CSDP

. Civil Society Development Project

Objectives:

To build up capacities for the Mon civil society organizations, which bases on religion, literature and culture, youths, women, entertainment issues in terms of organizational management, strategic planning, networking and collaboration, advocacy, etc.

To create network among the different communities and civil society groups to share information, knowledge and technique how they have been involved in empowering themselves in the community level.

Assessment for Project Implementation:

In Mon State and southern part of Burma, because of the serious oppression by the SPDC local authorities and Burmese Army’s troops, the people have tried to form some non-political organizations and plan to protect their community members or organization’s members. It is founded that even the people in general have kept silence in talking politics, however, they come and create unity in terms of religions, ethnicity, social and cultural concepts, livelihood, business and etc.

In Mon State, many organizations – such as Mon literature and culture organizations, Buddhist monks associations, former students’ organizations, magazines and journal production associations, (underground) labour organizations, (underground) farmers, trading associations and many others are formed after 1988 pro-democracy uprising. When many political parties to enter in 1990 general elections are formed, many types of those community organizations were also formed.

For example, many groups of Mon monks in Mon State also formed a “Mon Literature and Buddhist Culture Committees” and adapted the objectives of SLORC when they applied permission from the regimes. After they received the permission, they have mainly involved in maintaining the Mon literature and culture, teaching the (genuine) Buddhism to students in the village community, how the Buddhism prefers for peace, harmony and passion, etc. When the students understand the genuine Buddhism from monks, they could understand what the regime’s actions are right and what are wrong.

This is just one example and there are many similar examples that the civil society or people’s organization belonged to the grass-root communities have gradually occurred in Mon State. Among them, some organizations approached to HURFOM and tried to get some capacities especially in organizational management, effective communication, net-working, problem solving and conflict resolution, etc. Even there were no formal training and workshop to them, but HURFOM coordinators and trainers, who had some of these skills, have provided the leaders of civil society groups with various training.

HURFOM also believes that the role of civil society groups or organizations will be more and more important in the future and it must also support for smooth democratic transition in the future Burma. If the civil society organizations have more capacity they could operate their organizations more effectively and must have less reliable on the regime.

Activities:

Therefore, HURFOM has two following activities.