Grassroots Environmental Adult Education: Developing Environmental Peace Infrastructure in the Nascent Democracy of Myanmar

Abstract

<p>Myanmar is undergoing rapid political, social and economic change as a result of political and economic reforms instigated in 2011 by the ruling authoritarian junta. The nascent democracy is adopting an industrialised development strategy aimed at addressing the dire poverty of the vast majority of the population, lack of public infrastructure, serious environmental degradation and deeply seated ethnic conflicts. This paper is based on a case study of a grass roots environmental organisation in Myanmar that is focusing on raising awareness of the ecological violence inherent in the processes of modernisation and development and working on developing peaceful and practical alternatives. The organisation, The Network for Environment and Economic Development (NEED), is educating young adults from various ethnic groups and geographical regions within the country in alternative development processes and practices that are centred on sustainable agriculture and livelihood models and ecologically sound environmental management systems. It is argued that this participatory, grass roots involvement and development of local infrastructure is vital if Myanmar is to achieve enduring peace, one grounded in a peaceful relationship with the natural environment. This paper is based on the belief that the implementation of liberal peace infrastructure ignores ecological violence and that peace practitioners need to focus on 'environmental peace' in order to achieve enduringly peaceful societies. This is particularly so given increasing populations and depleting natural resources and threats to environmental, human and food security.</p>