotiation Exercise 3-4 small groups to come up with common underlying causes of conflict in Myanmar (Burma) Action: Negotiation Exercise 3-4 small groups to brainstorm options for responding to the causes of conflict in Myanmar (Burma) Action: Negotiation Exercise Evaluation & Action Plan Large Group As a group of political leaders, what peacebuilding activities or projects can you be involved in? Evening 5:00-6:00 Closing Ceremony Speakers: 1. Mr. Mark McDowell, Canadian Ambassador to Myanmar 2. Mr. Art DeFehr, Sponsor, the DeFehr Foundation

34 3. Leona DeFehr, Sponsor, the DeFehr Foundation Appendix: Profiles of our Speakers and resource persons 1. Ko Ko Gyi is one of the leading political figures of the 1988-generation student movement group, who was imprisoned for his leadership role in the countrywide revolution in He is by far one of the most popular political figures in the country, and touted as a possible candidate for the President of Myanmar in Dr. Naing Aung is now the head of Forum for Democracy in Burma (FDB), based in Thailand. He was the former Chairman of the All-Burma Student Democratic Front (ABSDF), which was the largest nationwide student organization formed by University students, who fled the country after 1988 student-led people s uprising against the military government in Myanmar. 3. U Harn Yawnghwe is the Executive Director of the Euro-Burma office, the funding organization that has long funded the activities of armed opposition movements and civil society organizations. He is the son of the first President of the Union of Burma, U Sao Shwe Thaik. 4. U Tha Ban is a veteran politician, lawyer and journalist. He was one of the Central Executive Members of the Union National League for Democracy (UNLD), the largest umbrella political coalition of ethnic political parties that won the second greatest number of parliamentary seats after the National League for Democracy (NLD) in the 1990 election. 5. Nai Ngwe Thein, former Chairman of the now-defunct Mon National League for Democracy (MNLD), is one of the leading political leaders, who led the nationwide campaign to bring about the rights of ethnic political equality and self-determination for ethnic national after Because of his life-long leadership and sacrifice for the restoration of democracy and national equality, he was awarded the National Reconciliation Award by by the National Reconciliation Hero Award conferring committee in Norway. 6. U Zo Zam is the Chairman of the Chin National Party (CNP) and a Member of Parliament (MP), elected in Capitalizing on the opening space under the new government, he is among the leading parliamentarians advocating to amend the 2008 constitution in Parliament. 7. Thin Thin Aung is the Co-founding director of Mizzima, the daily newspaper in Burmese and English. After 1988 student uprising, she fled to the Indo-Burma border area and joined the exiled student democratic movement of Burma. She is also one of the founding members of the Women s League for Burma (WLB), the national umbrella organization that has long been advocating for women rights in the Union of Myanmar.

35 Profiles of our resource persons 1. Dr. Lian H. Sakhong, Director of the Burma Centre for Ethnic Studies, is a long-term political activist, served as the Chairman of the Chin National Council (CNC, ), the Vice-Chairman of the Ethnic Nationalities Council - Union of Burma (ENC, ), and combining the General Secretary post of ENC, Chin National League for Democracy-Exile (CNLD), and United Nationalities League for Democracy- Liberated Areas (UNLD-LA) in He also was a coordinator of Supporting Committee for State Constitutions Drafting Process (SCSC), ; Secretary of Federal Constitution Drafting and Coordinating Committee (FCDCC), ; and worked as a Research Director of the Euro-Burma Office (Brussels), He was awarded the Martin Luther King Prize in 2007, which was established in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for his historic calling and contribution for peace and harmony among human race regardless of race by the Swedish based global peace groups including the Baptist Union of Sweden, Christian Initiative for Peace (Peace Initiative), Christian Association for Combat to Racism, and Afro-Swedish Association in Dr. Anna Snyder is associate professor in conflict resolution studies at Menno Simons College an affiliate of University of Winnipeg and Canadian Mennonite University. A peace educator, she has taught peace and conflict studies to over 1,500 undergraduate, M.A., and Ph. D. students including students in exile on the Thai/Burmese border. A peace scholar, her work in her 2011 co-edited book, Critical Issues of Gender in Conflict Resolution, Peacebuilding, and Social Movements focuses on the peacebuilding capacity of refugee women s organizations in Burma, Tibet, Sudan. In 2007, she conducted research with refugees from Burma on the Thai/Burmese border and she is currently interviewing refugees from Burma resettled in Canada. Her research and publications build on her expertise in women s peace organizations; Dr. Snyder s book Setting the Agenda for Global Peace: Conflict and Consensus Building looks at transnational women s peace networks at the th UN World Conference on Women. Dr. Snyder is a faculty member in the department of Conflict Resolution Studies at Menno Simons College at the University of Winnipeg in Canada. 3. Dr. Stephanie Stobbe, is associate Professor, Conflict Resolution Studies Menno Simons College, Winnipeg, Manitoba. She is an active educator, trainer, and ADR practitioner with a Ph.D. in Peace and Conflict Studies. As an Associate of the Centre for Conflict Resolution International, Dr. Stobbe has developed Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) training materials for the organization and facilitated in its seminars, workshops, and interventions dealing with organizational conflict management. She has also worked as a researcher with The Action Evaluation Research Initiative, an organization working on international research and conflict resolution. Dr. Stobbe s research interests include workplace and organizational dispute resolution, gender and

36 conflict resolution, human rights, refugee and immigrant issues, cross-cultural issues, ethnic conflicts, and traditional or indigenous conflict resolution processes. Dr. Stobbe has conducted conflict resolution courses, seminars, workshops, and research in Canada, United States, South America, Lithuania, and Southeast Asia. Dr. Stobbe is a faculty member in the department of Conflict Resolution Studies at Menno Simons College at the University of Winnipeg in Canada. 4. Dr. Kjell-Åke Nordquist: Dr. Nordquist is an associate Professor, in-charge of Research Program on Human Rights and Peace-Building, Stockholm School of Theology, Bromma, Sweden. His former positions include Head (Prefect) of Department of Peace and Conflict Research, Uppsala University, Uppsala :Director of Studies, Department of Peace and Conflict Research, Uppsala University , Assistant Professor, Department of Peace and Conflict Research, Uppsala University, Dr. Brian Rice is Assistant Professor of Education at the University of Winnipeg. He has written two books: Encounters between Newcomers and Aboriginal Peoples in the East (2006) and Seeing the World with Aboriginal Eyes (2005). His dissertation, entitled The Rotinonshonni through the Eyes of Taharonhiawako and Sawiskera: A Traditional History of the Iroquois People for Modern Times, with one of its central themes being the Great Law of Peace, has been used by members of the Six Nations Iroquois in making their own journeys back to their homeland in eastern Ontario and central New York. Dr. Rice graduated with a doctorate in Traditional Aboriginal Knowledge from the Division of Transformative Learning at the California Institute of Integral Studies. He is an enrolled member of the Mohawk Nation. He has done presentations in Guyana, Ireland, Senegal, Mexico, Israel, Palestine, Thailand and Australia. He has written a chapter in The Handbook of Conflict Analysis and Resolution. More recently, he co-authored an article featured in the book From Truth to Reconciliation. Appendix: Attendance List for the whole event: Seminar and Workshop

37 Attendance List for THE SEMINAR & WORKSHOP ON CONFLICT RESOLUTION AND PEACE-BUILDING IN MYANMAR December 16-20, 2013, Inya Lake Hotel, Yangon, Myanmar Jointly Organized by: The Council for Democracy in Burma (CDB), Burma Centre for Ethnic Studies (BCES) and Mizzima Total Attendance List: 133 Serial Names Affiliation Remarks No. 1. Dr. Anna Snyder Resource Person Menno Simons College, Canada Canadian Mennonite University. 2. Dr. Stephanie Stobbe Resource Person Menno Simons College, Canada Canadian Mennonite University. 3. Dr. Kjell-Ake Norquist Resource Person - Sweden Stockholm School of Theology, Bromma, Sweden 4. Dr. Lian H. Sakhong Resource person - Director of Burma Centre Thailand for Ethnic Studies 5. Dr. Brian Rice Resource Person- The University of Canada Winnipeg 6. Mr. Art DeFehr Sponsor The DeFehr Foundation Distinguished guest 7. Leona DeFehr Sponsor The DeFehr Foundation Distinguished guest 8. Mr. Mark McDowell Canadian Ambassador to Myanmar Distinguished guest 9. Miss Mia Yen Senior Trade Commissioner to Myanmar Distinguished guest 10. U Khun Tun Oo Chairman of Shan National League for Democracy Distinguished guest 11. Dr. Min Zaw Oo Director of Ceasefire Negotiation and Implementation - Myanmar Peace Centre Distinguished guest 12. U Aung Naing Oo Associate Director of the Peace Dialogue Program Myanmar Peace Centre Distinguished guest Local Speakers Local Speakers Local speakers 13. KoKo Gyi One of the prominent 88-generation student movement leaders. 14. U Harn Yawnghwe Director of Euro-Burma Office 15. Hon. U Zo Zam MP and Chairman of Chin National Party 16. U Tha Ban A veteran Politician and Journalist 17. U Nai Ngwe Thein A veteran politician and Former Chairman of the defunct Mon National League for Democracy 18. Dr. Naing Aung Head of Forum for Democracy in Burma

38 and former Chairman of All Burma s Student Democratic Front (ABSDF) 19. Miss Thin Thin Aung Co-founding Director of Mizzima News Agency and one of the leaders of Women League of Burma (WLB) Organizers Organizers Organizers 20. Mr. Zaceu Lian Director- The Council for Democracy in Burma (CDB) 21. Charles Staff/CDB 22. Joshua Burma Centre for Ethnic Studies 23. Ye Win Naing On behalf of Mizzima 24. Miss Ngun Dawi Tial Staff/ CDB 25. Miss Thin Yu Mon Staff/ CDB Participants Participants 26. Daw Than Than Nu Democratic Party Myanmar Political Parties 27. U Nyi Pu National League for Democracy (NLD) 28. U Tuntun Hein National League for Democracy 29. U Nai Ngwe Thein Mon Democracy Party 30. U Min Kyaw Win Mon Democracy Party 31. U Min Khai Sun Mon Democracy Party 32. Myint Myint Wai The Union of Myanmar Federation of National Politics 33. Saw Maung Toe Karen Peoples Party 34. U Maung Maung Ni National Democratic Party for Development (NDPD) 35. U Khin Mg Myint National Democratic Party for Development (NDPD) 36. U Nai Khin Maung Federal Union Party (FUP) 37. Chocho Yaw Nyein Democratic Party Myanmar 38. U Nan Ri Kayan National Party 39. U Saw Mya Chin Progressive Party (CPP) 40. Salai Shien Tun Chin Progressive Party (CPP) 41. U Nay Min Kyaw National Democratic Forces (NDF) 42. Salai Ceu Bik Thawng Chin National Party (CNP) 43. Daw Khin Than Oo Myanmar Farmer s Development Party 44. Saw Htoo Kay Myanmar Farmer s Development Party 45. U Aung Than Tint Party for Unity and Peace (PUP) 46. U Thet Oo Party for Unity and Peace (PUP) 47. U Aung Than Democracy and Peace Party (DPP) 48. U Thet Myo Htway National Political Alliance League (NPAL) 49. U Kyaw Thu Aung National Political Alliance League (NPAL) 50. Kyaw Thu Rah National Democratic Forces 51. U Tin Win National Democratic Forces 52. U Nay Min Kyaw National Democratic Forces 53. Akkar Boh The 88 Generation Peace and Open Society

39 54. Tun Thura Soe The 88 Generation Peace and Open Society 55. U Zaw Ban Kachin Democratic Party 56. U Sang Hlei Mang Ethnic National Development Party 57. Salai Aung Min Hlaing Asho Chin National Party 58. U Kyaw Swa Soe Myanmar Farmer s Development Party (MFDP) 59. U Than Nyunt New National Democracy Party (NNDP)- 60. U Myo Kyaw Arakan League for Democracy 61. U Aung Khine Win National Democratic Party for Development 62. Than Htike Oo The 88 generation Student Youth (The Union of Myanmar) 63. U Sai Aung Kyaw Soe Shan State East 64. Naw Lwei Wa Paw Women for the World CSOs and NGOs 65. Miss Van Liza Aung Women for the World 66. U Tun Tun Oo Civil Society o organization/ttawngtwingyi 67. U Zaw Lin KDN 68. U Aung San Oo CSO 69. Peter Sang Observer from Norway 70. Mang Cung Nung CSO 71. Kyi Pyo Chitsa Myanmar Development Resource Institute 72. Thin Thin Aung Mizzima News 73. Hannes Sidel CSI/UNDP 74. Achim Hanns Seidel Foundation 75. Michael Signer Hanns Seidel Foundation 76. Dr. Aye Aye Ngun Yangon University 77. Salai Zie Toe AGS 78. Salai Van Lal Tanpui Chin National Party 79. Thuzar Thant Euro-Burma Office 80. Evan Toe Singapore Embassy 81. Rual lian Thang Heinrich Boll Stiftung Foundation 82. Mr. Manfred Hornung Heinrich Boll Stiftung Foundation 83. Cherry Zahau Pyidawngsu Institute 84. Mai Susu Hlaing C.S.O 85. Thet Aung Myanmar Development Resource Institute 86. Nge Nge Euro-Burma Office 87. Min Hmawng Htaw Ethnic Youth Network Group 88. Khup Kha Mang ZCD 89. Ko Ko Naing Ethnic Youth Network Group 90. CHANT MYAET AUNG Mon Democracy Party 91. Saw Blessing Yangon school of Political Science 92. MYO SET THIT DPN

40 93. BA MAUNG SEIN McGill University, MBA 94. SAW PEH BU L.S 95. PRYA REH THAN L.S 96. KATHRA HTERY Nunary (a Buddhist nun) 97. MAY DAR THEIN GI A lin Yaung (nun) 98. TIN ZAR KHINE Myanmar Egress/Myanmar Peace Centre 99. KHAW LIAN Chin Progressive Party THAWNG 100. DAW MYA MYA Arakan Women Group 101. DAW SAW KHIN Arakan Women Group THINT 102. Khine Khine Win Union of Myanmar Federation of National Politics 103. Mi Mi Myang Union of Myanmar Federation of National Politics 104. Mr. Van Bawi Lian CSO Media Groups Media Group Media Group 105. Zarli Myint Oo Eleven Media Group 106. Min Thu Aung The Messenger 107. Nang Thida Win Yangon Media 108. Aung Thu Htet Yangon Media 109. Aye Theingi Than Yangon Media Group 110. Naing Thoon Oo Kamayut Media TV 111. Hla Hla Win DVB TV 112. Thaw Thaw Golden Fresh Land newspaper 113. Nyi NgaL Democratic Voice of Burma TV 114. Ye Min Oo MN TV 115. Wa Lone Myanmar Times 116. Emily Eih Pyi TV 117. Ay News The Voice 118. Aung Khant Pit Taing Journal 119. Yan Myo Aung 7 Day 120. Kyaw Yin Than 7 Day 121. Nay Hnin Envoy 122. Naw Ko Ko The Voice 123. Kyaw Aung Radio Free Asia 124. Aung Naing Radio Free Asia 125. Way Yin Oo Radio Free Asia (RFA) 126. Kyaw Htoo Aung Radio Free Asia (RFA) 127. Aung Thi Hah Oo Pit Ttaing 128. Nan Lwin Mizzima 129. Yi Mon Yangon Times 130. Zarli Myint Oo Weekly Eleven

41 131. Zin Bo Lwin Daily Eleven 132. Salai Mang Hre Lian The Chinland Post 133. Zin Bo Lwin Eleven Media Group Note: We are grateful to note that we had a broad and comprehensive representation of many diverse backgrounds (a) all eight ethnic backgrounds- Kachin, Karenni, Karen, Chin, Mon, Arakan, Shan, and Bama/Burman, (b) all major religions of the country Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism, and (c) almost all the mainstream political parties, numerous civil society organizations, and many NGOs and INGOs working for the restoration of democracy in Myanmar. Total participants are 133