I can hands down say that the highlight of my trip to Myanmar this year was attending a volleyball finals competition at an Internally Displaced Person (IDP) camp in Myitkyina, Kachin State. A little background first – local organization Girl Determined empowers adolescent age girls in Myanmar, and utilizes peer-based circles to teach a girl-centered, strengths-based curriculum. Girls learn decision-making, self-confidence, building friendships, understanding cultural and re

Traveling by taxi today I had an opportunity to talk with my Rakhine driver for an hour or so. He and his family moved to Yangon 10 years ago. They left because of the fighting and danger in Rakhine state. He blames it all on the refugee influx from Bangladesh – the ‘bad people’ who have been fighting with the Rakhine ‘citizens’. He very much resents the presence of these refuges in HIS country. He was adamant that they do not belong here and should return to their own cou

In the U.S. we take libraries for granted. Obviously it’s a place to borrow a book as an alternative to buying a book. It’s a place to conduct research for a school project or attend fascinating lectures on travel, crafts, or income tax preparation. It’s a place to tuck into a comfy nook and lose yourself in a picture book. And for some it’s a glorious refuge for solitude, musty book smells, and delightful worlds to be explored. After 50 years of military dictatorship, Myanma