A Call to Action and Leadership for Myanmar Youth

Sunday, 29 July, marked a bittersweet moment at DEPDC - the first cohort of students graduated from the Shan Youth Safety Training to End Risk Migration (SYSTERM). This seven-month program culminated in a day-long ceremony filled with inspiring speeches, traditional dance performances, and reflective presentations in which each student briefly expressed their experiences living, learning, and interning at DEPDC. 

SYSTERM was created as an expansion of the Mekong Youth Union (MYU), which was initially established to provide a means of collaboration among 96 young leaders who completed a five-year program called the Mekong Youth Network (MYN) back in 2009. MYN taught the young leaders about initiating grassroots movements that could prevent human-trafficking within their own communities. The 53 SYSTERM graduates have returned home to Shan State in neighboring Myanmar with the hopes of connecting with the members of MYU to expand anti-trafficking initiatives, as well as jump-starting their own grassroots movements to protect, to support, and to inspire others. This is especially important given the rise of state crisis in Myanmar, which has caused thousands of individuals to migrate to more promising areas of the Golden Triangle, including border towns in like Mae Sai in which DEPDC is located.

Upon their completion of this programme, our students have already begun facilitating classes and training sessions in their local schools and temples, as they believe education is critical in informing people of their rights, in unlocking personal and professional opportunities, and in making fundamental changes in their communities. We are humbled by the immediacy and overwhelming passion with which they have begun to put their vision into action. 

Within the near future, we are eager to expand the scope of SYSTERM and tailor it in a way to encompass more countries in Southeast Asia. This would increase our direct impact on at-risk communities, as well as allow us to forge more transnational partnerships with organisations with a similar mission. We are eager to take the first concrete steps to put this plan into motion by identifying target regions with high levels of at-risk youth and then contacting locally-run schools and temples willing to nominate and sponsor students. This international programme would follow a similar format to that of SYSTERM, but we are keen on restructuring in a manner that educates and prepares students to address the specific issues of their diverse communities. 

On behalf of all the children, teachers, and volunteers at DEPDC, I would like to say thank youfor your generous support of our mission. People like you represent the crucial partnerships that keep our centre thriving, and I appreciate having you all as allies as we push to eliminate the risk of human-trafficking in our communities. Please continue to provide your much appreciated support and don’t forget to spread the word about SYSTERM by following, liking, and sharing our updates on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn!