In this study abroad course, students will travel to Chiang Mai, Thailand and work with refugees and migrants from neighboring Myanmar.
Before we travel, students will learn about the multiple ongoing ethnic and political conflicts in Myanmar and how they have been exacerbated by the 2021 military coup in the country. Over the past decades, hundreds of thousands of individuals from the Shan, Karen, Kachin, and other ethnic groups have fled Myanmar seeking refuge in Thailand because of state violence. Additionally, tens of thousands of political refugees have crossed into Thailand since the 2021 coup.
We will explore the ongoing challenges faced by these migrants and refugees in reconciling ethnic and political conflicts, building peace amongst one another, and trying to integrate into local society in Thailand. We will draw from various disciplines to understand these conflicts and what makes them so difficult to resolve. Further, we will learn how various local organizations in Thailand are working to improve conditions for these migrants and promote reconciliation. Our class will meet twice per week at UT throughout the spring semester (beginning the first week of classes). We will travel to Chiang Mai, Thailand for 11 days after the spring semester ends.
Chiang Mai is an ideal location for this course because many refugees and migrants from Myanmar have settled there over the years. Our group will work with BEAM Education Foundation, which is based in Chiang Mai, and their Youth Community Engagement Program (YCEP) to collaborate with migrants representing various ethnic groups from Myanmar and local Thai youth to build bridges, support their language study, and understand the challenges for peacebuilding and reconciliation in the aftermath of mass violence.
