s

Recent graduates from the

Mai Ja Yang Intensive

English School (IEP) in

Kachin State

PROSPECT BURMA KEEPING THE FLAME OF EDUCATION ALIVE

ISSUE 27

WINTER 201314

INSIDE

2 Chairmanrsquos Editorial

3 Alumna Interview

4 Student Interview

5 Burma Watch

6 News Roundup

7 Directorrsquos Editorial

8 How to Help

THE FUTURE OF PROSPECT BURMA 2014 marks the 25th Anniversary of Prospect Burma As many look to the changes in Burma it remains as important as ever that we work to bui ld open and unrestricted access to high quality education for the young people that we hope will determine their countryrsquos future

Although Burma is changing both old and new challenges remain as you will read about in our Burma Watch on page 5

The Burmese education system has been under an ongoing strategic review and the most recent findings demonstrate how much the Prospect Burma Scholarships are still needed According to a recent UNICEF report on public sector spending in Burma government spending on educat ion only represents 15 of GDP the lowest in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region Furthermore of the Ministry of Educationrsquos allocated 2012-13 budget only 10 of an already small amount was spent on higher education whilst 86 was spent on basic education and the remaining 4 mainly represented allocation to education planning and training1

E f f o r t s a r e u n d e r w a y t o r e s t o r e educational institutions but these projects are very much in their preliminary stages

1 ldquoSnapshot of Social Sector Public Budget Allocations and Spending in Myanmarrdquo UNI-CEF 2013 httpwwwuniceforgmyanmarFinal_Budget_Allocations_and_Spending_in_Myanmarpdf

and it will take years for Burma to raise the education standards of its universities On a more positive note with recent political changes in Burma graduates of scholarship programs have more opportunities than ever to affect change in the economic social and polit ical development of their country For this reason opportunities for external higher education are needed now more than ever to drive development in Burma

In this issue you will meet several of our alumni and students that we see as the faces of the future Yin Tun (interview on page 3) has found a way to embrace new technology to bring international education into Burma a much cherished dream at Prospect Burma Dr Khyne U Mar has built an international reputation for her elephant conservat ion work (mentioned on page 6) One of our current students has similar hopes to promote conservation with their Tropical Forestry studies (interviewed on page 4) Lastly Nehginpao Kipgen is facing the questions about Burmarsquos democratic future in his new book (mentioned on page 6)

Twenty-five years on we are proud of what Prospect Burma alumni and scholars are achieving In the face of the challenges ahead we need to do more so that their future and that of the next generation will be brighter still We must continue to keep the flame of education alive

facebookcomprospectburma

twittercomprospectburma

CHAIRMANrsquoS EDITORIAL Prospect Burmarsquos Chairman Robert Gordon gives his views

W i t h B u r m a b e g i n n i n g t o a c c e s s international development assistance again the full scale of the challenge ahead is becoming clearer For Prospect Burma our key focus is tertiaryuniversity level education Decades of gross underfunding the relocation of university campuses out of inner-city sites to distant suburbs as well as the long periods when universities were simply closed down altogether have all left scars that will take many years to heal

Recent eyewitness reports tell of crumbling buildings erratic electricity supplies threadbare libraries and internet connectivity that can only be described as pitiful While academic and library staff are often dedicated and enthusiastic the resources at their disposal are utterly inadequate for them to deliver a decent higher education

Saddest of all campuses have little of the excited buzz and chatter that one associates with student life While a number of international academic partnerships are now in gestation they have yet to make any measurable impact on the ground In short it will be a long time before Burmarsquos new generation can access the sort of university education they deserve

All this reinforces our belief that Prospect Burmarsquos scholarship programme will be necessary for many years to come Burmarsquos need for well-trained graduates has never been more urgent Returning scholars from our programme constitute a potentially valuable resource So it is important that we keep in close touch with our former scholars and we are trialling new ways of interacting with them through social media and other communication tools

A recent survey of alumni from our 2008 cohort has offered some encouraging pointers to the areas in which our returning scholars are starting to make a difference Some 40 of those surveyed had returned to Burma and we expect this proportion to increase for later year groups Many of those not yet back in their homeland are active on Burma-related issues For the 2008 cohort the main areas of study were education social sciences and communicationsIT with smaller contingents from health law agriculture and engineering Those now back in Burma are now working predominantly in local and international Non-Governmental Organisations contributing to the expansion of Burmarsquos civil society nearly a quarter have jobs in the private sector

Some 200 returned scholars from Prospect Burma and other programmes have joined the new Myanmar Scholarship Alumni Association which is already making an impact in areas such as capacity-building for parliamentarians and knowledge exchange for university faculty members

Those of you who have supported Prospect Burma will be encouraged to learn how the beneficiaries of your generosity are now starting to put their skills to good use We hope that many more will soon be following in their footsteps

PROSPECT BURMA Keeping the flame of education alive

Patron The Viscount Slim OBE DL

Vice-Patron Martin Morland CMG

Chairman Robert Gordon CMG OBE

Vice-Chair Patricia Herbert

Trustees

Anna Allott OBE David Colvin CMG Dr Thein Lwin Daw Kyi Kyi May Guy Slater Sir Robin Christopher KBE CMG Lindy AmbroseCaroline Courtauld MBEDr Michael Marett-Crosby

Executive Director Maggie Hodges

Programme Advisor Steph OrsquoConnell

Communications amp Fundraising Officer Wendy Blake-James

Prospect Burma Portersrsquo Lodge Rivermead Court Ranelagh Gardens London SW6 3SF

Registered Charity No 802615 Tel 020 7371 0887 Fax 020 7371 0547 informationprospectburmaorg Editor Wendy Blake-James

2

copy H

omer S

ykes

ALUMNA INTERVIEW YIN TUN DIGITAL LIBRARY RESEARCH OFFICER

PB How did you become involved in the digital library project

YT Soon after I arrived in the UK in 2002 I dreamed of providing teaching and learning materials such as textbooks and research papers to students and academic communities in Myanmar Since then I have been working towards making my vision a reality

PB What will the digital library offer students

YT The digital library project will enable students to access up-to-date learning materials from Environment and Earth Sciences to South East Asia and related country studies It will also offer materials in supporting subjects such as Computer Science Mathematics and English Language

Students who access the digital library projectrsquos offline version will also be able to access over 2000 Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) materials which were updated to include the latest resources in May 2013

Yaung Zinrsquos teacher training materials will offer competency-based training for primary school teachers working in monastic and community schools providing a basic grounding in what teachers need to know and how to structure the lessons

In addition we are also hoping to deliver over 600000 open access medical resources and

clinical guidelines to medical institutions and community hospitals in the near future if funding is secured

PB What effect do you anticipate this project will have

YT My belief is that education is the most fundamental element for the countryrsquos future development The resources from the digital library project will be beneficial for users from individual self-learners and researchers up to community teachers and university lecturers

For some users this will be the first time they will be able to access up-to-date world class learning materials for their studies

PB Do you see technology as an important support for the future of education in Myanmar (Burma)

YT Definitely technology will play a major part in the future of educational improvement in Myanmar With the cutting-edge technology which we have developed for the digital library project students and academics are now able to access teaching and learning materials even with limited or no internet access

PB How has your experience as a Prospect Burma scholar affected your outlook on the future

Without a doubt my career (continued on p4)

Yin Tun is a 2006 Prospect Burma alumna who has found a new and innovative way to help her fellow students through the creation of a digital library for Burmese Universities We caught up wi th her dur ing a presentation about the project in the UK

3

STUDENT INTERVIEW SAW HTOO

and life would be totally different if I had not come to the UK to do my Masterrsquos Degree Being a Prospect Burma scholar has gradually shaped my life and way of thinking since I arrived in the UK

I know that I have been privileged to have the opportunity to study at a UK University and have access to their 24 hour online e-resources and open access self serve system to borrow books

In future I would like to share the opportunity of accessing up to date world class educational materials which were so beneficial to me in my studies with students and academics in Myanmar

I will continue to work towards helping Myanmar students bridge the knowledge gap and improve their potential educational prospects thereby also improving the prospects of Myanmar

Interview continued

We recently interviewed Saw Htoo a current Prospect Burma scholar studying for an MA in Tropical Forestry in Thailand

PB How has your experience as a Prospect Burma scholar affected your outlook on the future

SH The capacity and experience that I have received from my education through Prospect Burma has had a strong effect on my future

The experiences I have gained have enabled me to share my knowledge with fellow citizens as well as working together with them to change the future of Burma in a considered way mostly with a grassroots approach and development of a livilihood in a sustainable way PB How do you plan to use your education and skills

SH My education in Forestry that I am getting from university will be shared with the people of Burma It is important knowledge to share because most people in Burma depend on forest resources

The core knowledge I will try to contribute will be about sustainable forest management through participatory management It is important to build community-based forestry to manage in a sustainable way

Moreover I also hope to work with the leaders from the Forest Department to make a better policy that will improve forest management at all levels

No one person is expert about all aspects of forest management so everybody should have an opportunity to contribute their ideas for better management in order to bring forest stewardship to all levels

ldquoKNOWLEDGE IS A TREASURE NO ONE CAN STEALrdquo

4

As 2014 begins concerns are growing about the shape of political and economic reform in the country There can be no doubt that modernization and hopes for national change have accelerated under the quasi-civilian government of President Thein Sein The international community is encouraging this transformation from military rule Burma will take on the ASEAN chair for 2014 and ex-UK prime minister Tony Blair ex-US president Bill Clinton and EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton are just the latest Western leaders to visit the country

Reforms however are still in their infancy and many communities are yet to see real progress in their lives Land-grabbing by business and military interests is commonplace and despite the spread of ethnic ceasefires the number of persons internally displaced by violence has increased under the Thein Sein government to an estimated 650000 In particular the humanitarian crisis has been worsened by ongoing conflict in the Kachin region as well as communal and anti-Muslim violence in the Rakhine state

There are leaders on the different sides who believe that all these problems can be solved by inclusive dialogue and a spirit of reconciliation But as the countdown to the 2015 general election gets underway there are worries that key issues will not be resolved in the meantimeFirstly the new political system continues to be dominated by the armed forces (Tatmadaw) In response Aung San Suu Kyi and the National League for Democracy have warned that concerned people will not stand in the election if the undemocratic constitution is not first amended Secondly although over a dozen ethnic forces have ceasefires with the government this has not yet translated into a political agreement and nationwide peace Criticism has grown against Tatmadaw officers in the ethnic borderlands who have continued military operations outside government control And thirdly as international investment increases many citizens fear that they will not benefit from major projects in their areas Over the past year there have been frequent protests against new initiatives including the Letpadaung copper-mine Dawei Development Project and the oil and gas pipelines to China

In summary national transition is at a delicate stage In the coming months it is hoped that compromise will be achieved to ensure reform momentum towards democracy will include all the countryrsquos peoples But there is still a very long way to go Burma is still in an uncertain time of change ndash not at a conclusion

5

BURMA WATCH

THANK YOU TO OUR GLOBAL GIVING DONORS We have met the Global Giving Challenge and have raised over pound4000 through online donations for the Mai Ja Yang Intensive English School (IEP) in Kachin State This is enough funding to continue Prospect Burmarsquos support for another year We have to thank our wonderful donors from all over the world for their generous support for this very special project We will soon have a project appeal for our core scholarship funding so please stay tuned

NEWS ROUNDUP

A GIVING LIFESTYLE Did you know that your daily online habits can also help Prospect Burma We are now signed up to two online shopping giving sites wwweasyfundraisingorguk as well as wwweveryclickcom If you sign up for one of these and add it to your browser toolbar you will be automatically be raising donations for Prospect Burma every time you shop online We are also now a part of wwwrecycle4charitycouk By signing up to receive freepost bags registering us as your chosen charity and recycling your printer cartridges you will not only be greening your life but helping us at the same time Why not try making giving a part of your lifestye today

6

CONGRATULATIONS t o o u r P r o s p e c t B u r m a a l u m n u s Nehginpao Kipgen on his upcoming book titled Democracy Movement in Myanmar Challenges and Prob lems I t w i l l be pub l ished in Apr i l 2014 with a foreword by Priscilla Clapp former United States Chargeacute drsquoAffaires in Burma from 1999 to 2002 The book

will be available from the publisherrsquos website wwwcopalpublishingcomBookaspxbid=16 as well as from wwwamazoncom

CONGRATULATIONS to Prospect Burma Alumna Dr Khyne U Mar who was recent ly featured in the BBC programme ldquoWi ld Burmardquo and the documentary ldquoOf Oozies and Elephantsrdquo which was recently shown at the Bath Film Festival Her profile on the BBC website is here wwwbbccoukprogrammesp01hsbr2profileskhyne-u-mar and you can find out more about her elephant research here wwwruffordorgrsgprojectskhyne_mar

PLEASE JOIN US on our new social media channels

wwwfacebookcomprospectburma

wwwtwittercomprospectburma

Prospect Burma is pleased to announce the launch of the Oxford-Lady Gore-Booth Memorial Graduate Scholarship for Burmese S c h o l a r s S u c c e s s f u l appl icants wi l l receive ful l funding to attend ful l - t ime Masterrsquos studies at St Hughrsquos College Oxford University

The eligible courses include MSc Global Governance amp Diplomacy MSc Education MSc International Human Rights Law and MSc Learning and Teaching We hope to announce the first recipient of this scholarship in our summer newsletter THANK YOU to all of the supporters who made this scholarship possible

ALUMNA INTERVIEW YIN TUN DIGITAL LIBRARY RESEARCH OFFICER

PB How did you become involved in the digital library project

YT Soon after I arrived in the UK in 2002 I dreamed of providing teaching and learning materials such as textbooks and research papers to students and academic communities in Myanmar Since then I have been working towards making my vision a reality

PB What will the digital library offer students

YT The digital library project will enable students to access up-to-date learning materials from Environment and Earth Sciences to South East Asia and related country studies It will also offer materials in supporting subjects such as Computer Science Mathematics and English Language

Students who access the digital library projectrsquos offline version will also be able to access over 2000 Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) materials which were updated to include the latest resources in May 2013

Yaung Zinrsquos teacher training materials will offer competency-based training for primary school teachers working in monastic and community schools providing a basic grounding in what teachers need to know and how to structure the lessons

In addition we are also hoping to deliver over 600000 open access medical resources and

clinical guidelines to medical institutions and community hospitals in the near future if funding is secured

PB What effect do you anticipate this project will have

YT My belief is that education is the most fundamental element for the countryrsquos future development The resources from the digital library project will be beneficial for users from individual self-learners and researchers up to community teachers and university lecturers

For some users this will be the first time they will be able to access up-to-date world class learning materials for their studies

PB Do you see technology as an important support for the future of education in Myanmar (Burma)

YT Definitely technology will play a major part in the future of educational improvement in Myanmar With the cutting-edge technology which we have developed for the digital library project students and academics are now able to access teaching and learning materials even with limited or no internet access

PB How has your experience as a Prospect Burma scholar affected your outlook on the future

Without a doubt my career (continued on p4)

Yin Tun is a 2006 Prospect Burma alumna who has found a new and innovative way to help her fellow students through the creation of a digital library for Burmese Universities We caught up wi th her dur ing a presentation about the project in the UK

3

STUDENT INTERVIEW SAW HTOO

and life would be totally different if I had not come to the UK to do my Masterrsquos Degree Being a Prospect Burma scholar has gradually shaped my life and way of thinking since I arrived in the UK

I know that I have been privileged to have the opportunity to study at a UK University and have access to their 24 hour online e-resources and open access self serve system to borrow books

In future I would like to share the opportunity of accessing up to date world class educational materials which were so beneficial to me in my studies with students and academics in Myanmar

I will continue to work towards helping Myanmar students bridge the knowledge gap and improve their potential educational prospects thereby also improving the prospects of Myanmar

Interview continued

We recently interviewed Saw Htoo a current Prospect Burma scholar studying for an MA in Tropical Forestry in Thailand

PB How has your experience as a Prospect Burma scholar affected your outlook on the future

SH The capacity and experience that I have received from my education through Prospect Burma has had a strong effect on my future

The experiences I have gained have enabled me to share my knowledge with fellow citizens as well as working together with them to change the future of Burma in a considered way mostly with a grassroots approach and development of a livilihood in a sustainable way PB How do you plan to use your education and skills

SH My education in Forestry that I am getting from university will be shared with the people of Burma It is important knowledge to share because most people in Burma depend on forest resources

The core knowledge I will try to contribute will be about sustainable forest management through participatory management It is important to build community-based forestry to manage in a sustainable way

Moreover I also hope to work with the leaders from the Forest Department to make a better policy that will improve forest management at all levels

No one person is expert about all aspects of forest management so everybody should have an opportunity to contribute their ideas for better management in order to bring forest stewardship to all levels

ldquoKNOWLEDGE IS A TREASURE NO ONE CAN STEALrdquo

4

As 2014 begins concerns are growing about the shape of political and economic reform in the country There can be no doubt that modernization and hopes for national change have accelerated under the quasi-civilian government of President Thein Sein The international community is encouraging this transformation from military rule Burma will take on the ASEAN chair for 2014 and ex-UK prime minister Tony Blair ex-US president Bill Clinton and EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton are just the latest Western leaders to visit the country

Reforms however are still in their infancy and many communities are yet to see real progress in their lives Land-grabbing by business and military interests is commonplace and despite the spread of ethnic ceasefires the number of persons internally displaced by violence has increased under the Thein Sein government to an estimated 650000 In particular the humanitarian crisis has been worsened by ongoing conflict in the Kachin region as well as communal and anti-Muslim violence in the Rakhine state

There are leaders on the different sides who believe that all these problems can be solved by inclusive dialogue and a spirit of reconciliation But as the countdown to the 2015 general election gets underway there are worries that key issues will not be resolved in the meantimeFirstly the new political system continues to be dominated by the armed forces (Tatmadaw) In response Aung San Suu Kyi and the National League for Democracy have warned that concerned people will not stand in the election if the undemocratic constitution is not first amended Secondly although over a dozen ethnic forces have ceasefires with the government this has not yet translated into a political agreement and nationwide peace Criticism has grown against Tatmadaw officers in the ethnic borderlands who have continued military operations outside government control And thirdly as international investment increases many citizens fear that they will not benefit from major projects in their areas Over the past year there have been frequent protests against new initiatives including the Letpadaung copper-mine Dawei Development Project and the oil and gas pipelines to China

In summary national transition is at a delicate stage In the coming months it is hoped that compromise will be achieved to ensure reform momentum towards democracy will include all the countryrsquos peoples But there is still a very long way to go Burma is still in an uncertain time of change ndash not at a conclusion

5

BURMA WATCH

THANK YOU TO OUR GLOBAL GIVING DONORS We have met the Global Giving Challenge and have raised over pound4000 through online donations for the Mai Ja Yang Intensive English School (IEP) in Kachin State This is enough funding to continue Prospect Burmarsquos support for another year We have to thank our wonderful donors from all over the world for their generous support for this very special project We will soon have a project appeal for our core scholarship funding so please stay tuned

NEWS ROUNDUP

A GIVING LIFESTYLE Did you know that your daily online habits can also help Prospect Burma We are now signed up to two online shopping giving sites wwweasyfundraisingorguk as well as wwweveryclickcom If you sign up for one of these and add it to your browser toolbar you will be automatically be raising donations for Prospect Burma every time you shop online We are also now a part of wwwrecycle4charitycouk By signing up to receive freepost bags registering us as your chosen charity and recycling your printer cartridges you will not only be greening your life but helping us at the same time Why not try making giving a part of your lifestye today

6

CONGRATULATIONS t o o u r P r o s p e c t B u r m a a l u m n u s Nehginpao Kipgen on his upcoming book titled Democracy Movement in Myanmar Challenges and Prob lems I t w i l l be pub l ished in Apr i l 2014 with a foreword by Priscilla Clapp former United States Chargeacute drsquoAffaires in Burma from 1999 to 2002 The book

will be available from the publisherrsquos website wwwcopalpublishingcomBookaspxbid=16 as well as from wwwamazoncom

CONGRATULATIONS to Prospect Burma Alumna Dr Khyne U Mar who was recent ly featured in the BBC programme ldquoWi ld Burmardquo and the documentary ldquoOf Oozies and Elephantsrdquo which was recently shown at the Bath Film Festival Her profile on the BBC website is here wwwbbccoukprogrammesp01hsbr2profileskhyne-u-mar and you can find out more about her elephant research here wwwruffordorgrsgprojectskhyne_mar

PLEASE JOIN US on our new social media channels

wwwfacebookcomprospectburma

wwwtwittercomprospectburma

Prospect Burma is pleased to announce the launch of the Oxford-Lady Gore-Booth Memorial Graduate Scholarship for Burmese S c h o l a r s S u c c e s s f u l appl icants wi l l receive ful l funding to attend ful l - t ime Masterrsquos studies at St Hughrsquos College Oxford University

The eligible courses include MSc Global Governance amp Diplomacy MSc Education MSc International Human Rights Law and MSc Learning and Teaching We hope to announce the first recipient of this scholarship in our summer newsletter THANK YOU to all of the supporters who made this scholarship possible

STUDENT INTERVIEW SAW HTOO

and life would be totally different if I had not come to the UK to do my Masterrsquos Degree Being a Prospect Burma scholar has gradually shaped my life and way of thinking since I arrived in the UK

I know that I have been privileged to have the opportunity to study at a UK University and have access to their 24 hour online e-resources and open access self serve system to borrow books

In future I would like to share the opportunity of accessing up to date world class educational materials which were so beneficial to me in my studies with students and academics in Myanmar

I will continue to work towards helping Myanmar students bridge the knowledge gap and improve their potential educational prospects thereby also improving the prospects of Myanmar

Interview continued

We recently interviewed Saw Htoo a current Prospect Burma scholar studying for an MA in Tropical Forestry in Thailand

PB How has your experience as a Prospect Burma scholar affected your outlook on the future

SH The capacity and experience that I have received from my education through Prospect Burma has had a strong effect on my future

The experiences I have gained have enabled me to share my knowledge with fellow citizens as well as working together with them to change the future of Burma in a considered way mostly with a grassroots approach and development of a livilihood in a sustainable way PB How do you plan to use your education and skills

SH My education in Forestry that I am getting from university will be shared with the people of Burma It is important knowledge to share because most people in Burma depend on forest resources

The core knowledge I will try to contribute will be about sustainable forest management through participatory management It is important to build community-based forestry to manage in a sustainable way

Moreover I also hope to work with the leaders from the Forest Department to make a better policy that will improve forest management at all levels

No one person is expert about all aspects of forest management so everybody should have an opportunity to contribute their ideas for better management in order to bring forest stewardship to all levels

ldquoKNOWLEDGE IS A TREASURE NO ONE CAN STEALrdquo

4

As 2014 begins concerns are growing about the shape of political and economic reform in the country There can be no doubt that modernization and hopes for national change have accelerated under the quasi-civilian government of President Thein Sein The international community is encouraging this transformation from military rule Burma will take on the ASEAN chair for 2014 and ex-UK prime minister Tony Blair ex-US president Bill Clinton and EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton are just the latest Western leaders to visit the country

Reforms however are still in their infancy and many communities are yet to see real progress in their lives Land-grabbing by business and military interests is commonplace and despite the spread of ethnic ceasefires the number of persons internally displaced by violence has increased under the Thein Sein government to an estimated 650000 In particular the humanitarian crisis has been worsened by ongoing conflict in the Kachin region as well as communal and anti-Muslim violence in the Rakhine state

There are leaders on the different sides who believe that all these problems can be solved by inclusive dialogue and a spirit of reconciliation But as the countdown to the 2015 general election gets underway there are worries that key issues will not be resolved in the meantimeFirstly the new political system continues to be dominated by the armed forces (Tatmadaw) In response Aung San Suu Kyi and the National League for Democracy have warned that concerned people will not stand in the election if the undemocratic constitution is not first amended Secondly although over a dozen ethnic forces have ceasefires with the government this has not yet translated into a political agreement and nationwide peace Criticism has grown against Tatmadaw officers in the ethnic borderlands who have continued military operations outside government control And thirdly as international investment increases many citizens fear that they will not benefit from major projects in their areas Over the past year there have been frequent protests against new initiatives including the Letpadaung copper-mine Dawei Development Project and the oil and gas pipelines to China

In summary national transition is at a delicate stage In the coming months it is hoped that compromise will be achieved to ensure reform momentum towards democracy will include all the countryrsquos peoples But there is still a very long way to go Burma is still in an uncertain time of change ndash not at a conclusion

5

BURMA WATCH

THANK YOU TO OUR GLOBAL GIVING DONORS We have met the Global Giving Challenge and have raised over pound4000 through online donations for the Mai Ja Yang Intensive English School (IEP) in Kachin State This is enough funding to continue Prospect Burmarsquos support for another year We have to thank our wonderful donors from all over the world for their generous support for this very special project We will soon have a project appeal for our core scholarship funding so please stay tuned

NEWS ROUNDUP

A GIVING LIFESTYLE Did you know that your daily online habits can also help Prospect Burma We are now signed up to two online shopping giving sites wwweasyfundraisingorguk as well as wwweveryclickcom If you sign up for one of these and add it to your browser toolbar you will be automatically be raising donations for Prospect Burma every time you shop online We are also now a part of wwwrecycle4charitycouk By signing up to receive freepost bags registering us as your chosen charity and recycling your printer cartridges you will not only be greening your life but helping us at the same time Why not try making giving a part of your lifestye today

6

CONGRATULATIONS t o o u r P r o s p e c t B u r m a a l u m n u s Nehginpao Kipgen on his upcoming book titled Democracy Movement in Myanmar Challenges and Prob lems I t w i l l be pub l ished in Apr i l 2014 with a foreword by Priscilla Clapp former United States Chargeacute drsquoAffaires in Burma from 1999 to 2002 The book

will be available from the publisherrsquos website wwwcopalpublishingcomBookaspxbid=16 as well as from wwwamazoncom

CONGRATULATIONS to Prospect Burma Alumna Dr Khyne U Mar who was recent ly featured in the BBC programme ldquoWi ld Burmardquo and the documentary ldquoOf Oozies and Elephantsrdquo which was recently shown at the Bath Film Festival Her profile on the BBC website is here wwwbbccoukprogrammesp01hsbr2profileskhyne-u-mar and you can find out more about her elephant research here wwwruffordorgrsgprojectskhyne_mar

PLEASE JOIN US on our new social media channels

wwwfacebookcomprospectburma

wwwtwittercomprospectburma

Prospect Burma is pleased to announce the launch of the Oxford-Lady Gore-Booth Memorial Graduate Scholarship for Burmese S c h o l a r s S u c c e s s f u l appl icants wi l l receive ful l funding to attend ful l - t ime Masterrsquos studies at St Hughrsquos College Oxford University

The eligible courses include MSc Global Governance amp Diplomacy MSc Education MSc International Human Rights Law and MSc Learning and Teaching We hope to announce the first recipient of this scholarship in our summer newsletter THANK YOU to all of the supporters who made this scholarship possible

As 2014 begins concerns are growing about the shape of political and economic reform in the country There can be no doubt that modernization and hopes for national change have accelerated under the quasi-civilian government of President Thein Sein The international community is encouraging this transformation from military rule Burma will take on the ASEAN chair for 2014 and ex-UK prime minister Tony Blair ex-US president Bill Clinton and EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton are just the latest Western leaders to visit the country

Reforms however are still in their infancy and many communities are yet to see real progress in their lives Land-grabbing by business and military interests is commonplace and despite the spread of ethnic ceasefires the number of persons internally displaced by violence has increased under the Thein Sein government to an estimated 650000 In particular the humanitarian crisis has been worsened by ongoing conflict in the Kachin region as well as communal and anti-Muslim violence in the Rakhine state

There are leaders on the different sides who believe that all these problems can be solved by inclusive dialogue and a spirit of reconciliation But as the countdown to the 2015 general election gets underway there are worries that key issues will not be resolved in the meantimeFirstly the new political system continues to be dominated by the armed forces (Tatmadaw) In response Aung San Suu Kyi and the National League for Democracy have warned that concerned people will not stand in the election if the undemocratic constitution is not first amended Secondly although over a dozen ethnic forces have ceasefires with the government this has not yet translated into a political agreement and nationwide peace Criticism has grown against Tatmadaw officers in the ethnic borderlands who have continued military operations outside government control And thirdly as international investment increases many citizens fear that they will not benefit from major projects in their areas Over the past year there have been frequent protests against new initiatives including the Letpadaung copper-mine Dawei Development Project and the oil and gas pipelines to China

In summary national transition is at a delicate stage In the coming months it is hoped that compromise will be achieved to ensure reform momentum towards democracy will include all the countryrsquos peoples But there is still a very long way to go Burma is still in an uncertain time of change ndash not at a conclusion

5

BURMA WATCH

THANK YOU TO OUR GLOBAL GIVING DONORS We have met the Global Giving Challenge and have raised over pound4000 through online donations for the Mai Ja Yang Intensive English School (IEP) in Kachin State This is enough funding to continue Prospect Burmarsquos support for another year We have to thank our wonderful donors from all over the world for their generous support for this very special project We will soon have a project appeal for our core scholarship funding so please stay tuned

NEWS ROUNDUP

A GIVING LIFESTYLE Did you know that your daily online habits can also help Prospect Burma We are now signed up to two online shopping giving sites wwweasyfundraisingorguk as well as wwweveryclickcom If you sign up for one of these and add it to your browser toolbar you will be automatically be raising donations for Prospect Burma every time you shop online We are also now a part of wwwrecycle4charitycouk By signing up to receive freepost bags registering us as your chosen charity and recycling your printer cartridges you will not only be greening your life but helping us at the same time Why not try making giving a part of your lifestye today

6

CONGRATULATIONS t o o u r P r o s p e c t B u r m a a l u m n u s Nehginpao Kipgen on his upcoming book titled Democracy Movement in Myanmar Challenges and Prob lems I t w i l l be pub l ished in Apr i l 2014 with a foreword by Priscilla Clapp former United States Chargeacute drsquoAffaires in Burma from 1999 to 2002 The book

will be available from the publisherrsquos website wwwcopalpublishingcomBookaspxbid=16 as well as from wwwamazoncom

CONGRATULATIONS to Prospect Burma Alumna Dr Khyne U Mar who was recent ly featured in the BBC programme ldquoWi ld Burmardquo and the documentary ldquoOf Oozies and Elephantsrdquo which was recently shown at the Bath Film Festival Her profile on the BBC website is here wwwbbccoukprogrammesp01hsbr2profileskhyne-u-mar and you can find out more about her elephant research here wwwruffordorgrsgprojectskhyne_mar

PLEASE JOIN US on our new social media channels

wwwfacebookcomprospectburma

wwwtwittercomprospectburma

Prospect Burma is pleased to announce the launch of the Oxford-Lady Gore-Booth Memorial Graduate Scholarship for Burmese S c h o l a r s S u c c e s s f u l appl icants wi l l receive ful l funding to attend ful l - t ime Masterrsquos studies at St Hughrsquos College Oxford University

The eligible courses include MSc Global Governance amp Diplomacy MSc Education MSc International Human Rights Law and MSc Learning and Teaching We hope to announce the first recipient of this scholarship in our summer newsletter THANK YOU to all of the supporters who made this scholarship possible

THANK YOU TO OUR GLOBAL GIVING DONORS We have met the Global Giving Challenge and have raised over pound4000 through online donations for the Mai Ja Yang Intensive English School (IEP) in Kachin State This is enough funding to continue Prospect Burmarsquos support for another year We have to thank our wonderful donors from all over the world for their generous support for this very special project We will soon have a project appeal for our core scholarship funding so please stay tuned

NEWS ROUNDUP

A GIVING LIFESTYLE Did you know that your daily online habits can also help Prospect Burma We are now signed up to two online shopping giving sites wwweasyfundraisingorguk as well as wwweveryclickcom If you sign up for one of these and add it to your browser toolbar you will be automatically be raising donations for Prospect Burma every time you shop online We are also now a part of wwwrecycle4charitycouk By signing up to receive freepost bags registering us as your chosen charity and recycling your printer cartridges you will not only be greening your life but helping us at the same time Why not try making giving a part of your lifestye today

6

CONGRATULATIONS t o o u r P r o s p e c t B u r m a a l u m n u s Nehginpao Kipgen on his upcoming book titled Democracy Movement in Myanmar Challenges and Prob lems I t w i l l be pub l ished in Apr i l 2014 with a foreword by Priscilla Clapp former United States Chargeacute drsquoAffaires in Burma from 1999 to 2002 The book

will be available from the publisherrsquos website wwwcopalpublishingcomBookaspxbid=16 as well as from wwwamazoncom

CONGRATULATIONS to Prospect Burma Alumna Dr Khyne U Mar who was recent ly featured in the BBC programme ldquoWi ld Burmardquo and the documentary ldquoOf Oozies and Elephantsrdquo which was recently shown at the Bath Film Festival Her profile on the BBC website is here wwwbbccoukprogrammesp01hsbr2profileskhyne-u-mar and you can find out more about her elephant research here wwwruffordorgrsgprojectskhyne_mar

PLEASE JOIN US on our new social media channels

wwwfacebookcomprospectburma

wwwtwittercomprospectburma

Prospect Burma is pleased to announce the launch of the Oxford-Lady Gore-Booth Memorial Graduate Scholarship for Burmese S c h o l a r s S u c c e s s f u l appl icants wi l l receive ful l funding to attend ful l - t ime Masterrsquos studies at St Hughrsquos College Oxford University

The eligible courses include MSc Global Governance amp Diplomacy MSc Education MSc International Human Rights Law and MSc Learning and Teaching We hope to announce the first recipient of this scholarship in our summer newsletter THANK YOU to all of the supporters who made this scholarship possible

7

DIRECTORrsquoS EDITORIAL

STUDENTS AND ALUMNIDo you have stories news or photos you would be willing to share with us Please get in touch

SUPPORTERSDo you have ideas for fundraisers possible raffle prizes or time to volunteer We would

love to hear from you

HELP US CELEBRATE 25 YEARS OF PROSPECT BURMA

Please contact our Communications amp Fundraising Officer Wendy Blake-Jameswendyprospectburmaorg

A message from Prospect Burmarsquos Director Maggie Hodges

My first six months with Prospect Burma has been a whirlwind of activity as well as a eye-opener I had not realised the amount of individual donors that contribute to the scholarship funding on a monthly basis - thank you A total of 109 scholarships were awarded for the 201314 academic year 4 less than the previous year mainly due to rising study costs However the quality of the student applications was high and the numbers for those applying from inside Burma continues to rise It is also gratifying to see that the numbers of students returning to work in Burma is also increasing 19 of the 26 students who graduated this year have already returned and are active in their chosen field

I had the pleasure of meeting many of our current cohort of students at the annual student conference held in Thailand in November an engaging and dedicated group of young men and women who are determined to lsquomake a differencersquo after graduation

Whilst overseas scholarships continues to be the core activity of Prospect Burma this coming year will see training provision inside Burma itself An award has been made to Prospect Burma to provide training courses to those who have recently been released from prison Some courses will be vocational enabling beneficiaries to up-skill in order to secure employment Other courses will be provided in English language computer skills and capacity building in order to bridge the gap of an interrupted education

BREAKDOWN OF 2013 SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS

COUNTRY Number of Grantees MaleFemale Combined cost of Grants (GBP pound)

Average cost of Grants (GBP pound)

Bangladesh 1 (1) 01 617 617China 1 (1) 10 5870 5870

Hong Kong 3 (3) 12 13640 4547India 22(45) 1111 13312 605Korea 2 (2) 11 8117 4058

Malaysia 1 (1) 01 5195 5195Philippines 14 (13) 68 57218 4087Portugal 1 (1) 10 1299 1299Thailand 55 (53) 2728 177377 3225

UK 3 (8) 30 11600 3867USA 6 (3) 42 22468 3745

TOTALS 109 5554 316713(2012) (113) (6845) (347447)

Notes 2012 figures are shown in brackets

8

HOW TO HELPFounded in 1989 Prospect Burma invests in a positive future for Burma through its young people We give underprivileged Burmese students from all ethnic and religious backgrounds access to higher education through our scholarship programme

Our main objective is to build a core group of skilled Burmese people who have studied subjects vital to the rebuilding of civil society in Burma It is a condition of the grant that students commit to return home to participate in development and nation building

DONATION SCHEMES PARTNERS pound25 per monthProspect Burma is in great need of more Partner donors Our long-standing individual Partners of Prospect Burma provide us with essential core funding for our work and the continuance of our scholarships in the years ahead Just pound25 a month gives us the secure support so vital to our work

ADOPT A SCHOLARSHIP pound800 The Adopt a Scholarship Scheme costs pound800 per part-scholarship per year and lets benefactors support scholarships in specific areas of study The average cost of a scholarship is pound3500 per year and benefactors can choose to contribute to a part-scholarship at pound800 or full scholarship at pound3500 per annum

INSTITUTIONAL PARTNERS pound2000 per annumIf you are an organisation or business company wishing to support us we also have an Institutional Partnersrsquo Scheme costing pound2000 per year By becoming an institutional partner with Prospect Burma your organisation will be improving lives and developing communities within Burma

HOW CAN YOU DONATE BY POST Please send your donations payable to Prospect Burma to the address on page 2 If you are a UK taxpayer signing a Gift Aid form (available on our website) with your donation increases the value of your gift by 20 at no extra cost to you Our IBAN number is GB07RBOS 16172510019933 and our SWIFT code is RBOSGB2L

ONLINE Online donations may be made through this website wwwjustgivingcom or direct to us through the ldquoDonaterdquo button on our Facebook page wwwfacebookcomprospectburma

GIVING FROM AMERICABY CHEQUE Please make cheques payable to ldquoAmerican Friends of Prospect Burmardquo which has US501c(3) status and send to Zali Win Treasurer P O Box 257 Accord New York 12404

THROUGH AMERICAN FUND FOR CHARITIES Prospect Burma is supported by the American Fund for Charities a US501c(3) non-profit organisation EIN 52-2109597 Donations to the American Fund for Charities from US taxpayers are tax deductable to the extent allowed by US law Prosepct Burma is registered as AFC Charity No AFC133 For further information please visit wwwamericanfundinfo

8

HOW TO HELPFounded in 1989 Prospect Burma invests in a positive future for Burma through its young people We give underprivileged Burmese students from all ethnic and religious backgrounds access to higher education through our scholarship programme

Our main objective is to build a core group of skilled Burmese people who have studied subjects vital to the rebuilding of civil society in Burma It is a condition of the grant that students commit to return home to participate in development and nation building

DONATION SCHEMES PARTNERS pound25 per monthProspect Burma is in great need of more Partner donors Our long-standing individual Partners of Prospect Burma provide us with essential core funding for our work and the continuance of our scholarships in the years ahead Just pound25 a month gives us the secure support so vital to our work

ADOPT A SCHOLARSHIP pound800 The Adopt a Scholarship Scheme costs pound800 per part-scholarship per year and lets benefactors support scholarships in specific areas of study The average cost of a scholarship is pound3500 per year and benefactors can choose to contribute to a part-scholarship at pound800 or full scholarship at pound3500 per annum

INSTITUTIONAL PARTNERS pound2000 per annumIf you are an organisation or business company wishing to support us we also have an Institutional Partnersrsquo Scheme costing pound2000 per year By becoming an institutional partner with Prospect Burma your organisation will be improving lives and developing communities within Burma

HOW CAN YOU DONATE BY POST Please send your donations payable to Prospect Burma to the address on page 2 If you are a UK taxpayer signing a Gift Aid form (available on our website) with your donation increases the value of your gift by 20 at no extra cost to you Our IBAN number is GB07RBOS 16172510019933 and our SWIFT code is RBOSGB2L

ONLINE Online donations may be made through this website wwwjustgivingcom or direct to us through the ldquoDonaterdquo button on our Facebook page wwwfacebookcomprospectburma

GIVING FROM AMERICABY CHEQUE Please make cheques payable to ldquoAmerican Friends of Prospect Burmardquo which has US501c(3) status and send to Zali Win Treasurer P O Box 257 Accord New York 12404

THROUGH AMERICAN FUND FOR CHARITIES Prospect Burma is supported by the American Fund for Charities a US501c(3) non-profit organisation EIN 52-2109597 Donations to the American Fund for Charities from US taxpayers are tax deductable to the extent allowed by US law Prosepct Burma is registered as AFC Charity No AFC133 For further information please visit wwwamericanfundinfo