Unity in diversity

Yangon, Myanmar, 2020

Community mapping

Cultural Diversity

Digital Storytelling

Opdrachtgever

UNESCO

Partner

Doh Ein

Agenda

Ontmoetingsonderwijs

What do a boy from Kachin and a girl from Shan have in common? Not that much or more than you think? Myanmar is a country that is highly diverse in terms of geography, language, ethnicity and religion, and that same extraordinary diversity has always presented unique challenges. Yangon is a city where a Buddhist taxi driver and a Muslim shop owner may live on the same street but never cross paths, each living in their own bubble. UNESCO Yangon wanted to see if the same ethos also transpired in the younger generation. Do youngsters even meet people from other cultures and if they do, perceive this as a threat or an opportunity?

The group of 25 explored Sanchaung, a diverse inner-city neighbourhood along the railway line. We asked them to map their favourite places to eat, drink, play and pray and also asked local residents which restaurants, cafes, shops and places they go to and why. Among the local favourites were family-run teahouses and small corner shops passed on for many generations. Each with a stellar reputation and loyal clientele. Long-time residents also pointed us to some lesser-known places in the neighbourhood like a hidden monastery, a legendary tree, a cursed school building and the first shopping mall in the country. Through a prioritisation exercise, students had to argue the uniqueness of each of these places, eventually agreeing on the 30 most characteristic sites for the neighbourhood.

“For us in Myanmar, it is usual not to have unity and peace even among the same group. To accept diversity, it depends on how the community shapes and guides us youth.”

- Maw Biak Sang, Student

The result of the exercise was a community map that confirmed the multicultural profile of Sanchaung neighbourhood with a mix of religions, variety in ethnic cuisines, and an extraordinary offering of shops. They also produced visual content to tell the stories behind those places – video, photos, app and map – that were shared at a UNESCO-led roundtable dialogue at the Secretariat and are available online as free downloads. Finally the map was also painted as a mural under a fly-over.