What you can do for Burma!

http://www.vanderbilt.edu/travelfellowship/stephanie/?p=58

Posted by stephanie on Nov 4th, 2008 2008
Nov 4
I was a Communication Studies major at Vanderbilt, and one of the key things I learned from my classes was that when presenting a problem to people, you also have to present solutions. I think that it is beyond clear that there is a problem in Burma, one that is costing millions of people their lives. And while the situation in Burma can seem so overwhelming, and that attempts to help are futile, if everyone were to contribute in some small way to the situation, these amazing organizations doing such important work would have more resources in which to operate. I hope that everyone who reads my blog learned something new about the situation in Burma, whether you have known about this for a long time or are new to it like I am. I think that educating ourselves is an important part in contributing to the situation in Burma. We need to talk about it and not forget those who are suffering and dying each day. Read books and articles about the situation in Burma. The Perfect Hostage: The Life of Aung San Suu Kyi by Justin Wintle is a place to start. Living Silence: Burma Under Military Rule by Christina Fink is another good place to start.



All of these organizations also need more financial support. Here are the websites for some of the organizations that I met with and have been told about during my trip.


http://www.burmainstitute.org/aboutUs.html
http://www.partnersworld.org/
www.bget.org
www.maetaoclinic.org
http://www.freeburmarangers.org/
www.aappb.org
www.ncub.org
www.ftub.org
www.khrg.org
www.nldla.org
www.freeburma.org
www.uscampaignforburma.org

You can also boycott companies that choose to do business in Burma, which only further supports the military government financially. Here is a list of organizations with known to do business with Burma.
http://www.global-unions.org/spip.php?page=burma

There is also a great need for volunteers at the Thai-Burma border, and there are opportunities for doctors, teachers, engineers, students, anyone who wants to help! There are a lot of opportunities you can find online if you’re interested! There are also volunteer opportunities and internships for organizations working to change the situation in Burma that are located internationally.