Kawthoolei with newshole

Summary:

Along the Thai-Burma border, we meet the women peace activists working in the midst of the world's longest running civil war.

Website:

http://www.outervoices.org

Additional Credits and Funding:

Major underwriting for "Kawthoolei" was provided by the Open Society Institute and The Ford Foundation. Additional funding was provided by the Pohaku Fund, the Lucius and Eva Eastman Foundation, the American Friends Service Committee and other generous donors.

"Kawthoolei" was produced and hosted by Jack Chance.
Executive Producer was Stephanie Guyer-Stevens.
Editor was Barrett Golding.
Mixing Engineer was Robin Wise.
Production Intern was Cathy Hoang.
Research Assistant was Karoline Kemp.
Photography by Kristofer Dan-Bergman

Sound recordings and interviews made between 2003 and 2006
by Emily Polk, Jack Chance, Hsamu, Cathy Hoang, and Megan Hauser. Field recordings of traditional music made by Jack Chance, Gregory Scarborough, Hsamu, and Nichole Huck.

In Thailand, thanks to the Karen Women?s Organization, the Mae Tao Clinic, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, the Thailand Burma Border Consortium, the Karen Refugee Committee, the Center for Internally Displaced Karen People, the Karen Student Network Group, the Burmese Medical Association, the Assistance Association of Political Prisoners, Burma Issues, the World Education Consortium, Tim Syrota, Phil Thornton, Joanne Lee, and the Foreign Correspondents? Club of Thailand. Excerpts of Aung San Suu Kyi speeches courtesy of ALTSEAN and Images Asia.

In the United States, thanks go to the American Friends Service Committee-Golden Gate Chapter, the World Affairs Council San Francisco, Friends of the Karen, the Burma Scholars program of the Open Society Institute, Dr. Ben Brown, Planet Care and KGLT-FM.

Many other people have contributed to this program, and for the safety of their families, must remain anonymous.

"Kawthoolei" is the third in a series of audio profiles on women activists in Asia and the Pacific Rim, produced by Outer Voices. To obtain a CD of this program, please call 415-497-0563, or visit us online at www.outervoices.org.

Timely on:

December 10: International Human Rights Day

Tones:

Emotional, Political, Sound Rich

Language:

English

Description:

In the Karen language, Kawthoolei is the name of a mythical homeland in eastern Burma(Myanmar). The Karen people have been struggling for control of this land for nearly 60 years. This conflict between the Burmese military regime and the Karen National Union is now considered the world's longest running civil war. There are numerous reports of ethnic cleansing, and hundreds of thousands of Burmese and ethnic refugees have flooded western Thailand, yet this conflict is often overlooked by the western media.

Produced along the Thai-Burma border in the refugee camps, medical clinics, and rebel military bases, "Kawthoolei" attempts to demystify the complicated history of Burma's ethnic groups, while focusing on Karen women activists working for non-violent solutions.

This documentary features interviews with Nobel nominees Zipporah Sein and Dr. Cynthia Maung, as well as several other women activists, observers, humanitarian workers, and refugees.

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