Informal humanitarian operations continue to provide important services for many communities along the Thai-Burma/Myanmar border. However, since the 2015 Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement, these essential service providers are increasingly sidelined, both politically and financially.
For decades, Myanmar was among the most isolated countries in the world. Although the process of democratization and the internet have changed things, people still cannot express themselves freely.
Renewable energy has become a technically and financially feasible alternative to coal and other fossil fuels or large hydro. And in contrast to these traditional sources of energy, renewable energy sources are neither harming the environment nor people's livelihoods in Myanmar.
Approximately 7,100 lives could be saved every year if Myanmar cancels its massive plan to build coal-fired power plants, and instead invest on renewable energy to meet the country’s electricity demand.
With recent announcements about the extension of Thilawa to Zone B and the planned construction of a fourth Special Economic Zone in the Yangon Region, it is important for Myanmar to draw on lessons learned and avoid negative repercussions on local communities. A new report by HBS Myanmar assesses social impacts entailed by the initial construction stages in Thilawa and Dawei, where thousands of villagers lost their land and livelihood opportunities.
Myanmar, being a member of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS), is a net exporter of energy to its neighbors like China who get the lion‘s share of the country’s generated power. Energy production has so far been more harmful than helpful especially to people who live close to the production-sites. Plans from 2011, making the Thanlwin River a source of hydropower, now offer a chance to the NLD-led government to perform good governance.
In 1967 the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was founded. This dossier sheds light on the institutional framework of ASEAN and analyses with contributions by civil society and academia, where social and ecological justice has, or should have, its place in Southeast Asia.
Myanmar’s transition to democracy has earned the country a lot of appraisal on the international stage. But over the last year, the boundaries between what is permitted and what will get people in trouble slid back and blurred again.
Political transition in Myanmar from a military to a civilian government holds the promise of opening up political spaces to previously marginalized groups. However, the dividend of the country’s democratization process seems to be still far off for the LGBTI community.
With Myanmar’s new investment bill, foreign direct investments in the agricultural sector are booming and business conglomerates are interested in expanding their agricultural production through contract farming. Yet, in the absence of effective mechanisms for poverty reduction and adequate land tenure security, the fruits of contract farming have often been harvested solely by companies.With Myanmar’s new investment bill, foreign direct investments in the agricultural sector are booming and business conglomerates are interested in expanding their agricultural production through contract farming. Yet, in the absence of effective mechanisms for poverty reduction and adequate land tenure security, the fruits of contract farming have often been harvested solely by companies.
Over the last years, Asia has undergone an impressive digital transformation. Large parts of the continent have turned from the world’s factory into a creative industry.The different contributions across the continent highlight both the opportunities and risks of digitalization in Asia.
The Contribution of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in Advancing Women’s Political Participation and Effectiveness: Following decades of military dictatorship which denied Myanmar the benefits of an inclusive democracy, the new government continues to fall short: Women remain underrepresented. This paper focusses on the contribution of a growing CSO-led women’s movement to political participation and effectiveness, and highlights opportunities to maximize such efforts.
Without the ocean there would be no life on our planet. But the future of this unique ecosystem faces a grave threat today. The Ocean Atlas 2017 delivers with its 18 contributions and 50 graphics the relevant facts and figures about the ocean.
The Rio Olympics have already cost more public money than official numbers show. An analysis by Julia Bustamante and Caio Lima, Instituto Políticas Alternativas para o Cone Sul (PACS).
