The Answer and Power is Just Here Inside Everyone​

The Experience from MPJ training 2011

How to live in peace with myself? How to bring peace to the world and make it a better place with love?  Never had I stop searching for the answers for these questions and thanks to Mekong Peace Journey, now I see much more, with friends from 6 countries in the 18-day learning process.

What does War mean to me? How does it connect to my daily life?              Before joining this journey, the word ‘war’ was far away from me. When I saw or heard this word, I would choose to ignore it. Because I took it as something happen in a distant place and something inevitable in human history. Even if I had strong empathy on the people suffered from the violence caused by the war, I thought it too big and far away issue for me.

And during the Mekong Peace Journey, I adopt a new perspective to see the connection between war and me. I can see it is rooted in the value of everyone even since we were born. It’s the value how we look at Gender, how we look at and deal with Difference that leads to all kind of violence including war and all the social injustice. Then I realize I am one that can choose to reduce violence or reinforce violence in this world. And if we can let more people aware of this, there is hope that we can have less violence/war and more peace.

Community visit in both Thai side and Cambodian side added on my understanding of war. When I saw the bag of mum (the owner of our host family in Thai side) containing all the important thing including ID card, which she prepared for escape in any next minute; when my hand touched the remains of the bomb, which was ice-cold and so heavy that I even could not lift it up; when I heard from many villagers that they now get so scared when it rains because they should identify whether it is raindrop on the roof or the bullet as it came last time; when I recall the remains of the house directly suffered from a bomb, leaving a family losing everything and worst a member still in hospital; when I heard the voice from the translator telling that we should leave the temple on the Thai and Cambodian border in no time, or we may be in danger due to the conflict right on the border land…I feel it no more possible for me to ignore the human living and life suffer in the conflicts. War means depriving the basic human right of living and being safe. And the people and soldiers suffer most and directly have no way to say NO. I also learned from the analysis process that everything is controlled by the systems of politics, economy, education and justice, which reinforce each other, and caused by the culture. Thus I bear a stronger critical view on all the current systems, knowing that all the social problems are brought by the social structure we are living in. I am not willing to say yes to any institutional violence now.

Value and learn from differences through mindful communication                    In the Mekong Peace Journey learning process, there was an exercise for us to practice deep-listening by putting down all the understanding, assumption and prejudice of our partner. It was a special experience for me which I can be more aware of how I stereotype others and where it was from. It was a good way to observe and learn from myself. And by putting down all the labels, I can be more open and attentive to understand and support my partner.

Fortunately, I can practice this deep-listening in the following days of the journey. I realize that there were two reasons that made me try to do so. First, I didn’t know much about the background and culture of other Mekong countries. I was curious and bearing a respect attitude to everything our friends shared because I wanted to observe very carefully to LEARN as much as I can. Second, I realized that it could be very easy for us to misunderstand each other and make conflict because the history and the current social context among the countries we are from. So we should pay double or even more efforts on trust-building and mutual understanding, taking each other as human being here and now.

By practicing deep-listening, I harvest two important things. One is to see differences as usual and beautiful things. I find it interesting thing to see the differences among us and the reasons behind. The other is that I can be more relaxed because by putting down the labels of others, I also take off the labels and some expectations of myself. I can release the pressure during the communication and just to explore in the dialogue. In this way, I enjoyed observing the characters, expertise and energy of everyone and learned from all my lovely friends. And what’s more important is that I can sense the sincerity, love and power of all of my friends, which add on my power to love and learn for peace in the process.

The POWER happening every minute that we can choose to change                 The knowledge struck and inspired me most is from the discussion on POWER. In the workshop, we had the chances to experience, reflect and learn about Source of Power, 3 Type of Power and the comparison of Dominant Culture and Partnership Culture. Brain storming a large number of sources of power greatly helped me to recognize the power taking effect in personal, organizational and national level, especially those power which we didn’t aware them to make a significant difference every minute in our daily life. And by knowing the concept of Power Over, Power Sharing and Power Within, we can be easier to figure out how we are using power, whether towards the way more democratic and peace as we want, or a direction reinforce the autocracy that we don’t want to see.

 The introduction of Dominant Culture and Partnership Culture helped me to see the challenges, struggle and crucial point for me on the way pursuing a world more justice and peace. Before, I didn’t know how dominant culture was deeply built inside my value, my body and everything around me. So whenever I am going for a better world as I want (can be called as ‘partnership culture’), the most difficult is that I should fight against everything deep inside me. It’s always the case that I have to fight against what I believe and who I am. It is a process needs clear awareness, persistent courage and powerful belief. It’s also the meaning I was trying to share in the Art Performance that Apu helped me to present for ‘What do you find the most CHANGE in yourself’.

Changing the world, especially changing ourselves is never easy job. Fortunately, we are the most important ones in the world we want to see because we can change ourselves. Knowing how dominant culture starts from value of personal level to violence of national level, I can be the change with more patience and care to myself and the people around me, as part of partnership culture.

Believe in the power, and be patient because it takes long                                  After coming back to my country, it took a long time for me to adjust to face the situation of my homeland. Every day we see how people on this vast land suffer from injustice. And the pain and sorrow is even deeper and stronger if I know how deep the cause rooted in people’s mind and social structure. Every now and then I experienced strong and sometimes overwhelming feeling of powerless. However, I realized that I fell into the value of dominant culture again, which asks for efficiency without caring for efforts needed. Looking at the world today, it takes hundreds of thousands of years to be like this. And do we want to see it change into the one we want just in years or decades?

Mekong Peace Journey brings me changes. But what never change is my belief and dream to a world where human beings own peace in mind and peace relationship with everything in the world. It’s a process with love, peace and power towards love, peace and power. And thinking of you all my dear friends, I feel energy and hope inside myself. I know we will never be alone all the way, to peace.

by Fang, China

The Magic of the Journey (MPJ)

The Experience from MPJ training 2011

This reflection of mine is intentionally devoted to RST, the leading responsible team of the MPJ 11-28 July 2011. Excited about the diary idea, applied during the journey, I decide to make it a diary, a collection of my words about RST members, different from the one I got a collection of others’ thought and feelings about one person.

Becoming a late comer of the journey, I found myself so lagged behind, as I missed the most important, interesting and attractive part of the in house training: trust building/self-awareness/identities. I have got many appreciative reflections about Auyporn’s session, which created a great regret to me for not joining the journey earlier.

Due to the missing knowledge, skills and experiences that were brought by Auyporn and other resource persons from 12^th to 16^th July, my reflections on RST can not be comprehensive. However, I believe you all accept that nothing can be perfect as the same as no one is perfect!

Surin, Thailand

This photo does not keep all figures of RST in this journey. Muny, Sotheavy and Rany joint later in the venue in Cambodia. The photo amazes me so much because whenever looking at it, I feel totally calm and reassured no matter my mood at that time. All RST members are so comfortable standing and seating side by side, showing the most peaceful look: gorgeous smiling, thoughtful expression, serious face or wondering eyes.

Let me start the diary from the one standing next to me, making a right to left order for the standing row and a left to right for the seating one.

Kratae, leading image of RST, she has shown how energetic and passionate one can be while going on the journey of peace. As being impressed by her since the first time we met in 1999, I immediately recognised her when we met again the second time in 2010. Being with Kratae in the testing journey and this journey helps me inquire myself whether I am responsible, honest and liberate enough to contribute to the peace journey, sharing and giving others all the support needed. She was so beautiful in my eye while giving feedback to Fang’s performance about the hardship and struggle of getting on track of life. Her going-to-set-tear eyes and heart-deepened words broke the ignorance covering my sense.

Naree, resource person but at my own will she is considered a peace image of RST. She has adorable way of making people around calm. I am always imaged by her peaceful smile, which makes me believe that she really lives with the value of peace at the level that no one of us (RST) has reached yet. Observing her facilitating, sharing the knowledge, giving guidance or jumping into the discussion to help with more vivid clarification and example, many can understand how lucky the MPJ was while having her accompany. Naree assists me to confirm about the great value of peace by the way she dealt with her difficulty in not speaking English, which somehow generated some uncertain and uncomfortable feelings of some participants. Vibration of peace coming from her is so powerful.

Ben, warmness image of RST, Her warm and bright smile comforts people around so easily. Seeing her gathering with others, creating laughs, giggles everywhere she was, I cannot help admiring her youthfulness and freshness. In the testing journey, Ben enjoyed it as a participant, while in this journey I found her enjoyed taking responsibility of an RST member. Taking care of financial matter and logistics usually shallows lots of one’s energy and results in one’s tired some look. It seemed not happen to Ben that way. She suffered lots of physical exhaustion, but her smile all the time kept the sunshine. Very clearly I recognise where her beauty comes from while learning that she spent most of the spare time to encourage the quiet and shy participants with her sense of humour. This is really a beauty coming from the warm heart and kindness!

Hoya, generousity image of RST, being responsible as RST member it seemed so simple task for him. He just took it for granted, getting along with all participants, actively facilitating and co-facilitating with great readiness and happiness. I often found him the first coming to lend hands, being alert to the need of the others. Hoya also gave an impression to others that he was so deep into the discussing topics. Calm and gentle Hoya became so strong and decisive in the eyes of the participants. Sometimes he burst into serious discussion, which at first made me a bit surprised. I could feel a mild tension and little anger in his voice raised louder and with stress. It was a challenge for everyone while using power within to introduce an opinion and idea. In his effort of building inner peace Hoya has experienced opening his private self known for others. I do believe his wonderful sense of generousity will surely help him to deal with all challenges he might continue encountering.

Linh, creativity image of RST, I have a great expectation on her as a competent member of peace building team in Vietnam. A great confusion had came to me as I found her not paying much attention to the issue of peace as the others keep enthusiastically discussing. Moreover, her way of having someone to accompany and take care of her all the time made my confusion grow bigger. What happened then was just like a wonder: every time I guessed she might stop going on the journey, she made me astonished by her active participation, taking responsibility, sharing bright ideas and contributing her creative gifts to inspire the others. She really flies me up to the better consciousness of how one should really learn about the others. I have learned that Linh has eagerly sought advices and moral supports to confirm her way of life and she has got tremendous those from others, except me. This creative young RST member has taught me a lesson: creative thinking is also the genuine way to see self from unusual angle not as good as known publicly and/or privately.

Khamsa, calm image of RST, Some friends shared with me about one typical characteristic of Lao people: taking everything easy, doing things in very slow speed. I found him the first time of MPJ exactly matching with this judgment since he took the task easily then asked another to finish it. I accepted this with an adaptive thinking that “It’s his own characteristic supported by culture”. In this MPJ I have seen a big improvement in Khamsa’s active participation as being responsible RST member. He was stick with his task as photographer, at the same time looking after the need of support from Lao participants group. I also recognised him actively helping other RST members or asked what he could do. I did asked him to share with Linh making an day-by-day recap on power point before reflection part of the whole journey. While Linh was a bit frustrated as time’s up, his great calm (the cultural quality) amazed me. As they finally did it well, I have learnt that Khamsa might have to struggle a lot to be more effective, but his calm is really a gift to be kept for peace.

Soviet, balance image of RST, He was always stable at a certain place, consciously taking notes of the in-house training and all reflection sessions. It seemed he was appointed in the RST to do this job. Many could recognise that his serious look matches so well with his serious working style! However, it is so wonderful that two opposite things come together! Soviet has attracted others with his warm and gentle smile, with his deep participation in talking, laughing and joking with other youngsters. He is really an example of getting a  balance of “work” and “love”, of “discipline” and “freedom” and of “responsibility” and “right”, which is a comfortable environment for peace to be built.

Porn, simplicity image of RST. My feeling about her as the same as about Naree. Both of them live fully with value of peace, but known by public in different ways. I deeply admire Porn’s simplicity and modesty. She made herself available for every one in need of her assistance and was fully in charge of logistics, taking care of the team, and leading some group activities. She has done all those with high and quiet responsibility. I do believe that everyone sooner or later would recognise her inner peace and power shown in her calm and beautiful smile, in her sense of responsibility to every little thing or work she is involved. She teaches me that simplicity shows the most authentic beauty of a personality.

Phon, courage image of RST. I had no real conversation with Phon since I could not speak Thai or Lao language and she could not speak English or Vietnamese. The common language we used the most was the friendly smiles and trustful eye contact. She made a first impression for me as a caring person, who generously provided massage to those who appeared in need. In my own observation she carries a traditional model of Lao’s girl to me with gentle gestures, soft voice and sensitive behavious. Hearing her stories from other RST members, I have found her a modern one with strong will and decisive action to contribute to building a peaceful life of others in her community. I have learnt to adore the way she quietly gave hands for the logistic tasks, the way she simply enjoy being with the group and the way she happily accompany her special one. She actually lives the value of courage.

Jim, inspiration image of RST. Being famous and most wanted to MPJ participants was not only caused by her free-and-easy laugh or her special interest in leaving her words of encouragement in all diaries, but also and most impressively by her time given to talk with the youngsters. Her moral support as well as her honest advices to young adults were invaluable as I saw a boy hold her so dearly and cried that he did not want to be apart. I heard Jim’s happy laugh and caring voice everywhere she were getting with others. Her serious behaviour in fulfilling translation task, her readiness and willingness to listen to others’ sharing, and her joyful way of communicating with people has inspired me to follow.

Sai, charm image of RST. I learned many new things about him during this journey. His wonderful experience and skills in supporting the team work of young people has shown obvious. His knowledge and facilitation experience was amazing. Sai did make an extraordinary effort to be actively supportive to his unique team, at the same time, to share the assigned task of the RST member and to take care of many other buddies in the big group. I became fond of him once learning about his simple but charming way of moral support to a mother-tong sick participant. Care about little concern of others would bring a magical impact, his inner charm has told me that.

Bo Pao, aliveness image of RST. He just like the one I met in previous journey, warm-hearted as ever, despite his sickness. His sense of leadership lead up the young adults joining with him in many special collective photos, including flowering and jumping ones. Shooting every moment of the journey with his camera surely could help him well absorbing the important lessons to think deeply and then resulted in his thoughtful look. Pao did not talk much to the whole group, but he brought the aliveness to connect all hearts together. Many youngsters happily called him father or “grand father”. He took up the essential task of RST, using his power from his tremendous heart.

Sotheavy, confidence image of RST. This time I had chance to observe her charm and firmness integrated. Keeping clarification request at RST meetings, giving clear information and instruction to the participants shown her great responsibility to this learning process. Suffering the serious headache and tiredness due to her illness, Sotheavey still could share her gentle and charming smiles, especially her song that were kept singing a long the way by the participants. Her confidence of working with small and big group leads my visualization of a lotus, which looks gentle but stands strongly in the pond and gives out the smell of peace and happiness.

Rany, youthfulness image of RST. I was amazed by her joyful participation in the testing journey. She still kept it in more controllable mood as shouldering the task of the host RST member. Becoming more serious this time, Rany shown a persuasive example of how much we would trust and rely on the youngsters who would be taking so well the RST task of the future journeys. Her sickness might reduce her energy a bit, but she still managed to have lots of fun with participants and other RST members. I really felt in love with her cute expression of joy, fun and youthfulness which told us about her open and peaceful heart.

Muny, commitment image of RST. Not talking much with him in previous journey and even less talking with him in this MPJ, however, I found a natural closeness of him to me and to others. He had a younger look in his face, and I guessed, in his heart, too. He took on and off participation in both Surin and Odor Meanchey venues, which to some extent proved his commitment to the whole journey. While observing him facilitating the last day of the journey one thought was stick in my mind that “how significant and amazing the committed people would transfer the meaning of precious values, including value of peace to young generation”!

As you all might recognise that the last RST member not yet mentioned is Ngoc. You surely find that I talked lots about myself between the lines while sharing my frank thought and feelings about other members of RST. These are about how I was improving myself by learning from other RST members. There are still, of course, weakness and limitation of myself at all windows of Johari to be explored.

 There are more RST members who did not join this journey, who I will share with thoughts and feelings in another time. I am so grateful for knowing and being in a team with all of RST members. Each of us just complements each other with our specific strength to make RST so powerful and peaceful.

 I name this reflection “The Magic of MPJ”, because it makes my mind so clear about what and who brings the positive impact of the learning process on everyone whoever participate it. There was no single resource person, no single RST member, who could bring it. It is a magic of MPJ itself bringing about change while MPJ was realized by all those who were going along since very first day of the initiative.

By Ngoc – Vietnam team

We Are Walking for Peace

On 5 May 2012, Dhammayietra “Peace Walk” had been organized in the day of Vesak at Koh Kong province, Cambodia, in Tepnimit pagoda by Working Group for Peace (WGP) in Cambodia in cooperation with Thai Volunteer Service Foundation (TVS) in Thailand. There was more than 200 participants came from different place, background, nationality (Thai and Cambodia) and different religion consisting of Buddhism, Muslim, and Christianity walking and practicing meditation together in the purpose of mobilizing peace and propaganda peace message in Mekong region and the world, especially to reconcile people to people of Thailand and Cambodia to live together in harmony even we are in different religion, nationality. They all were walking calmly, happily and peacefully with strong passion for peace building.

Young people in Dhammayietra “Peace Walk” with peaceful walking

Muslim and Buddhist walking for peace together: Thai Muslim participant said that “it is the most important and amazing event. I am so happy that I have opportunity to join this walking with Buddhists and other religion although something is hard for me to be flexible but I am so happy to join for the sake of peace.”

Participants practicing meditation

Participants practicing meditation

MPJ alumni joined the Campaign to stop Xayaburi Dam

Since 24^th April 2012, the campaign on Dam construction to “Stop Xayaburi Dam”on Mekong River, which six countries are sharing life consisting of 1300 varieties of fish feeding 100 million people on this river line, had been organized by Mekong Lover engaging around 100 Thai youth came from different area in Thailand. The campaign was at Siam Commercial Bank (SCB) Park in Bangkok, Thailand, to submit the statement of dam issue to the bank representative.

Miss Benjaporn In-ngam, Thai MPJ alumni in 2011 joined the campaign with other Thai Youth.

Apply NOW! 2012 MPJ Training Call for Application

MEKONG PEACE JOURNEY 2012
July 7th – 29th, 2012 in Mekong countries

The Mekong Peace Journey (MPJ) 2012 is a part of the Regional Learning Process on Peace Building initiated by Mekong Working Group for Peace since 2010 consisting of the regional strategic team from Burma/Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam.

The MPJ is designed for young adults in the Mekong Region: Vietnam, Burma/Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and China, who are interested in the practice of peace building in the region, with the following objectives:

• To build trust and inner peace among young adults in the Mekong region;
• To define the concept of peace-building, conflict and its root causes;
• To address other social factors contribute to building peace in the region;
• To identify appropriate and effective strategies for intervention to build peace in the country and the region; and
• To strengthen and expand cooperation and network for further peace building in the Mekong region.

The MPJ will be held for 25 participants on July 7th – 29th, 2012 in the cross border areas of Laos, Thailand and Burma/Myanmar. General contents of the training cover peace-related issues such as peace concept, conflict resolution, nationalism, pluralism, and identities. The training methods are in-house training and field trip.

After the training, 8-10 representatives would be selected amongst participants to enroll in Internship Program. This program will be conducted in different Mekong countries in accordance with interns’ interested fields.

Mekong Peace Journey Application
The participants must be young adults at 18-30 years old from diverse backgrounds (social works, economics, laws, agriculture, media, etc.). Successful applicants must be open-minded, able to travel and adapt to new environment, committed and willing to apply what they learn from the training into their community and field works. Having working experience in social issues at least two years, good English skill and strong networks (either formal or informal) are an advantage. Young adults from ethnic minority and indigenous groups are strongly encouraged.

Applicants are required to submit via Email the following documents (PDF files are preferable):
1) Completed Application Form – Download 2012 MPJ Application Form.
2) Resume or CV
3) One Letter of Recommendation – Download Letter of Recommendation Form.

The deadline of submission is 20 May 2012. Applicants should send an email with subject “Mekong Peace Training Application – [Name] [Country]” to mekongpeacejourney@gmail.com.
For more information please contact respectively:

Thailand
Ms. Benjaporn In-ngam
Email: mekongpeacejourney.th@gmail.com
Tel. +662-691- 0437-9

Vietnam
Mr. Pham Tran Thang Long
Email: mekongpeacejourney.vn@gmail.com
Tel: +84 913-582-146

Cambodia
Mr. Dy Thehoya
Email: mekongpeacejourney.kh@gmail.com
Tel: +855 12 21 01 71, 67 600 863

Laos
Mr. Khamsa Homsombath
E-mail: mekongpeacejourney.laos@gmail.com
Tel. +85620-78224449

Note: The participants from Burma/Myanmar had been selected since last March 2012.

Experience from MPJ Training 2011

Let Deep Listening Take Place in Us

Surin, Thailand – Oddor Mecheay, Cambodia- July 12-28, 2011, over 40 young people 29 participants and 18 Regional Strategy Team Staff (RST) from six countries in Mekong Region: Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and China came to journey together from Thailand to Cambodia in order to share and learn the cultural diversity to bring mutual understanding and respect as well as to build trust among ASEAN youth.  The Journey was also to study and analyze the root causes of border disputed between Thailand and Cambodia by meeting with governmental sectors and hear the voices of the villages of both countries that were impacted by the conflict. We shared a common dream and hope that everyone as ASEAN youth wanted to see in this Region where we belong. Our dream and hope are “Living together peacefully and equally”. As one of the participants from Laos, I would like to share the lesson which it reflected my behavior very well as well as people in today society. It was about “Deep Listening”.

The first four days of the journey in Surin of Thailand, we had our lovely sister Aouyporn Keuankeaw, who has worked on human rights for years in Thailand, as our resource person. She guided us to learn Deep Listening. Deep Listening is the way to listen without judgment right or wrong but listen attentively to what the speaker is talking about and focus on only content and the feeling of the speaker that being unsaid and the most importance of good listener is listener has to be at that very moment with the speaker. 

To Build Trust and Inner Peace Among Us

Sitting by the window through which I staring at the slim rain,

Memory goes back to the cultural show,

in the journey of regional training on peace building.

At a very close distance,

a group of peace builders are achieving their mission by gorgeous smiling and dances.

Don’t cry those who are suffering in the conflict,

We, civilian ambassador, are approaching you.

We will never let you down,

We will never let you cry.

In the vein, the blood granted by Mekong mother connected with our hearts,

Burma, Cambodia, China, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam,

We are brothers and sisters,

We are the pioneers to build trust and inner peace,

and the world will live as one.

Apu, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Menglun,Yunnan.
There is no journey that I have taken that compares with the joy (July 11-27, 2011) that I know is our lives together.