Our Background, Purpose and Context

Organisational Background

In 1996, a group of Shan and Karenni youths hosted several informal and formal meetings on the capacity building of ethnic youth communities of Burma, finally founding SKY - Shan and Karenni Youth coordinating committee.

Following a series of ethnic youth capacity building trainings, 9 different ethnic group representatives participated and considered ethnic nationalities youth development. With inclusiveness as a central belief, the National Youth Development Committee was formed in 1999 with the objective of performing nationalities youth development activities. As soon as NYDC was formed SKY handed on duties and ethnic nationalities youth development activities continued.

However, some nationalities youth movement leaders felt frustrated that NYDC only focused on development, so asked for the raising of awareness to participate in, or implement, politically related activities. Following a nationalities youth seminar in 2000, ten different nationalities representatives of Karenni, Mon, Karen, Arakan, Kachin, Kayan, Palaung, Lahu, Chin and Pa-O, agreed to form the United Nationalities Youth League (UNYL) in 2001.

NYDC was formed by and for ethnic nationalities youth, with a focus on capacity building for the different nationalities youth of Burma. UNYL was formed with similar objectives. After informal and formal meetings were called, both agreed to host a joint committee, then in 2003 it was agreed to merge the two organizations. The title of the newly created youth alliance body was called Nationalities Youth Forum (NY Forum).

Our Mission

NY Forum promotes recognition, equality, national reconciliation & solidarity amongst the ethnic nationalities of Burma.

Through trainings and initiatives on human rights, capacity-building, pro-democracy and empowerment, as well as inter-generational knowledge sharing within communities, NY Forum strives to build a genuine, peaceful federalism & to establish mutual understanding among ethnic nationality youth.

Aims and Objectives

To develop mutual understanding and cooperation amongst youth organizations from different ethnic backgrounds
To expose ethnic youth to the concept and practice of trust building, cooperation and unity, acknowledging their importance for the national reconciliation movement
To increase the participation of young ethnic men and women in decision making, politics and development at all levels of community

Historical Background

Burma (called Myanmar by the ruling junta) is the second largest country in ASEAN and is very rich in both natural resources and ethnic diversity.

After the end of World War II, General Aung San collaborated with national leaders, promising that Burma would be a federal country. Shan, Chin and Kachin leaders worked with him and the Pang Long Agreement, established to fully guarantee equality, self-determination and political rights, was signed in 1947. Independence from British colonial rule was gained in 1948. However, when Aung San was assassinated, the spirit of the Pang Long Agreement was broken and the country became unitarian, under the name The Union of Burma.

Consequences of Military Rule

The present day military regime (SPDC), mainly targeting the ethnic areas as a strategy to break down ethnic resistance, maintain a strong-armed military presence and have committed many brutal human rights abuses.