By SU MYAT MON | FRONTIER
YANGON – Thabyay Education Foundation will next month launch an institute to train the next generation of leaders to take part in the peace process.
The Peace Leadership and Research Institute aims to promote a culture of responsible leadership and evidence-based decision-making to support peace and national reconciliation.
Thabyay executive director Saw Myo Myint Thu said young people could bring fresh thinking and new ideas to the peace process, and also conduct important research into peace-related topics.
“I think we’ve seen a lack of reason and evidence-based arguments in the peace negotiation process,” Saw Myo Myint Thu said. “So we want to fill in that gap by preparing more young people to learn research methods and study peace and conflict in other countries so that they can contribute those analytical skills to the peacemaking process.”
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Graduates could undertake some of the research that is presently being done by foreign consultants, he said, noting that the research skills they will gain can be applied to all of Myanmar’s development challenges.
“Myanmar is particularly weak in research-based policy making. Without research skills, the country’s future is at risk,” he added.
The programme will bring together around 21 young people aged 23 to 30 from across the country with an interest in peace and research.
Those with a degree in any area, intermediate English skills and at least three years of work experience are encouraged to apply.
Thabyay Education Foundation is a non-profit organisation that provides scholarships to young people from diverse backgrounds for community leadership and social studies programmes.
