Workshop: International Cooperation in Myanmar-Report from the Field

2012年10月25日更新

On Thursday, October 25, the Global Collaboration Center hosted a workshop titled “International Cooperation in Myanmar-Report from the Field,” as an activity of the “Living Together in a Global Society” Study Group.

（Myanmar presentation）

The workshop was held in conjunction with a project in which I am currently involved, construction of new facilities for Kan Kaung Quasi Middle School on Inle Lake in South Shan State, Myanmar. To discuss the situation on the ground in Myanmar, I invited two special guest speakers who represent NGOs assisting with the project: Associate Professor Kenji Yokomori of Tokyo Medical and Dental University, representative director of the nongovernmental organization WakuWaku Gaia; and Akari Suzuki, Myanmar representative for the NGO Terra People Association.
A total of 19 people attended the event, and the atmosphere was relaxed and informal throughout.

（Discussion following presentations）

The 90-minute workshop consisted of a 30-minute presentation by Ms. Suzuki, followed by a 30-minute presentation by Professor Yokomori, and finally 30 minutes of discussions with the audience. In lectures interspersed with quizzes and other interactive techniques, Ms. Suzuki and Professor Yokomori offered insight into their own personal stories as well as the situation in Myanmar today and conveyed the hardship, inspiration, and rewards of working on-site in international cooperation. They spoke from their own experiences living among the people of Myanmar, explaining how schools are built, how life is changing as a result of democratic reforms, and how they themselves mingled and worked side by side with the local residents.

Through selection of crops and agricultural inputs like fertilizer and weed control, each household had to produce enough by the end of each year to provide adequate nourishment for all family members. Poor nutrition could increase the risk of illness and even lead to death. Families had to pay to receive medical treatment. A card drawn at random by a trainer at the start of each round established the rainfall and other weather conditions affecting that year’s harvest. At the end of every round (year), each family sold any surplus crops or bought what it needed from other families to make up any shortfall and recorded the balance of farm output and nutritional intake for the year. The simulation yielded a wide range of experiences and outcomes, with one family launching a small business and one person falling ill while living away from home as a migrant worker.

The audience was actively involved and took the initiative in raising provocative questions. It was a highly meaningful and interactive learning opportunity, in which everyone present seemed to be building something together, and each individual had opportunities to think independently about how they would have acted in a similar situation. Throughout, I was struck by the earnest attention with which participants listened to the speakers and to one another.

After the event, participants came up to me to say how much they had enjoyed it and how glad they were they had attended. I would like to think that everyone who participated learned or discovered at least one thing that was new.

For me personally, the event was a wonderful learning experience that impressed on me the challenges of putting something together from scratch. I am grateful to have been part of such an enjoyable and rewarding event like this, and I would like to extend my thanks to everyone involved.

（Miho Suzuki, second-year undergraduate student,
Global Studies for Inter-Cultural Cooperation Program, Faculty of Letters and Education）