大象传媒

• Our office: Yangon
• Our areas of focus: Peacebuilding and social cohesion, governance, sexual and reproductive health and rights, migrant and labour rights
• Our partners: Access to Health, DAI, Joint Peace Fund, Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD), Livelihoods and Food Security Fund (LIFT), USAID

About our work

大象传媒 Media Action began working in Myanmar in 2013, as state media moved to a more public-service model, independent media outlets began springing up, and the country opened up to the internet 鈥� resulting in one of the fastest-growing rates of social media usage anywhere in the world. But complex internal divisions between ethnic and political groups remain, exacerbated by the proliferation of online hate speech and misinformation among audiences with poor digital literacy.

Until 2021, much of our work in Myanmar was about bridging these divides. Our much-loved peacebuilding radio drama, Tea Cup Diaries, ran for more than six years, and our vibrant TV documentary series Khan Sar Kyi (鈥楩eel it鈥�), which was set to begin its second season in February 2021, opened our audiences to diverse cultures and identities within the country, helped communities understand one another, and promoted peaceful discussion and conflict resolution. Both shows  reached millions of people across the country and digital outreach and engagement continued these important discussions online; both projects have almost one million followers on Facebook alone. Research suggests our audiences are encouraged to be more open to social interaction with people of different religions, and to discuss peace-related issues in their communities. Our team has also worked to understand and improve the digital literacy of young Facebook users to inform future work tackling false and misleading information. And our Yay Kyi Yar (鈥楾owards Clearer Waters鈥�) TV debate and discussion shows helped Myanmar鈥檚 millions of migrant workers understand the risks and opportunities of migration, know their labour rights, and manage their money effectively. 

The February 2021 military coup in Myanmar required a shift in our approach and our projects. Amid ongoing uncertainty, we are continuing to deliver a number of health-related projects, primarily on digital platforms. Through our innovative, digitally-led sexual and reproductive health and rights project Ma Shet Ne (Don鈥檛 Be Shy), we鈥檙e tackling the societal shame around premarital sex which prevents open discussions around sexual health. Our Tu Tu Pa (We're the Same) project is working to dispel stigma and stereotypes about people living with disabilities, while our A Ha Ra (A Mother's Love) project is supporting young parents - particularly mothers - in Myanmar to improve water, sanitation and hygiene practice and nutrition for healthier babies and young children.