#98 US Campaign for Burma

I keep thinking about Burma. Of the 10 countries we visited, Burma is the one that I think about the most.

Experiences in Burma affected many of us. Despite US sanctions that discourage the economy, the locals were quite friendly and welcomed many students into their homes for some “people-to-people diplomacy.” Burma is run by a military dictatorship.

Working to bring about an end to this junta is the US Campaign for Burma, a U.S.-based membership organization dedicated to empowering grassroots activists around the world. The campaign’s web site at www.uscampaignforburma.org details their efforts and provides ideas for how we can all get involved. Today, the campaign's web site carried the news that the US introduced a revised draft resolution in the UN Security Council urging Myanmar's (Burma's) rulers to initiate democratic reforms, release all political prisoners, and stop using rape as a weapon of war.

Semester at Sea voyagers care a lot about Burma. Many students and staff took advantage of the rare opportunity to visit Burma during the fall voyage, were moved to improve conditions there, and are working now to do just that. A web site created by SAS alumni will be available in a few weeks. Stay tuned.

Yours in thinking about Burma,
Mary