Policy

The Burma Fund is dedicated to narrow the present gap between knowledge and policy. Facilitating a bridge between knowledge holders and popular leaders in the area of policy development relevant to the democratic transition can potentially pay large dividends. It can mitigate various problems associated with democratic changes within the society. In the present context, such assistance can help the democratic leadership to develop strategies based upon informed policy decisions that will enable them to engage effectively with both domestic and international players. In order to play this role, the Burma Fund sets the following principles:

1) Subsidiarity:

The main task of the Burma Fund is to transform knowledge into policy and practice for the benefit of the society as a whole. This principle recognizes that the research agenda must correspond with the demands made by the society and accept its own role as subsidiary to the common good or the welfare of every Burmese citizens. This principle necessitates effective communication between the Burma Fund and stakeholders within the democratic movement or intermediaries who represents the larger society.

2) Problem-solving:

This principle acknowledges the paucity of solutions for pressing political, social and economic problems in the current context of Burma. It emphasizes that there are different solutions for problems of nation building or democratic transitions, depending on particular institutional contexts. The task is to locate and assess these contingent solutions. The Burma Fund will assess research priorities in terms of urgency and timeliness of the transitional problems in the process of democratization in Burma. The task is to identify such problems, anticipate and analyze them, and offer solutions to the political leadership who will steer the process of democratization in Burma.

3) Fire-fighting:

As a think-tank designed to accelerate democratic changes, the Burma Fund will fulfill the needs of grassroots organizations within the democratic movement, which range from analyzing a specific project, or writing position-papers, or crafting advocacy messages for the stakeholders on a wide array of political and social topics. While developing strategic research focus on the long-term needs, the Burma Fund is also committed to empower various entities within the democratic movement in meeting their short-term strategic needs.

4) Capacity-building and Sustainability:

Building peace and democracy in a transitional environment requires ownership with a strong commitment to sustain the process. The Burma Fund is dedicated to create opportunities for concerned individuals to participate in TBF-related research and policy planning activities. Broadening of participation will provide an educational vehicle enhancing the skills, knowledge and professional experiences of peoples from all of Burma's ethnic nationalities, thus advancing their abilities to contribute during and after the transition process. This will build up critical capacities for ensuring the sustainability of efforts to advance durable changes towards a democratic society.