DOCSLIB.ORG

Ethnic People Speak

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text

Load more

Listening to Voices from Inside: Ethnic People Speak Listening to Voices from Inside: Ethnic People Speak 1 Listening to Voices from Inside: Ethnic People Speak 2 Listening to Voices from Inside: Ethnic People Speak Table of Contents Preface ............................................................................................. 4 Acknowledgements .......................................................................... 7 Executive Summary .......................................................................... 9 Recommendations ......................................................................... 16 List of Acronyms ............................................................................. 21 Glossary/Terminology .................................................................... 23 Introduction ................................................................................... 25 PART A: ANALYSIS ..................................................................... 35 Cultural Context ............................................................................ 37 General Context ............................................................................ 69 Inter-Group Interaction ............................................................... 129 Ethnic Vision and International Community Support................... 160 Conclusion ................................................................................... 205 PART B: CASE STUDIES ............................................................. 209 Chin Case Study ........................................................................... 211 Kachin Case Study ....................................................................... 228 Karen Case Study ......................................................................... 247 Kayah Case Study ........................................................................ 266 Mon Case Study .......................................................................... 280 Rakhine Case Study ..................................................................... 294 Shan Case Study .......................................................................... 311 Bamar Case Study........................................................................ 331 REFERENCE LIST....................................................................... 350 3 Listening to Voices from Inside: Ethnic People Speak Preface This publication of the Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies is the product of a research project undertaken in 2009 at the request of a group of civil society leaders from different ethnic nationalities who live and work in Myanmar. It was felt that internationally, little is known about the experiences and context of ethnic groups in Myanmar. The civil society leaders expressed a desire for a publication that could educate the international community and could also be used as a tool within Myanmar to support dialogue between different ethnic groups, including the predominant Bamar majority. The research informing this report is based on eighty-seven qualitative interviews with civil society members from the eight major ethnic nationalities in Myanmar—Chin, Kachin, Karen, Kayah, Mon, Rakhine, Shan and Bamar. An average of ten people from each ethnic nationality was interviewed. Interviewees included men and women from rural and urban areas, students, business people, farmers, housewives, NGO workers, government employees, religious leaders, medical officers and lawyers. The interviews were conducted in urban and regional parts of Myanmar. Gaining an understanding of the contemporary context of different ethnic groups in Myanmar is critical for the international actors who work on issues such as human rights, trade, development, conflict transformation and humanitarian aid. This publication provides a snapshot of that context. It documents civil society perceptions of culture, and opportunities and challenges in key areas such as health, education, employment, government and military relations, and elections. It records civil society views of interactions among ethnic groups. It records people’s visions for the future and documents their views on how external organisations can support those visions. 4 Listening to Voices from Inside: Ethnic People Speak The political environment in which these interviews took place also renders this snapshot unique. At the time of the interviews, inter-ethnic issues had entered a new phase, heralded by the government’s requirement that armed ceasefire groups turn themselves into Border Guard Forces (BGF) with central oversight; the US announcement of its decision to revisit its policy on Myanmar, and intense speculation about the trial of Aung San Syu Kyi and the planned 2010 elections. This highly charged environment influenced the subject matter of the interviews. Those involved in this publication acknowledge that ‘ethnic’, ‘ethnic group,’ and ‘ethnicity’ are contested and often highly charged terms. We use this language in the absence of better alternatives. We employ these terms—ethnic, ethnic group and ethnicity—knowing that ethnicity is subjective, fluid, and plural. Some people may identify with a number of ethnic groups or none at all. We also acknowledge that currently and historically, these identities are embodied with assumptions and stereotypes. Our starting point for this publication has been to rely upon how people identified their own ethnicity. This foundational study brought to light a significant number of issues on a broad range of topics. Enormous scope was found for further research. Exploring the data collected, we make the following conclusions: z Inter-ethnic conflict is a fundamental dynamic of the conflict in Myanmar. This needs to be understood in order for effective work to take place to build peace and social change. z Inter-ethnic understanding, particularly in relation to cultural norms and practices, should be promoted across the top, middle and grassroots levels. This can address cultural stereotyping and prejudice that has existed for generations. z Selecting strategic issues common to all ethnic groups around which to organise, such as the environment, can bring ethnic groups together and towards a common goal. Unity, working across different groups, is critical. 5 Listening to Voices from Inside: Ethnic People Speak z NGOs should look to existing groups and structures that promote inter-ethnic dialogue and cultural preservation and channel funds to support and boost these initiatives, such as the Culture and Literature Associations and the Network of Ethnic Youth. These organisations could consider further including the Bamar majority in some of their initiatives as a way of breaking down existing barriers. z There is a need for capacity building in numerous areas including: infrastructure, agriculture and technology, civic education, election monitoring, and social science. z Working strategically with the government as part of a constructive engagement approach has led to developments and has the potential to move the country forward on key issues such as education and infrastructure. z International actors should work to find ways to facilitate dialogue between the government, the National League of Democracy (NLD) and other significant political parties and ethnic nationalities. They can also play a role in lobbying key international actors such as China, India and Russia. Like the last publication of the Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies, Listening to Voices from Inside: Myanmar Civil Society’s Response to Cyclone Nargis, this publication amplifies the voices of those living on inside Myanmar on inter-ethnic interactions and ethnic nationalities. The voices of these people who work closely on the conflict and bear the consequences of its impact, ought to be heard as loudly and as clearly as those who live and speak outside the country. 6 Listening to Voices from Inside: Ethnic People Speak Acknowledgements Many people have said it is near impossible to do peace work inside Myanmar. Even more say it is impossible to do research inside the country. It is not impossible, but it is indeed a difficult and challenging task. For this reason we would like to thank the research team who conducted the interviews throughout the country. They showed a particular flair for the sensitive yet rigorous approach required for such an undertaking. They spent many days of their own time checking and re-checking facts, writing up and editing transcripts and synthesising the findings. It was no small feat, and they excelled at the task. All involved in this project were deeply touched by those who came forward to be interviewed. As we all know, agreeing to speak openly about such topics in Myanmar is risky, yet over and over again people seized the chance to have their perspectives told and hopefully heard outside of their country. This report would not have been possible without their willingness to share from their hearts their plights as well as their vision and hopes for the future. Helping the research team connect to the interviewees was a small but deeply committed group of ethnic civil society leaders who first laid down the challenge to CPCS to produce such a manual of ethnic voices. They have read and re-read numerous drafts of this publication and have been challenged and inspired by what they have learned along the way. Thank you to them for their vision and leadership. We would also like to acknowledge those who resourced this project. Naturally
Recommended publications
  • Mandy Sadan Syphilis and the Kachin Regeneration Campaign, 1937–38 This Paper Discusses the Introduction of a Policy Known As

    Mandy Sadan Syphilis and the Kachin Regeneration Campaign, 1937–38 This Paper Discusses the Introduction of a Policy Known As

    Please note: This paper is an early draft of a paper that was later published as Sadan, Mandy (2010) 'Syphilis and the Kachin Regeneration Campaign, 1937– 38.' Journal of Burma Studies, 14 . pp. 115-149. The published version should be cited. Mandy Sadan Syphilis and the Kachin Regeneration Campaign, 1937–38 This paper discusses the introduction of a policy known as the Kachin Regeneration Campaign in the Kachin Hills from 1937 to 1938. Initiated by a belief that the Kachin people were on the verge of dying out because of an epidemic of syphilis, the campaign reveals much about the realities of Kachin dissociation from the late colonial regime, contrasting sharply with the conventional historical narrative of Kachin compliance with imperial control. A significant part of the Regeneration Campaign’s agenda was a less publicly acknowledged awareness that former Kachin soldiers were becoming a potentially volatile interest group and that there was increasing discontent across the Kachin Hills with regard to the administration, the military and the missions. The paper uses the concept of a sick role to describe the approach of the Regeneration Campaign to Kachin society and discusses how the rhetoric of the campaign became embedded in the sermons of the local Christian missions, justifying changes to women’s roles and more recently impacting upon early responses to the spread of HIV/AIDS in the region. It is the general belief of all who are acquainted with the Kachin Hills, that the Kachins are a dying race doomed shortly to disappear unless specific measures are taken to save them.
  • Assistance for Ethnic Minorities in Myanmar Through ODA (PDF, 312KB)

    Assistance for Ethnic Minorities in Myanmar Through ODA (PDF, 312KB)

    Chapter 1: ODA for Moving Forward Together Section 1: ODA for Achieving a Free, Prosperous, and Stable International Community – Assistance for democratization and national reconciliation Part I ch.1 ODA Assistance for Ethnic Minorities Topics in Myanmar through ODA ■ Surrounding ethnic minorities issues towards national reconciliation, including the peace process with ethnic minorities. Promoting regional development and Myanmar is said to be home to 135 different ethnic groups. the consolidation of peace, Japan will proactively implement Of these, the Bamar occupy about 70% of the population, assistance in ethnic minorities’ areas in order to contribute to living mainly in the central plains region. The ethnic the stable and sustainable growth of Myanmar. minorities that account for the remaining 30% primarily live Japan has thus far implemented assistance for ethnic in the mountainous regions near national borders. These minority regions based on the issues and needs of each state, minorities are broadly divided into seven major national focusing its support in the area of agriculture, which is their races, which are: Kachin, Kayah (Karenni), Karen (Kayin), primary industry. Chin, Mon, Shan, and Rakhine (Arakan). The races are To name a few, rural development assistance (technical further broken down into 134 ethnic groups. cooperation) has been provided in the northern area of Shan The issues surrounding ethnic minorities in Myanmar are State for the dissemination and distribution of drug crop deeply rooted and were caused by the “divide and rule” alternatives. In the southern part of Shan State, production administration during British colonial period. Even after and distribution assistance in the development of sustainable gaining independence in 1948, conflict between the national circular agriculture was provided by working with NPO military and ethnic armed groups continued for 60 years in Terra People Association on a technical cooperation.
  • A Kachin Case Study

    A Kachin Case Study

    MUSEUMS, DIASPORA COMMUNITIES AND DIASPORIC CULTURES A KACHIN CASE STUDY HELEN MEARS PHD 2019 0 Abstract This thesis adds to the growing body of literature on museums and source communities through addressing a hitherto under-examined area of activity: the interactions between museums and diaspora communities. It does so through a focus on the cultural practices and museum engagements of the Kachin community from northern Myanmar. The shift in museum practice prompted by increased interaction with source communities from the 1980s onwards has led to fundamental changes in museum policy. Indeed, this shift has been described as “one of the most important developments in the history of museums” (Peers and Brown, 2003, p.1). However, it was a shift informed by the interests and perspectives of an ethnocentric museology, and, for these reasons, analysis of its symptoms has remained largely focussed on the museum institution rather than the communities which historically contributed to these institutions’ collections. Moreover, it was a shift which did not fully take account of the increasingly mobile and transnational nature of these communities. This thesis, researched and written by a museum curator, was initiated by the longstanding and active engagement of Kachin people with historical materials in the collections of Brighton Museum & Art Gallery. In closely attending to the cultural interests and habits of overseas Kachin communities, rather than those of the Museum, the thesis responds to Christina Kreps’ call to researchers to “liberate our thinking from Eurocentric notions of what constitutes the museum and museological behaviour” (2003, p.x). Through interviews with individual members of three overseas Kachin communities and the examination of a range of Kachin-related cultural productions, it demonstrates the extent to which Kachin people, like museums, are highly engaged in heritage and cultural preservation, albeit in ways which are distinctive to normative museum practices of collecting, display and interpretation.
  • Title <Book Reviews>Mandy Sadan. 『Being and Becoming Kachin

    Title <Book Reviews>Mandy Sadan. 『Being and Becoming Kachin

    <Book Reviews>Mandy Sadan. 『Being and Becoming Title Kachin: Histories Beyond the State in the Borderworlds of Burma』 Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2013, 470p. Author(s) Imamura, Masao Citation Southeast Asian Studies (2015), 4(1): 199-206 Issue Date 2015-04 URL http://hdl.handle.net/2433/197733 Right ©Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Kyoto University Type Departmental Bulletin Paper Textversion publisher Kyoto University Book Reviews 199 Being and Becoming Kachin: Histories Beyond the State in the Borderworlds of Burma MANDY SADAN Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2013, 470p. Over the past 15 years, Mandy Sadan has single-handedly launched new historical scholarship on the Kachin people. The Kachin, a group of highlanders who mostly reside in the northern region of Myanmar, had long been widely known among academics, thanks to Edmund Leach’s 1954 clas- sic Political Systems of Highland Burma: A Study of Kachin Social Structure. The lack of access to Myanmar, however, has meant that until very recently scholarly discussions were often more about Leach and his theory than about the Kachin people themselves. Sadan, an English historian, has introduced an entirely new set of historical studies from a resolutely empirical perspective. The much-anticipated monograph, Being and Becoming Kachin: Histories Beyond the State in the Border- worlds of Burma, brings together the fruits of her scholarship, including a surprisingly large amount of findings that have not been published before. This publication is certainly a cause for celebration, especially because it is rare that such a thick monograph exclusively focused on one ethnic minor- ity group is published at all nowadays.1) With this monograph, Sadan has again raised the standard of Kachin scholarship to a new level.
  • THAILAND Submission to the CERD Committee Coalition on Racial

    THAILAND Submission to the CERD Committee Coalition on Racial

    Shadow Report on Eliminating Racial Discrimination: THAILAND Submission to the CERD Committee 1 Coalition on Racial Discrimination Watch Preamble: 1. “ We have a distinct way of life, settlement and cultivation practices that are intricately linked with nature, forests and wild life. Our ways of life are sustainable and nature friendly and these traditions and practices have been taught and passed on from one generation to the next. But now because of State policies and waves of modernisation we are struggling to preserve and maintain our traditional ways of life” Mr. Joni Odochao, Intellectual, Karen ethnic, Opening Speech at the Indigenous Peoples Day Festival in Chiangmai, Northern Thailand 2007 Introduction on Indigenous peoples and ethnic groups in Thailand 1 The coalition was established as a loose network at the Workshop Programme on 5th July 2012 on the Shadow Report on the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD) organised by the Ethnic Studies and Development Center, Sociology Faculty, Chiangmai University in cooperation with Cross Cultural Foundation and the Highland Peoples Taskforce 1 2. The Network of Indigenous Peoples in Thailand2, in the International Working Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA) yearbook on 2008, explained the background of indigenous peoples in Thailand. The indigenous people of Thailand are most commonly referred to as “hill tribes”, sometimes as “ethnic minorities”, and the ten officially recognised ethnic groups are usually called “chao khao” (meaning “hill/mountain people” or “highlanders”). These and other indigenous people live in the North and North-western parts of the country. A few other indigenous groups live in the North-east and indigenous fishing communities and a small population of hunter-gatherers inhabit the South of Thailand.
  • Identity Crisis: Ethnicity and Conflict in Myanmar

    Identity Crisis: Ethnicity and Conflict in Myanmar

    Identity Crisis: Ethnicity and Conflict in Myanmar Asia Report N°312 | 28 August 2020 Headquarters International Crisis Group Avenue Louise 235 • 1050 Brussels, Belgium Tel: +32 2 502 90 38 • Fax: +32 2 502 50 38 [email protected] Preventing War. Shaping Peace. Table of Contents Executive Summary ................................................................................................................... i I. Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 1 II. A Legacy of Division ......................................................................................................... 4 A. Who Lives in Myanmar? ............................................................................................ 4 B. Those Who Belong and Those Who Don’t ................................................................. 5 C. Contemporary Ramifications..................................................................................... 7 III. Liberalisation and Ethno-nationalism ............................................................................. 9 IV. The Militarisation of Ethnicity ......................................................................................... 13 A. The Rise and Fall of the Kaungkha Militia ................................................................ 14 B. The Shanni: A New Ethnic Armed Group ................................................................. 18 C. An Uncertain Fate for Upland People in Rakhine
  • Mon Affairs Union Representative: Nai Bee Htaw Monzel

    Mon Affairs Union Representative: Nai Bee Htaw Monzel

    Mon Affairs Union Representative: Nai Bee Htaw Monzel Mr. Chairman or Madame Chairperson I would like to thank you for giving me the opportunity to participate in the Forum. I am representative from the Mon Affairs Union. The Mon Affairs Union is the largest Mon political and social organization in Mon State. It was founded by Mon organizations both inside and outside Burma in 2008. Our main objective to restore self-determination rights for Mon people in Burma. Mon people is an ethnic group and live in lower Burma and central Thailand. They lost their sovereign kingdom, Hongsawatoi in 1757. Since then, they have never regained their self- determination rights. Due to lack of self-determination rights, Mon people are barred from decision making processes on social, political and economic policies. Mon State has rich natural resources. Since the Mon do not have self-determination rights, the Mon people don’t have rights to make decision on using these resources. Mon State has been ruled by Burmese military for many years. Burmese military government extracts these resources and sells to neighboring countries such as China and Thailand. For example, the government sold billions of dollars of natural gas from Mon areas to Thailand. Instead of investing the income earned from natural gas in Mon areas, the government bought billion dollars of arms from China and Russia to oppress Mon people. Due Burmese military occupation in Mon areas, livelihoods of Mon people economic life have also been destroyed. Since 1995, Burmese military presence in Mon areas was substantially increased. Before 1995, Burma Army had 10 battalions in Mon State.
  • Late Jomon Male and Female Genome Sequences from the Funadomari Site in Hokkaido, Japan

    Late Jomon Male and Female Genome Sequences from the Funadomari Site in Hokkaido, Japan

    ANTHROPOLOGICAL SCIENCE Vol. 127(2), 83–108, 2019 Late Jomon male and female genome sequences from the Funadomari site in Hokkaido, Japan Hideaki KANZAWA-KIRIYAMA1*, Timothy A. JINAM2, Yosuke KAWAI3, Takehiro SATO4, Kazuyoshi HOSOMICHI4, Atsushi TAJIMA4, Noboru ADACHI5, Hirofumi MATSUMURA6, Kirill KRYUKOV7, Naruya SAITOU2, Ken-ichi SHINODA1 1Department of Anthropology, National Museum of Nature and Science, Tsukuba City, Ibaragi 305-0005, Japan 2Division of Population Genetics, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima City, Shizuoka 411-8540, Japan 3Department of Human Genetics, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan 4Department of Bioinformatics and Genomics, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa City, Ishikawa 920-0934, Japan 5Department of Legal Medicine, Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Medicine and Engineering, University of Yamanashi, Chuo City, Yamanashi 409-3898, Japan 6Second Division of Physical Therapy, School of Health Sciences, Sapporo Medical University, Sapporo City, Hokkaido 060-0061, Japan 7Department of Molecular Life Science, School of Medicine, Tokai University, Isehara City, Kanagawa 259-1193, Japan Received 18 April 2018; accepted 15 April 2019 Abstract The Funadomari Jomon people were hunter-gatherers living on Rebun Island, Hokkaido, Japan c. 3500–3800 years ago. In this study, we determined the high-depth and low-depth nuclear ge- nome sequences from a Funadomari Jomon female (F23) and male (F5), respectively. We genotyped the nuclear DNA of F23 and determined the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class-I genotypes and the phenotypic traits. Moreover, a pathogenic mutation in the CPT1A gene was identified in both F23 and F5. The mutation provides metabolic advantages for consumption of a high-fat diet, and its allele fre- quency is more than 70% in Arctic populations, but is absent elsewhere.
  • Report on "Youth Perceptions of Pluralism and Diversity in Yangon

    Report on "Youth Perceptions of Pluralism and Diversity in Yangon

    YOUTH PERCEPTIONS OF PLURALISM AND DIVERSITY IN YANGON, MYANMAR Report prepared for UNESCO by Enlightened Myanmar Research Foundation (EMReF) 22 November 2019 Yangon, Myanmar YOUTH PERCEPTIONS OF PLURALISM AND DIVERSITY IN YANGON, MYANMAR Executive summary 3 Introduction 5 Literature Review 6 Education 6 Isolation and Public and Cultural Spaces 6 Religion and Ethnicity 7 Histories and Memories of Coexistence, Friendship, and Acceptance 7 Discrimination and Burmanization 7 Parents, Teachers, and Lessons: Hierarchy and Social Norms 8 Social Media 8 Methodology 10 Ethnic and Religious Communities 11 Research Findings 13 Perceptions of Cultural Diversity, Pluralism and Tolerance 13 Discrimination, Civil Documentation and Conflict 15 Case Study 17 Socialization: Parents, Peers, and Lessons 19 Proverbs, Idioms, Mottos 19 Peers and Friends 20 Parents and Elders 21 Education (Schools, Universities and Teachers) 22 Isolation and Space 26 Festivals, Holidays, and Cultural and Religious Sites 27 Civic and Political Participation 29 Social Media and Hate Speech 30 Employment and Migration 31 Language 32 Change Agents 33 Conclusion 35 Recommendations for Program Expansion 37 Civil Society Mapping 38 References 41 2 YOUTH PERCEPTIONS OF PLURALISM AND DIVERSITY IN YANGON, MYANMAR Executive summary A number of primary gaps have been identified in the existing English language literature on youth, diversity, and pluralism in Myanmar that have particular ramifications for organizations and donors working in the youth and pluralism space. The first is the issue of translation. Most of the existing literature makes no note of how concepts such as diversity, tolerance, pluralism and discrimination are translated into Burmese or if there is a pre-existing Burmese concept or framework for these concepts, and particularly, how youth are using and learning about these concepts.
  • Islamic Education in Myanmar: a Case Study

    Islamic Education in Myanmar: a Case Study

    10: Islamic education in Myanmar: a case study Mohammed Mohiyuddin Mohammed Sulaiman Introduction `Islam', which literally means `peace' in Arabic, has been transformed into a faith interpreted loosely by one group and understood conservatively by another, making it seem as if Islam itself is not well comprehended by its followers. Today, it is the faith of 1.2 billion people across the world; Asia is a home for 60 per cent of these adherents, with Muslims forming an absolute majority in 11 countries (Selth 2003:5). Since the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001, international scholars have become increasingly interested in Islam and in Muslims in South-East Asia, where more than 230 million Muslims live (Mutalib 2005:50). These South-East Asian Muslims originally received Islam from Arab traders. History reveals the Arabs as sea-loving people who voyaged around the Indian Ocean (IIAS 2005), including to South-East Asia. The arrival of Arabs has had different degrees of impact on different communities in the region. We find, however, that not much research has been done by today's Arabs on the Arab±South-East Asian connection, as they consider South-East Asia a part of the wider `East', which includes Iran, Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent. Indeed, the term `South-East Asia' is hardly used in modern Arab literature. For them, anything east of the Middle East and non-Arabic speaking world is considered to be `Asia' (Abaza 2002). According to Myanmar and non-Myanmar sources, Islam reached the shores of Myanmar's Arakan (Rakhine State) as early as 712 AD, via oceangoing merchants, and in the form of Sufism.
  • MISY: Mandalay Campus 2018/2019 Calendar M O Tu W E Th Fr S a Su

    MISY: Mandalay Campus 2018/2019 Calendar M O Tu W E Th Fr S a Su

    MISY: Mandalay Campus 2018/2019 Calendar M W S o Tu e Th Fr a Su Important Dates th th 1 2 3 4 5 10 Aug – 17 Staff induction th 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 25 Aug – School Opening Day Celebration 9.00 am to 12 noon August 27th Aug – Students First Day 2018 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 st (5 days) 31 Aug – Meet the Parents 3.45 pm to 5.30 pm 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 1 2 September 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 4th Sep – Fire Drill @ 9.50 am 2018 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 th st (20 days) 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 17 –21 Anti-Bullying Week 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 st October 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 31 October – Teacher Appreciation Day 2018 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 15th – 19th International Week 22nd- 26th Mid-term holiday / 23rd Pre-full moon of Thadingyut / 24th Full moon of 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 th (18 days) Thadingyut / 25 Post-full moon of Thadingyut 29 30 31 1 2 3 4 1st Nov – Fire Drill @ 11.50 am November 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 2018 12th Parent, Student, Teacher Conferences (Nursery – Year 8) 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 th th 13 -16 Week Without Walls (Years 7- 8) (20 days) 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 21st Pre-full moon of Tasaungmone / 22nd Full moon of Tasaungmone / 26 27 28 29 30 1 2 2nd National Day 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 December th 14 Christmas Shows Written reports released (Nursery – Year 8) / Last Day of 2018 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Term 1 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 17th School Holidays (10 days) 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 25th Christmas Day 31 31st New Year’s Eve th 1 2 3 4 5 6 4 Independence Day/ 6th Karen New Year Day th st January 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 7 Jan – Students and Teachers 1 Day term 2 2019
  • A Faith-Driven Protocol on Gratitude, Forgiveness, and Stress for Chin

    A Faith-Driven Protocol on Gratitude, Forgiveness, and Stress for Chin

    A FAITH-DRIVEN PROTOCOL ON GRATITUDE, FORGIVENESS, AND STRESS FOR CHIN REFUGEES FROM BURMA: AN EXPLORATORY STUDY by Sally Goh Liberty University A Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy Liberty University February 2017 A FAITH-DRIVEN PROTOCOL ON GRATITUDE, FORGIVENESS, AND STRESS FOR CHIN REFUGEES FROM BURMA: AN EXPLORATORY STUDY by Sally Goh A Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy Liberty University, Lynchburg, VA 2017 APPROVED BY: _____________________________ Fernando Garzon, Ph.D., Committee Chair _____________________________ Joy Mwendwa, Ph.D., Committee Member _____________________________ Melvin Pride, Ph.D., Committee Member ii ABSTRACT The influx of immigrants from a diverse cultural and religious tradition into the United States has renewed counselors’ and researchers' interest in how collectivistic populations from a refugee background experience pre-settlement and post-settlement stress in this country. Refugees who have experienced trauma before their settlement are more likely to experience increasing psychiatric pressure from daily stressors such as language barriers, employment difficulties, familial and generational conflicts, and dwindling psychosocial support. However, some refugee populations, such as the Chin people from Burma, have a low-uptake of help-seeking for their psychological problems, leading to more insufficient adjustment to the host culture. Since the Christian faith and the exercise of spiritual disciplines play a critical role in the mental and subjective health of the Chin population, this researcher conducted a workshop to teach a faith- driven approach (also known as GRACE). This exploratory study will describe the development, rationale, and implementation of the protocol.