And the winners are...

It certainly looks as if Aung San Suu Kyi's NLD party won in a landslide in Burma this weekend.  Good tidings we hope for the future of the country.

This link to the Democratic Voice of Burma has "live" election coverage with a timeline of events during the day and a number of videos.

There are different thoughts about where the international community should go from here regarding Burma. Here's one, also on the Democratic Voice of Burma site, and one from the NY Times that includes this great quote by Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, “It is too early to know what the progress of recent months means and whether it will be sustained,” Mrs. Clinton said. “There are no guarantees about what lies ahead for the people of Burma, but after a day responding to a brutal dictator in Syria, who would rather destroy his own country than let it move toward freedom, it is heartening to be reminded that even the most repressive regime can reform and even the most closed society can open.”

And finally, this beautiful slide show of photos from Burma around the elction that I found in the New York Times.

Chalk one up for progress...

Check this out!

So for a Friday post, after a long week, we want to share this (very) funny video that our friends at ENOUGH! made in support of the find Kony movement.

It's called KonyMeloni and it's really good for a Friday afternoon laugh.

Have a great weekend, folks!

Today, we're talking about Burma

On Sunday, April 1st, Burma will hold a by-election.  But they've been postponed in three of the 48 constituencies due to Kachin rebels and Burmese government fighting.

This is one of the fundamental conflicts that has plagued Burma.  Below is a timeline/history timeline of the Kachin conflict from the website Nagalim Voice:

February 1947—Kachin leaders signed the Panglong Agreement with the Burmese government, which laid the foundation for the creation of a fully autonomous Kachin State.

February 1949—Naw Seng, a Kachin military officer in the Burmese army, defected to the Karen rebels along with his battalion. He then led the first Kachin rebel army in the fight for Kachin independence.

February 1961—Parliament under then Burmese Prime Minister U Nu declared Buddhism as the state religion, infuriating the mostly Christian Kachin population.

February 1961—A group of educated young Kachin men founded the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), and pledged to fight for a free Kachin republic. Intense fighting with the Burmese army ensued.

August 1963—Burmese Gen Ne Win, who came to power after staging a military coup, held peace talks with ethnic armed forces, including the Kachin. However, negotiations broke down after the ethnic representatives rejected Ne Win’s demands, which included a condition that their armed forces must be concentrated in designated zones and their activities must be disclosed to his regime.

October 1980—Brang Seng, the chairman of the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), the KIA’s political wing, went to Rangoon and met with Ne Win for peace talks. He asked the Burmese government for Kachin State autonomy with self determination.

December 1980—The Burmese government rejected the KIO’s demand for the inclusion of autonomous rights in the Constitution, saying the demands had not been accepted “by a vote of the people.” Peace efforts broke down and fighting resumed.

July 1993—KIO delegates negotiated with Burmese military leaders over a ceasefire in KIA-controlled areas in Kachin State and Shan State. The KIO’s major demand was regional development.

February 1994—The KIO signed a ceasefire agreement with the ruling military regime of the State Law and Order Restoration Council.

September 2010—The KIO formally rejected the Burmese government’s plan to accept the Border Guard Force (BGF) plan which would subjugate the KIA under Burmese military command. The KIO called for the emergence of a genuine federal state. Naypyidaw subsequently forced the closure of KIA liaison offices in Kachin State.

September 2010—Burma’s Election Commission rejected the registration of three Kachin political parties from running in the country’s first national elections in 20 years, saying the party leaders were linked with the KIA.

May 2011—The KIO sent a letter to the Chinese government to withdraw its investment from a massive hydropower dam project in Kachin State, warning that local resentment against this project could spark a civil war.

June 9, 2011—Deadly fighting between the KIA and the Burmese army broke out near a hydropower dam project, bringing this strategic region neighboring China to the verge of a civil war.

But here's the thing:  This is what's happening to the Kachin people now.  And this.  As we mentioned recently in thsi blog, there have been some hopeful signs in Burma, but this violence cannot be allowed to go unanswered.

We're on a roll...

I hope that I don't jinx us, but I really want to share this:

For the last 15 days in a row, some mention of One Million Bones has shown up in my google alert.  In some csaes it was for events being organized by Road to Washington teams around the country, in some cases it was my blog posts, in one instance it was someone else blogging about OMB.

This gives us no end of joy.  It means the word is getting out and that's exactly what needs to happen.  It almost makes me want to set up a pool: how many days will it last?  I hope we go from now until the installation on the National Mall, quite honestly.  Wouldn't that be something.  I haven't gotten my alerts for today, but keep your fingers crossed.  Maybe take a minute, if you're a blogger or a tweeter, to mention us; the Road to Washington event on April 28th, or the 50,000 Preview installation in New Orleans on April 7th.  Get your mention of OMB on our google alert!

Thanks to everyone who's sharing.  Every mention matters. Oh, but one thing, if you mention the final installation in Washington, D.C., please be sure to tell everyone it's in MAY of 2013.  

Getting in on the Kony2012 conversation

I've avoided chiming in on the Kony2012 debate, mostly because I think in some ways the whole mess is a metaphor for how we all keep separating ourselves from what matters.

So, do I think that Invisible Children raised awareness about something that people need to be aware of?  Well, as a matter of fact, yes I do.  Do I wish Invisible Children placed greater financial emphasis on direct services? Well, I'd have to answer yes to that, too.  Do I think, at the end of the day, that we all have to do what we're best at?  That would be an affirmative, as well.  So, frankly, no judgements from me.

But, I do want to share this anecdote with you.  I've been interviewing high school students who are interested in doing an internship with One Million Bones for their senior year service project.  Most of the kids I've been talking to already have some passion for art and/or activism, and have some idea of what's happening in the world.  In the course of one of my interviews, the following exchange took place:

Student: It's like with Kony2012.  My boyfriend sent me the video and I was watching it during class...

Me: ahem...

Student: and I got totally choked up, like I was almost crying.  And I was so pumped up and wanted to do something, but I didn't know what to do. (emphasis is mine)

For me, that's the sticking point of the whole KONY2012 conundrum.  They have reached and engaged so many young people; it's brilliant! But what now? We've got your attention, and now go back to your regularly scheduled programming. Just a little more effort in the conception stage, creating one more linkage, offering just one extra step that resulted in a direct action, could have, in my opinion, made a world of difference by turning passive consumers into something resembling activists.