The Teaching of Civil Disobedience through Letters from Burma’s/Myanmar’s Generation Z

Picture: The Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM)

In an article by Education About Asia, Ei Thin Zar and Jennifer Otting present a lesson plan on youth activism in Burma/Myanmar following the military coup in February 2021.

Abstract:

The military coup in February 2021 disrupted a decade of democratic educational and social change in Burma. After the coup, students across the country penned letters describing their feelings of and actions in the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM). These letters were collected and developed into a lesson by the students who joined the movement and founded the non-government media-platform People’s Radio Myanmar. This lesson is targeted for high school students outside of Burma, in social studies, history, and language arts. It aims to engage students with possibilities for individual and collective action to address local, regional, and global problems, to build students’ cross-cultural awareness in order to enhance solidarity around issues impacting all young people, and to familiarize students with Burma. This lesson showcases an original story of a Bamar girl’s experience highlighting Burma’s past and present, authentic letters from students detailing the civil disobedience movement, and ideas for activities and discussions that encourage self-reflection, complex reasoning, and action-steps. The letters, written by Burma’s generation Z during the military coup, not only provide a window into a historical moment, but they capture both the spirit displayed and action taken by young people in moments of crisis, lending itself as a valuable teaching instrument.