Dialogue event in Bangkok, November 29, 2023.

The International Development Research Centre (IDRC), in partnership with Global Affairs Canada and the Ottawa Dialogue, is pleased to invite you to participate in an informal discussion on past international support for Myanmar surrounding the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement of 2015. Drawing out lessons for the future, this event will bring together diplomatic representatives, foreign aid agencies, non-governmental organizations, and experts.

The dialogue will be held at the Social Innovation Hub, located on the 1st floor in the Visid Prachuabmoh Building, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok on November 29, 2023 (3-6 PM).

The event is an opportunity to discuss the findings of two detailed research initiatives addressing the successes and failures of past international support for peacebuilding in Myanmar.

Agenda

3.00 – 4:30 PM

Welcome remarks by Embassy of Canada and Kapil Kapoor, Regional Director, IDRC
Introduction by Mark McDowell, Country Representative (Myanmar), The Asia Foundation
Presentation on upcoming book: “NGOs Mediating Peace: Fostering Inclusion in Myanmar’s Ceasefire Agreement Negotiations” by Dr Julia Palmiano Federer, The Ottawa Dialogue
Presentation of research findings: “International Peace Support and Effective Peacebuilding in Myanmar” by Cate Buchanan, independent specialist and consultant, and Dr Adam Burke, Senior Regional Director for Conflict and Fragility, The Asia Foundation
Commentary: Khin Zaw Win, Director of Tampadipa Institute
Q&A session
Coffee / refreshments

4:45 – 6.00 PM

Break-out sessions on key themes (Optional)

For any inquiries or to confirm your presence, kindly contact Naruemol Tuenpakdee. Email: Naruemol.tuenpakdee@asiafoundation.org
Phone: (+66) 65-121-5822.

Further information on the event and the presentations can be found below.
We look forward to welcoming you to the event. Please confirm attendance by email.

Detail on the presentations

Recognizing recent statements from democratic and representative forces emphasizing that no dialogue can take place in the current context, it remains important that international organizations learn from the recent past. This event will provide evidence and encourage discussion on the lessons that can be drawn from past peace processes including the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement of 2015 for future peace-building endeavors. Despite Myanmar’s current state of crisis, the ceasefire agreement marked a pivotal step in addressing decades of conflict in the nation’s minority areas.

Dr. Julia Palmiano Federer, representing the Ottawa Dialogue, will be presenting insights from her upcoming book, “NGOs Mediating Peace: Fostering Inclusion in Myanmar’s Ceasefire Agreement Negotiations.” This book explores the role of non-governmental organizations in mediating peace agreements and their contributions to international peace mediation. It delves into these questions by examining the involvement of NGOs in promoting “inclusive peace” during Myanmar’s Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement negotiations from 2011 to 2015. Notably, this analysis sheds light on the relevance of these findings in the context of the current post-coup environment, which has unfolded eight years after the agreement was signed.

Dr Adam Burke and Cate Buchanan will present findings from The Asia Foundation’s research project, “International Peace Support and Effective Peacebuilding in Myanmar,” scrutinizes the conflict resolution initiatives of foreign aid agencies from 2010 to 2020, a period marked by rapid reforms and heightened activity related to the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement. While peace processes in Myanmar have been primarily led by the nation itself, international assistance has played a supportive role by enhancing the capabilities of crucial organizations and mechanisms, endorsing confidence-building measures, integrating objectives related to gender equality, and reinforcing civil society groups. Although these measures faced significant obstacles that impeded progress toward peace, many of them have left a positive and enduring legacy.