About Us
Established in 2016, the Institute for Strategy and Policy (ISP) – Myanmar is an independent, non-partisan, and non-governmental think tank. ISP-Myanmar promotes democratic leadership and public participation in public affairs to encourage a resilient and tolerant society. Its goals are the advancement of democracy, the building of a federal union, and the strengthening of civil society in Myanmar.
ISP-Myanmar supports the advancement of democracy, good governance, federal principles and practices, and fundamental human rights. Our work aims to promote the development of a resilient and tolerant society whose government is accountable and open to the participation of all people.
What We Value
ISP-Myanmar values the respect for human rights and human security in Myanmar. We believe in addressing inequalities that cut across multiple divides, including race, class, gender, sexual orientation and citizenship. We encourage informed public debate and respect for diverse opinions. The mission of ISP-Myanmar is to promote democratic leadership and to strengthen civic participation by conducting policy-oriented research, analysis, public outreach with multi-media tools, capacity building training and leadership-level dialogue.
What We Do
ISP-Myanmar is currently engaged in three programs namely Conflict, Peace, and Security; China Studies; and Research Network. ISP-Myanmar is organized in five departments: Research, Capacity Building, Communications, Finance and HR/Admin. Our research findings are disseminated to our audiences through various mediums, including written articles, data visualizations, interactive content, audio podcasts, video clips, online and in-person events. We also utilize various social media platforms and maintain our primary ISP-Myanmar websites, which are available in both Burmese and English.
Additionally, we take pride in the Gabyin Community, our exclusive members-only space. Here, we foster informed discussions and debates on matters related to Myanmar’s affairs, making it our flagship platform for engaging with our dedicated members. Through our diverse capacity-building training and programs, we aim to nurture and inspire future generations. Our ultimate objective is to bridge the informal education gap in Myanmar, and our programs have a wide-reaching impact, extending across the country and encompassing individuals from various social backgrounds.
Timeline
Check out our timeline of milestones through the years since the establishment of ISP-Myanmar in 2016. Explore the galleries of our training, talk shows and publications of best sellers.
ISP Departments
The Conflict, Peace, and Security Program (CPSP) is a dedicated research initiative led by the Institute for Strategy and Policy in Myanmar. With a primary focus on unraveling the intricate issues surrounding conflict, peace, and security, the program aims to provide valuable insights, analysis and policy recommendations. CPSP is structured around three core themes: Conflict Studies, Peace Studies, and Security Studies.
Within Conflict Studies, CPSP concentrates on three pivotal areas. The Conflict Data Program is dedicated to collecting and analyzing data on conflict events, with a particular emphasis on their impact on civilian populations. Regional Conflict Analysis delves into specific geographical areas, examining the actors involved, their interests, and how local dynamics intersect with the broader conflict narrative. Additionally, CPSP conducts issues-based analyses, exploring topics such as War Economy and Civilian Protection.
Within Conflict Studies, CPSP concentrates on three pivotal areas. The Conflict Data Program is dedicated to collecting and analyzing data on conflict events, with a particular emphasis on their impact on civilian populations. Regional Conflict Analysis delves into specific geographical areas, examining the actors involved, their interests, and how local dynamics intersect with the broader conflict narrative. Additionally, CPSP conducts issues-based analyses, exploring topics such as War Economy and Civilian Protection.
In the realm of Peace Studies, CPSP focuses on international mediation efforts and conducts unit-level analyses of Myanmar’s Federal Aspiration, providing a nuanced understanding of peace dynamics.
Turning to Security Studies, CPSP engages in in-depth analyses of the structure, strategy, and sociology of armed groups, including established entities like Myanmar Armed Forces (MAFs), EROs, and emerging groups like PDFs.
The outcomes of CPSP’s research efforts are disseminated through various channels, prominently featured on the Institute for Strategy and Policy – Myanmar’s websites. These include informative publications such as Data Matters, Web based Dashboard, On-Point, Mapping, Analysis, Multimedia Clips, and Podcasts, contributing to a comprehensive understanding of conflict, peace, and security issues in Myanmar and beyond.
ISP’s China Studies Program stands as the exclusive research initiative in Myanmar dedicated to the nuanced examination of China Studies. Its primary mission is to mainstream China Studies in Myanmar’s community. To realize this ambition, the ISP China Studies program endeavors to support both local and international stakeholders and policymakers in making well-informed decisions. It aims to foster a deeper understanding among the people of Myanmar regarding the intricate dynamics of Myanmar-China relations and their consequential impacts on everyday life. Furthermore, the program strives to advance Myanmar’s interests and cultivate mutually beneficial relations between Myanmar and China.
At present, China Studies within the program is structured around four principal research domains: sub-regional studies, analysis of China’s Foreign Policy, assessment of the impacts of conflicts, and the conduct of Key Stakeholders’ Perception Surveys concerning Sino-Myanmar relations. Notably, as of 2024, the ISP China Studies program has successfully published two rounds of the China Survey (conducted in 2022 and 2023), disseminating findings in both Burmese and English languages. These accomplishments mark significant milestones for the program, particularly amidst escalating conflict, security challenges, and infrastructural issues such as electricity and internet connectivity.
Following the coup, the landscape for independent journalism and news media has markedly constricted, imposing severe limitations. The resultant information deficit, characterized by a disparity in shared realities among stakeholders and the general populace, has significantly widened due to the suppression and detention of journalists. In response to this pressing need, ISP-Myanmar has instituted the Research Network Program, engaging local researchers across 110 out of 330 townships nationwide. These researchers possess invaluable local knowledge and nuances, allowing them to confirm the news and provide a realistic picture of the communities on the ground. Of these, 75 are district townships, while the remaining 35 comprise locales of considerable population density and economic importance.
Central to the program’s methodology is the utilization of the “observatory method,” wherein local researchers systematically investigate socio-economic challenges at regular intervals. The overarching research objective is multifaceted, aiming to discern both the root causes and evolving catalysts of conflicts, to comprehensively assess their impact on communities—especially vulnerable and marginalized groups—and to facilitate the formulation of targeted interventions. Concurrently, the program endeavors to nurture a cohort of young researchers proficient in data-driven methodologies, thereby honing their research acumen for future endeavors.
In order to promote inclusive governance and service provisions and support the well-being of diverse communities on the ground, ISP has been conducting Needs Assessment Studies on governance practices of the selected areas administered by non-state actors. From the context of comparative analysis, the study aims to investigate three major areas of local governance: administrative structure and authority flow, financing of the governance system, and law enactment and enforcement. The study will be conducted with an emphasis on promoting the principles of non-discrimination, accountability, and inclusiveness of women, youth, and sub-minorities in the given territory.
ISP – Myanmar grounds its capacity building program in an approach that emphasizes the role of institutions, organizational culture and broader contextual factors in influencing governance. As a result, we seek to strengthen capacities for democratic leadership through the design or reform of institutions and organizations, such as political parties, parliaments, government departments, and local associations in civil society to improve strategy and policy making processes. Our activities involve the provision of analysis and research on policy issues of topical importance, training to strengthen capacities for policy analysis and development and assistance in developing actionable recommendations for the policy community. ISP-Myanmar’s leadership engagement and capacity building program has worked with a variety of groups and stakeholders. Over the past eight years, ISP-Myanmar has developed a proven track record of providing training and workshops suited to the needs of its partners.
Bridge Education Program
ISP-Myanmar launched a special course on conflict and security studies named “Bridge Education Program” (BEP) in September 2021. The program aims to assist youth and women leaders, whose learning opportunities have been disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic and the military coup, with the aim of offering them access to an alternative learning platform, which offers training for them to develop technical skill-sets and conscientize their collective deliberation with the goal of value transformation. The BEP is a university foundation level program, an intensive three months course covering these following different modules:
(1) Community Conflict Mitigation and Conflict Resolution
(2) Federal Unit Governance
(3) Economic Ways of Thinking
(4) Policy Research
(5) Introductory Academic Program
Throughout these periods from late 2021 to early 2024, the ISP-Myanmar attracted more than 2374 applications, and the capacity building department has successfully completed six BEP batches producing 281 alumni with some continuing their further foreign studies abroad and contributing to the local communities.
Our goal is to inspire informed debate and deliberation on important issues to promote democratic leadership and strengthen civic participation. ISP-Myanmar’s research outputs reach the Burmese audience and beyond through various channels and in various forms. Our research findings are published and disseminated as in books, digital resources, interactive websites, videos, podcasts, as well as events. Our own virtual community space Gabyin Community and social media play critical roles in our arsenal of platforms to engage with our readers. Since late 2021, ISP’s Burmese publications have undergone translation into English, a strategic initiative aimed at amplifying the visibility of Myanmar’s pertinent issues on the global platform.
Gabyin Community
The Gabyin Community, an exclusive virtual space for subscribed members, was established to facilitate informed debates and constructive discussions regarding Myanmar’s current affairs and its future in the aftermath of the February 2021 coup. Launched in September 2022, it has rapidly grown to serve over 17,000 members by early 2024. Our highly acclaimed Insight Email, an early access for Gabyin members, is distinguished by its timely updates, concise and crisp writing style, and data-rich research, making it a cornerstone of our successful offerings.
Website and Social Media
ISP-Myanmar’s website and Gabyin Community serve as the central hub for all of ISP’s publications, resources, and data. Our social media presence on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Telegram, Youtube and Apple and Google Podcasts provides direct contact points for engaging with our audiences. Notably, ISP’s Facebook page has garnered a substantial following, surpassing 300,000 followers by 2023. Furthermore, Gabyin Community has successfully attracted over 11,000 members in its inaugural year.
Publications
All of our analyses, perspectives, and research findings are presented in digital PDF formats, and ISP provides them to the public free of charge. The publication library on ISP’s website serves as a valuable reference resource on contemporary Myanmar issues, catering to researchers, scholars, students, politicians, and the general public. These resources are readily accessible and enriched with informative data visualizations.
Events
ISP Events stand as premier gatherings, renowned for their significance in fostering research and policy dialogues, drawing considerable interest from diverse audiences. Among these, Yaw Min Gyi’s Pavilion Talk show (Yaw Min Gyi’s Zayat) holds particular acclaim, featuring eminent intellectuals, officials, activists, and leaders across various domains engaging in insightful discussions on Myanmar’s contemporary affairs. These events have traditionally attracted substantial attendance, notably including a significant cohort of young university students, and have been broadcast live and recorded for dissemination via the Democratic Voice of Burma’s (DVB) television channel.
Another hallmark of ISP’s event portfolio comprises the Myanmar Quarterly Symposiums, serving as platforms for constructive exchanges between authors and readers. However, in the wake of the coup, the transition to virtual platforms became imperative, prompting the evolution of ISP Briefings and the recent introduction of the 30 Minutes with the ISP event series. This adaptation reflects ISP’s commitment to optimizing engagement formats, ensuring audiences can glean key insights efficiently, recognizing that extended virtual formats can challenge audience attention spans. Through these innovative formats, ISP endeavors to facilitate informed and deliberative discussions on Myanmar’s intricate affairs.