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Project

Engaging civil society to rebuild peace prospects – Canada-Myanmar IDRC Research Fellowship
 

Myanmar
Project ID
109984
Total Funding
CAD 811,675.00
IDRC Officer
Kundan Mishra
Project Status
Active
Duration
36 months

Programs and partnerships

Lead institution(s)

Summary

From 2010 to 2021, the Union of the Republic of Myanmar, one of the poorest countries in Asia, made significant strides in openness compared to its early days of isolation.Read more

From 2010 to 2021, the Union of the Republic of Myanmar, one of the poorest countries in Asia, made significant strides in openness compared to its early days of isolation. In 2017, to sustain emerging democratization, IDRC and Global Affairs Canada launched the Knowledge for Democracy – Myanmar (K4DM) Initiative to nurture capacity for meaningful engagement and promote better governance, working with scholars, policy actors and activists.

In February 2021, the Myanmar military brought this democratic episode to a sudden halt. Civilian protests intensified against the coup, and the situation has continued to escalate into violent conflict. The second phase of the K4DM Initiative (K4DM2) aims to develop a strong and well-informed civil society, mostly outside Myanmar, to contribute to an inclusive, gender-sensitive vision that embodies democratic gains achieved prior to the military coup. K4DM2 will do this through online training, a wide range of fellowships and research focused on digital rights.

This project will provide in-depth training and internship programs, research and knowledge exchange on unofficial peacemaking, multi-track peace processes and other types of informal conflict resolution. It focuses on key groups in Myanmar who will need to be part of future political processes in that country, particularly those who are traditionally under-represented in official talks to date. The project also aims to transfer knowledge and expertise to the region such that the research output will increasingly be written by Myanmar experts. It will provide a platform for more than 100 Myanmar scholars, policymakers, think tanks, Rohingya leaders and civil society members to share, learn and develop capacities for effective public policy design, peace process participation and implementation.

About the partnership

Partnership(s)

Knowledge for Democracy Myanmar