Going Home - MEMO 5

This is the final part of our Going Home memo and we would like to welcome any comments our viewers might have in order to better prepare for Going Home 2008.

At the end of the first part of Going Home trip to the South, we came back to Mae Sariang to begin the second leg of our trip into Karen State. We spent exactly two weeks in Karen State altogether while a week was spent for training on federalism and the Karens’ struggle. It was an intermediate level as it was also the second time a training of that kind organized. Participants were again from Klerlweehtoo District and Mutraw District. The entire course was centered in the constitutional preparation of Kawthoolei as a member state in the new federal union we envision. We believe that series of discussions we had through out the course were stimulating and the participants were very involved. At the end of the course, the participants came up with a list of powers Kawthoolei should retain constitutionally in order to be a sovereign state where the citizens of Karen State can really enjoy freedom and prosperity under the rule of law. Exercise as this one, we believe, enabled our people to think more progressively and more futuristically. This course also served as a warning to all of us how prepared we should be to embrace the change we have been fighting for and that preparation is needed now along with the struggle. For now, the discussions are still general and it is our hope that we will be able to have more discussions on the details as to how we are going to prepare ourselves simultaneously with the struggle for liberation. ----

We technically ended our Going Home trip after we came out of Karen State on July 14. MO traveled to continue her professional obligation for two weeks to take part in a constitutional seminar and meetings with various constitution drafting committees from the states. NNP went back to Karenni camp 2 to spend about a week with his family before we all headed back to the US. Hsakuthay joined us until we finished the workshop in Karenni camp 1 and then he asked to spend time with his family in the refugee camp. Kellen was with the team through out the trip and she also participated in the constitutional seminar as a team member of the Center for Constitutional Democracy in Plural Societies from Indiana University School of Law.

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