Myanmar: Documenting Democracy

Arrive into Yangon International Airport (RGN) and meet your Program Leaders who will be with you for the duration of the program. After dropping off your bags, visit the country’s pride and joy, the famous golden Shwedagon Pagoda. Learn about the legend behind it and why thousands of Buddhists make the pilgrimage to this site every year. Dine with the group for for first Burmese meal at the former office of Gen. Aung San, Myanmar’s national hero. Join your Program Leaders afterward for an orientation discussion about the week ahead, expectations for your adventure, and an introduction to the local culture. Minglabar!

Identify your story through a series of activities led by experienced Rustic staff before heading into the streets of Yangon to put your new skills to the test. Explore the famous Bogyoke Market, have conversations at tea shops, and interview university students.

Visit a local monastery and give alms, an integral part of local Buddhist tradition and Burmese culture. Screen two Burmese documentaries before meeting the filmmakers. Get the millennial perspective of how Myanmar has changed through interviews with young people at Inya Lake.

Explore Bagan! Wander the dusty roads and observe the hundreds of temples that dot the landscape and photograph this ancient site that is both intricate and grand. Visit a monastic school in the afternoon to learn about its initiatives and goals for students, meeting young monks and starting to understand what buddhist monastic life is like. Watch the sunset over ancient ruins and sacred pagodas.

Take a chartered boat across the Irrawaddy to a small island in the middle of the river rarely visited by tourists—home to several of Rustic Pathways’ staff members and their families. Learn about the village by meeting local community members, including the head of the village. Play soccer and cane ball, ride oxen, and enjoy a traditional Burmese dinner. Spend time with your hosts and listen to their stories of a country in transition.

Touch down in Mandalay, one of the most famous and intriguing cities in all of Southeast Asia and home to 70 percent of the country’s Buddhist monks. Head across the historic U Bein Bridge to explore the village of more Rustic staff from the region. Meet the families and learn about the complicated land rights issues playing out in Myanmar.

Explore a village where traditional life plays out as it did several decades ago during home visits—your last day to conduct interviews and develop your story. Take an evening flight to Yangon and reflect about the people you’ve met, places you’ve visited, and moments you’ve captured.

At the end of each program, students reflect on their experiences and the issues they engaged with, and talk about how to apply this new understanding to their own worlds. During or after their closing discussion, groups participate in Rustic Ties, a unique and powerful activity that allows students to capture the memories and learning moments of their program to process and share with their communities back home.

Your Program Leaders will take you to the airport for your departure as you say goodbyes and reflect on your adventure.