"Ethnic Conflict and Myanmar's Problematic Democratization," a Public Forum

THE 2014 UP ASEAN LECTURE SERIES ON
DEMOCRACY AND PEACE IN MYANMAR:
Ethnic Conflict and Myanmar’s Problematic Democratization
Lecturer: Lahpai Seng Raw
17 February 2014 (Monday), 10:00 AM – 12:00 NN, 

Claro M. Recto Conference Hall, Faculty Center (Rizal Hall)
College of Arts and Letters, University of the Philippines-Diliman

Click here for the audiovisual recordings of the public forum.

PROGRAM

9:30 – 10:00
REGISTRATION

10:00 – 10:10
WELCOME REMARKS
Ronald S. Banzon, PhD
Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
University of the Philippines-Diliman

10:10 – 10:20
OVERVIEW OF THE LECTURE SERIES
Ricardo T. Jose, PhD
Director
Third World Studies Center
College of Social Sciences and Philosophy
University of the Philippines-Diliman

10:20 – 10:30
INTRODUCTION OF SPEAKER AND REACTOR

10:30 – 10:50
SPEAKER
Lahpai Seng Raw
Founder
Metta Development Foundation and
2013 Ramon Magsaysay Awardee

10:50 – 11:05
REACTOR
Miriam Coronel-Ferrer
Chair, GPH Panel, MILF Peace Table
Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process and
Professor, Department of Political Science
College of Social Sciences and Philosophy
University of the Philippines-Diliman

11:05 – 11:50
OPEN FORUM

11:50 – 12:00
SYNTHESIS


MODERATOR
Eduardo C. Tadem, PhD
Professor
Asian Center
University of the Philippines-Diliman

ABOUT THE FORUM

This public forum is part of the 2014 UP ASEAN Lecture Series on Democracy and Peace in Myanmar entitled, "Ethnic Conflict and Myanmar's Problematic Democratization" featuring Daw Lahpai Seng Raw, a 2013 Ramon Magsaysay Awardee and founder of the Metta Development Foundation, a Myanmar non-governmental organization which has helped communities in Myanmar affected by conflicts between the government and ethnic armed groups. The forum will provide a venue for a general discussion of the ongoing ethnic conflicts in Myanmar. Its target audience will be composed of diverse students, faculty, and civil society groups. It aims to answer the following questions:

• How have the Myanmar government and the country’s ethnic minority groups engaged with each other? What is the nature of their relationship? Has their relationship improved over the years?
• How do civil society groups, particularly those concerned with issues regarding Myanmar’s different ethnic minorities, regard the government’s efforts to democratize?
• How does the issue of ethnicity figure into the struggle by civil society for greater democratic representation in Myanmar?
• What are the conditions of communities of ethnic minority groups in conflict areas? How have the national government, the independence organizations, and nongovernment organizations helped these affected communities?
• How was the Metta Development Foundation (MDF) formed? What are the functions of the MDF? What is the nature of their engagement with affected ethnic minority communities in these conflict areas?
• What is the relationship between the MDF and government institutions? How does the MDF coordinate peace initiatives with other nongovernment organizations operating in conflict areas in Myanmar?
• How do the MDF and the independence organizations of the States view each other? How does the MDF look at the armed groups’ violent strategy demanding greater autonomy for ethnic minority groups?
• Has the MDF been successful in its endeavour to help ethnic minority communities affected by the long-standing ethnic conflict? Why so?

For more information about the 2014 UP ASEAN Lecture Series and its composite activities, please click here.