Insight Myanmar
238 episodes - English - Latest episode: 8 days ago -Insight Myanmar is a beacon for those seeking to understand the intricate dynamics of Myanmar. With a commitment to uncovering truth and fostering understanding, the podcast brings together activists, artists, leaders, monastics, and authors to share their first-hand experiences and insights. Each episode delves deep into the struggles, hopes, and resilience of the Burmese people, offering listeners a comprehensive, on-the-ground perspective of the nation's quest for democracy and freedom.
And yet, Insight Myanmar is not just a platform for political discourse; it's a sanctuary for spiritual exploration. Our discussions intertwine the struggles for democracy with the deep-rooted meditation traditions of Myanmar, offering a holistic understanding of the nation. We delve into the rich spiritual heritage of the country, tracing the origins of global meditation and mindfulness movements to their roots in Burmese culture.
Each episode is a journey through the vibrant landscape of Myanmar's quest for freedom, resilience, and spiritual riches. Join us on this enlightening journey as we amplify the voices that matter most in Myanmar's transformative era.
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Episodes
Call It A Revolution (Emergency Edition)
April 19, 2024 12:00 - 1 hour - 257 MBAnthony Davis, a seasoned analyst deeply immersed in the nuances of insurgency and military affairs in the Asia-Pacific, including Myanmar, sits down with us today. He begins by articulating the palpable and sweeping resolve for change he sees across Burmese society— a collective epiphany that transcends ethnic lines and generations. And it isn't merely a repudiation of military despotism; it's a profound societal transformation, signaling a revolutionary tide reshaping every aspect of Burme...
Taming the Tiger
April 16, 2024 12:00 - 1 hour - 229 MBEpisode #230: “Unfortunately, in 2020, after the NLD won a landslide election, there was a military coup. And [then] the PDF resistance started. I took part in the resistance as I had years before, but there is a difference this time, too,” explains Nway. Inspired by his mother, an active participant in politics since Ne Win's 1962 coup, Nway's involvement in the resistance included clandestine communication with Aung San Suu Kyi during her detention and risky efforts to deliver messages to...
Leon Kennedy
April 09, 2024 12:00 - 2 hours - 299 MBEpisode #229: Leon Kennedy's life is a chronicle of personal struggle. Growing up in an era of historical significance, his parents were heavily involved in the Civil Rights Movement, with figures like Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks frequent visitors to his grandparent's home. But when his parents divorced, the pain and the absence of a male role model led him down a path of rebellion despite the noble influences that had surrounded him. His mom sent him to an all-white high school, w...
Shan Chronicles
April 02, 2024 12:00 - 2 hours - 306 MBEpisode #228: Jane Ferguson speaks about her recent book, Repossessing Shanland: Myanmar, Thailand, and a Nation-State Deferred. The book’s title refers to Shan attempts to reclaim their land and community after many years of conflict. Ferguson explains that contemporary concepts of identity—like “ethnicity”—are often mistakenly used to interpret the past. Rather, her study reveals the lack of pan-Shan identity, and that even the way the Shan practiced Buddhism varied from east to west. The...
Above the Fray
March 26, 2024 12:00 - 2 hours - 279 MBEpisode #227: Nathan Ruser, a specialist at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), is an expert in geo-mapping. Building on his experience using satellite imagery to track human rights violations in areas like Syria and Shenzhen, Ruser has begun analyzing the unique nature of the conflict in Myanmar. Influenced by the country’s geographic and ethnic diversity, the clashes here defy conventional understanding, and Ruser has developed a numerical scale to map control levels, often h...
The Long Road Home (Bonus Shorts)
March 22, 2024 12:00 - 1 hour - 135 MBEpisode #226: After the National League for Democracy (NLD) party’s landslide victory in 2015, Ko Ko Gyi remembers thinking to himself, “Okay, this is the time to retire from my activism, so let's just relax. I felt forced to retire." This is now a rueful memory as Ko Ko Gyi looks back over some of the key moments in his decades-long struggle for Myanmar’s freedom, and autonomy from military rule and brutality. The trigger for his activism was in 1987 when the Burmese government suddenl...
Jonathan Crowley, Part 3
March 19, 2024 12:00 - 2 hours - 297 MBEpisode #225: In this third part of the ongoing discussion with Jonathan Crowley, we delve deeper into his experiences as an Assistant Teacher in the S.N. Goenka tradition of Vipassana meditation. Jonathan starts off by saying how he was moved by his appointment as an assistant teacher, but also candidly describes how aspiring teachers learn the importance of feigning disinterest, creating a false ego around the process. Jonathan then reflects on the weight of officially representing the or...
Rage Against the Regime
March 12, 2024 12:00 - 1 hour - 244 MBEpisode #224: Saw Htee Char, working under a pseudonym for safety reasons, has been heavily involved in Myanmar since the devastating Cyclone Nargis in 2008. Recognizing a significant gap in accessible, reliable information about the conflict in Myanmar, Saw Htee Char established the Substack page, Burma Coup Resistance Notes. Contrary to the often simplistic and misleading interpretations of the conflict as an internal issue with blame on both sides, Saw Htee Char presents a starkly differe...
Thinzar Shunlei Yi
March 05, 2024 12:00 - 2 hours - 327 MBEpisode #223: Raised in a Myanmar military compound, Thinzar Shunlei Yi grew up sheltered from her nation's realities. University life exposed her to diverse ethnic narratives, challenging her military-centric worldview. Embracing democracy through literature and the internet, she grappled with guilt over the military's oppression. Her activism took shape through protests and performance art, even embodying a displaced Shan person to promote empathy among the Bamar majority. The 2021 coup u...
Visa Verses (Bonus Shorts)
March 02, 2024 12:00 - 1 hour - 129 MBEpisode #222: Davin Hartanto, an experienced migration agent, discusses changes in Australia's student visa strategy, particularly how it is affecting Myanmar nationals after the coup. The changes are intended to verify applicants' intentions to return home after studies, a problematic criterion for those from conflict zones. Hartanto explains the discretionary power of immigration officers, which has resulted in a high visa refusal rate for Burmese applicants, which escalated notably after ...
Ciao, Enlightenment
February 27, 2024 12:00 - 2 hours - 299 MBEpisode #221: Our guest, Lorenzo Colombo, talks about the great Italian monk, U Lokānatha. Born Salvatore Cioffi near Naples in 1897, his family temporarily moved to New York due to economic difficulties. Salvatore embarked on a spiritual quest early in life. Though his family were devout Roman Catholics, Salvatore initially explored positivism but eventually found himself drawn to Buddhism, quite unusual for a Westerner at that time. Salvatore abandoned his family and possessions, venturin...
Cursing Tyranny
February 20, 2024 12:00 - 2 hours - 311 MBEpisode #220: Elliott Prasse-Freeman, author of the recent book “Rights Refused,” joins the podcast for a wide-ranging, erudite discussion. Prasse-Freeman first distinguishes between two kinds of anti-regime acts. One he calls an act of “refusal.” In other words, one avoids direct confrontation and instead supports various prosocial, community-based society initiatives around things the state is unwilling or unable to support. The other he calls an act of “resistance,” when it the time is r...
Hidden Ledgers (Emergency Edition)
February 16, 2024 12:00 - 1 hour - 150 MBThe Center for Advanced Defense Studies (C4ADS) in Washington DC leverages public data to uncover illicit activities linked to global security threats and human rights abuses. As our guest Savanna Slaughter explains, her team focuses on natural resource security, wildlife crimes, and national security concerns. In Myanmar, they have been investigating the junta's military funding and illicit financial flows, including crony financing. However, sourcing data poses significant challenges, esp...
Revolt, Rebuild, Rebirth
February 13, 2024 12:00 - 1 hour - 130 MBEpisode #219: “The whole military is fragile. The military is collapsing,” says Kyaw Zaw, the spokesperson for the National Unity Government. “This is an unprecedented time, and a turning point in this revolution. It shows that we are winning, and when we are fighting together, then the military is collapsing. When the military fails, then this revolution will succeed!” Despite the pre-coup perception of Myanmar's military might, corruption and defections have significantly weakened it. Bat...
Dhamma at a Cross Roads (Bonus Shorts)
February 09, 2024 12:00 - 1 hour - 163 MBEpisode #218: Beth Upton, a former Buddhist nun who practiced extensively in Burma and has become an influential teacher in the West, returns to the podcast. She reflects on how the richness of Burmese Buddhism has profoundly impacted her identity and teaching style, and highlights the critical need to acknowledge and preserve its spiritual heritage, especially in the face of the ongoing crisis. The prolonged conflict, she notes, has not only limited access to the depth of Burmese teachings...
Bo Thanmani
February 06, 2024 12:00 - 2 hours - 306 MBEpisode #217: Bo Thanmani has emerged as a pivotal figure in the resistance against the military coup in Myanmar. Born into poverty as Tun Oo, he became a monk to access education, which led to English study, further opening the door to democratic thought. His earlier advocacy for human rights led him to undertake bold Peace Walks across Germany, the US, and Thailand; garnering international attention in the process. However, the brutal response to peaceful protests after the 2021 military c...
The Blueprint of Resistance (Bonus Shorts)
February 02, 2024 12:00 - 1 hour - 117 MBEpisode #216: Helena Cing Deih Sian explores the interaction of socio-historical context and urban spaces, emphasizing how history manifests in architecture and planning. Her work investigates the influence of memories in shaping the narrative of a city, particularly focusing on Myanmar. She explores how architecture serves as a medium of identity expression and community remembrance, albeit sometimes warped by those in power. Helena discusses how the military junta has manipulated historic...
Navigating the Legal Pathways Down Under
January 30, 2024 12:00 - 1 hour - 255 MBEpisode #215: Ko Ko Aung's life journey is a testament to resilience and purpose amidst Myanmar's political unrest. He was raised in a middle-class family in southern Myanmar, yet unlike his two brothers, Ko Ko Aung chose to focus on academics rather than the family business, making ngapi. He went to study law in Australia, aiming to aid his homeland's transition to democracy. Upon graduation, Ko Ko Aung specialized in immigration law, unknowingly preparing for the post-2021 coup crisis th...
Whit Hornsberger
January 23, 2024 12:00 - 2 hours - 356 MBEpisode #214: Whit Hornsberger's spiritual journey began unexpectedly when a devastating ACL injury ended his basketball career at the University of Calgary. The loss of his identity as an athlete plunged him into darkness, and he sought solace in surfing and partying in Australia. His path took a significant turn, however, when he discovered the teachings of the Dalai Lama and delved into the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. “I laughed to myself, and I realized in that moment, I was certainly not ...
Forging Solidarity Across Conflict (Bonus Shorts)
January 19, 2024 12:00 - 55 minutes - 101 MBEpisode #213: Isaac Evans-Frantz outlines the mission of Action Corps, a U.S.-based organization dedicated to justice and solidarity in the face of global disasters. One of their initiatives is in support of ethnic and religious minorities facing persecution in Myanmar. Even though Isaac has never visited Myanmar, the work hits home in a personal way. “When I was a child, somebody came to my class and spoke about surviving the Holocaust. He had been in a Nazi death camp, he showed us the nu...
Sean Turnell
January 16, 2024 12:00 - 2 hours - 300 MBEpisode #212: Sean Turnell's remarkable journey in Myanmar, spanning over three decades, reflects a life deeply intertwined with the country's tumultuous history. He first describes his extensive research on Myanmar's economy, culminating in his first book, “Fiery Dragons,” which highlighted the importance of understanding history and culture in economics. Turnell's involvement deepened when he joined Aung San Suu Kyi's government as an economic advisor in 2016, a time fraught with challen...
Climb Every Mountain (Bonus Shorts)
January 12, 2024 12:00 - 47 minutes - 86.4 MBEpisode #211: Enze Han, an Associate Professor at the University of Hong Kong, conducted ground-breaking research that analyzes patterns of conflict in relation to geography. His study, "Rugged terrain, forest coverage, and insurgency in Myanmar," analyzed the tumultuous years from 2010 to 2018. His findings revealed a strategic dance within the country's terrain. Conflict tends to avoid the extremes of high- or low-density forests, following an inverted U-shaped pattern related to conflict...
Echoes of Genocide
January 09, 2024 12:00 - 1 hour - 133 MBEpisode #210: Andrea Gittleman's deep familiarity with Myanmar spans 15 years, and is rooted in her work with the Burma Lawyers' Council in Mae Sot. With meager resources, the council educated Burmese migrants on their labor rights in Thailand while documenting atrocities back in Myanmar. Witnessing the regime's grim human rights record firsthand, Gittleman embarked on a mission to garner international momentum for a commission of inquiry. Today, as the policy director for the Simon-Skjodt ...
Emergency Edition: Burning the Midnight Oil
January 05, 2024 12:00 - 43 minutes - 79.7 MBMichael Haack sheds light on the intricate world of US sanctions and their impact on Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprises (MOGE) and the wider Myanmar military regime. Haack, a familiar voice on the podcast, has spent two decades advocating for Myanmar, playing a pivotal role in the passage of the Burma Act. These latest sanctions, as Haack explains, cut off US financial services to MOGE, affecting loans and transfers, which may seem minor but actually have a profound impact. MOGE, being a vital...
You Say You Want A Revolution
January 02, 2024 12:00 - 1 hour - 170 MBEpisode #209: Susan Zaw’s father and grandfather were both military men, and she had never really been a real fan of the National League for Democracy (NLD). But on February 28, shortly after the coup, everything changed. Her neighbor, a taxi driver, accidentally was hit in the neck by a soldier’s stray bullet. He was immediately rushed to the hospital for an emergency operation, but while in recovery, soldiers came and whisked him away. It is common practice for the military to apprehend ...
“Why Has Myanmar’s Democracy Movement Been Ignored?” (Panel Discussion)
December 26, 2023 12:00 - 2 hours - 285 MBEpisode #208: Better Burma’s third panel tackles the issue of the lack of limited international governmental and infrequent media attention on the horrific, on-going situation in Myanmar and the Burmese people’s valiant resistance against a brutal, Russia-backed military. Considering the widespread atrocities and human rights abuses, this lack of attention is actually rather startling. This disconnect was nowhere more apparent than in the Crisis Group’s recent essay, “10 Conflicts to Watch...
Nobuko Nakano
December 19, 2023 12:00 - 2 hours - 322 MBEpisode #207: Seeking a way to satisfy a growing internal discontent, Nobuko Nakano turned to psychedelics and other drugs, and hard partying in her youth. It was hard for her to stop, even after taking her first vipassana meditation course in the tradition of S.N. Goenka. Finally, though, she felt she had come to a fork in the road, and made the commitment to spend an extended period of time sitting and serving courses at Dhamma Aloka. Becoming more grounded in the practice, she traveled on...
Rebels Without A Pause
December 12, 2023 12:00 - 2 hours - 337 MBEpisode #206: Soon after Delphine Schrank arrived in Yangon in 2008 as a Washington Post reporter to cover the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis, she realized that life under the brutal military was a big part of the story there. Her curiosity led her to uncover a thriving underground network of dissidents committed to building democracy. Her resulting book, The Rebel of Rangoon, delves into the lives of two main protagonists, Nway and Nigel, offering a nuanced perspective on their sacrifices and ...
Emergency Edition: Scams and Shackles
December 08, 2023 12:00 - 2 hours - 280 MBJason Tower, country director for the Burma program at the United States Institute of Peace (USIP), exposes the dark underbelly of an operation that ensnares hundreds of thousands of people into a form of modern-day slavery across Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, and the Philippines, forcing them to act as scammers in this multibillion dollar “industry.” Describing these scams as “pig butchering” because they’re designed to lead unaware dupes to the slaughter, Tower reveals a highly organized crimi...
Uncovering Dr. Leon Wright
December 05, 2023 12:00 - 2 hours - 323 MBEpisode #205: In a world where representation and diversity are more critical than ever, Aishah Shahidah Simmons unveils the little known story of Dr. Leon Wright, a remarkable African-American professor who served as the US Cultural Attaché in Rangoon from 1955-57, and who was authorized to teach meditation by the great meditation master, Sayagyi U Ba Khin. Aishah's own quest for representation within meditation traditions dovetailed perfectly with her discovery of Wright, a hidden gem in ...
Emergency Edition: The Spring Revolution Will Win
December 02, 2023 12:00 - 2 hours - 376 MBYou're listening to a Special Release episode of Insight Myanmar Podcast. In the aftermath of Operation 1027, a pivotal military action initiated by the Three Brotherhood Alliance, and further supported by a coalition of ethnic fighters and PDF units, Myanmar is undergoing a transformative moment and so we are launching this series in response. Our guest is Matthew Arnold, an academic and independent policy analyst specializing in politics, governance, and peace and conflict, with extensive...
Ashin Kovida
November 28, 2023 12:00 - 2 hours - 278 MBEpisode #204: Ashin Kovida, a prominent pro-democracy Buddhist monk, shares his remarkable journey from a remote village with no electricity to becoming a fervent advocate for democracy and human rights. His story is one of growth and transformation. He initially questioned foreign political concepts like democracy, and was against Aung San Suu Kyi, but later embraced the ideal of democracy and came to greatly admire her, especially after secretly reading her book Freedom From Fear. He conti...
Emergency Edition: Rakhine Roulette
November 25, 2023 12:00 - 2 hours - 376 MBSpecial Release: Vladmir Lenin once said, “There are decades where nothing happens, and there are weeks when decades happen.” At this moment, in the wake of Operation 1027, Myanmar is going through one of these weeks. We now find ourselves in a complex, fluid, fast-moving and high-stakes situation, one which may well very well decide the fate of the country, so we are rushing the production of related interviews to provide listeners with informed, up-to-date analyses. Our inaugural episode ...
Jack Myint, Part 2
November 21, 2023 12:00 - 2 hours - 298 MBEpisode #203: Jack Myint's journey is a tale of cultural contrast and resilience. He had the opportunity as a teenager to attend a program at a US college, sponsored by the State Department. Coming from the very traditional, Myanmar public schools, his experience of open discussion and critical engagement in an American college classroom was an awakening. Returning to Myanmar from the vibrant American campus was stark, reverse culture shock. Jack’s independent spirit, only enhanced by his U...
The Breath of Awakening (Bonus Shorts)
November 17, 2023 12:00 - 45 minutes - 84 MBEpisode #202: Diego Prieto, guided by the allure of the Buddha's teachings, embarked on what would become a transformative journey into Myanmar. His first experiences with meditation took place in his home country of Chile, and he continued to take courses across South America, before heading to India, where he began work on a documentary about the Buddha’s teachings. But Diego’s perspective profoundly changed in the vibrant Buddhist society of Myanmar, deepening his understanding of practi...
Navigating the Financial Landscape
November 14, 2023 12:00 - 1 hour - 225 MBEpisode #201: Sean Turnell provides a deep analysis of Myanmar's economic history and its transformation from a prosperous nation to one of the poorest in Southeast Asia. Throughout the episode, Turnell’s personal experiences, including his time as an economic advisor to Aung San Suu Kyi and his 650-day imprisonment following the coup, intersect with the nation's trajectory, emphasizing the resilience and courage of the Myanmar people in the face of adversity. Turnell’s insights shed light ...
Battling Oppression with Economic Stability (Bonus Shorts)
November 10, 2023 12:00 - 44 minutes - 81.9 MBEpisode #200: “I am an Indian and American, and I carry both in my blood,” says Jagdish Dalal, who goes by the name Jag. “I am one of those with a Western mind and Eastern soul. So whenever I think about Myanmar, or I think about other Asian countries, I have a personal feel for it.” With over five decades of leadership experience advising Fortune 100 companies, Jag is a sought-after speaker on information technology management and futurism. He emphasizes the importance of "impact sourcing"...
Michael Stein
November 07, 2023 12:00 - 2 hours - 283 MBEpisode #199: Following a period of rebellion and exploration through the tumultuous 1960s, Michael Stein embarked on a journey that ultimately led him to a profound spiritual connection with S.N. Goenka. Winding his way through Israel, Turkey, Iran, and Afghanistan, he reached India just before the 1971 war with Pakistan. Michael had a deep sense of belonging the moment he crossed the border. At first, his main interests were dope smoking and travel, though the pull of spiritual practice w...
Wes Kingsley
October 31, 2023 12:00 - 2 hours - 301 MBEpisode #198: Wes Kingsley's remarkable journey takes us through his CIA assignments in various conflict-ridden regions, such as post-independence Congo, and Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War. It also takes us to Burma, which holds a special place in Wes's heart amid all his other adventures, as that is where he met his future wife and developed an appreciation of Buddhism. Wes’s first CIA stint was in Eritrea, in Africa. During his time there, the Simba Rebellion in the Congo was heati...
Revolutionary Poetry (Bonus Shorts)
October 27, 2023 12:00 - 53 minutes - 97.7 MBEpisode #197: Meet Sai, a poet whose words echo the raw emotions and evolving landscape of Myanmar. Known by his Instagram handle, In the Land of Grief and Gold, his verses offer first-hand insight into the country's turmoil, inviting others to empathize with and support the people’s revolution in Myanmar. Sai's journey is intertwined with his desire to reconcile his faith and Buddhist practice with the harsh realities of the ongoing conflict. He finds solace in vipassana meditation, while ...
The Brutal Incompetence of a Floundering Regime
October 24, 2023 12:00 - 1 hour - 72.4 MBEpisode #196: “You have these new battlefields that the military seems unprepared for and certainly doesn't have the manpower or resources. And yet they're fighting! They've chosen to fight in these places.” In this episode, security analyst Zach Abuza unravels the intricate web of conflict that continues to unfold in Myanmar. The Burmese military finds itself ensnared in an unprecedented multi-front war. From Chin state to Magwe, and from Mandalay to the remote reaches of Shan and Kayah s...
Dancing in Duality
October 17, 2023 12:00 - 1 hour - 180 MBEpisode #195: “I just always felt most comfortable in retreat settings, and in monastic settings to some degree… and in strip clubs.” This is Natalie Claire’s story, and though she no longer is employed as a stripper or sex worker, her perspective on her story and her decisions is very thought-provoking. Natalie traces her story back to a very messy parental divorce. To help her cope, she took up yoga and then vipassana, but also experimented with all kinds of drugs. In fact, even as she be...
Presumed Guilty (Bonus Shorts)
October 13, 2023 12:00 - 1 hour - 124 MBEpisode #194: In the midst of Myanmar's turbulent times, Manny Maung, a dedicated advocate from Human Rights Watch, sheds light on a dire situation. Behind closed doors, a shadowy military court system relentlessly tries civilians without proper legal representation. This injustice has escalated to an unprecedented level since the coup, eroding the foundations of democracy and rule of law. The Myanmar justice system, rooted in colonial-era penal codes, has never embraced fair trials. Now, i...
Narcos: Myanmar
October 10, 2023 12:00 - 1 hour - 264 MBEpisode #193: In Myanmar's tumultuous landscape, Patrick Winn urges us to see the drug trade not as a moral dilemma but as a potent force shaping the nation's destiny. This trade is a means to amass power, manipulate borders, and influence Myanmar's very future, much like how Saudi Arabia was changed by the discovery of oil there. Winn's perspective on the multibillion dollar drug trade is pragmatic; it's a colossal industry, akin to Fortune 500 companies, driven by ruthless individuals who...
No Country for Democracy
October 03, 2023 12:00 - 1 hour - 233 MBEpisode #192: “Where are the fighters of Europe who came out against fascist Hitler, or communist Stalin? All disappeared?” This is one of many blunt questions posed by Kasit Piromya, a distinguished Thai diplomat with 37 years of experience. He delivers a powerful critique, calling out the paltry global response to Myanmar's democracy movement. Piromya passionately criticizes the feeble commitment of politicians worldwide to involvement in this crisis, and urges them to align their actions ...
Insight Myanmar Podcast featured on "Rocklaz Radio with Tanmay Shah"
September 29, 2023 12:00 - 2 hours - 367 MBThe host and founder of Insight Myanmar was interviewed by the podcast, "Rocklaz Radio with Tanmay Shah." Trish, the founder of Bamama Cooks, joins the conversation as well.
Resisting Until Victory
September 26, 2023 12:00 - 1 hour - 131 MBEpisode #191: Myra Dahgaypaw was born in a camp for internally displaced persons in Karen State. Yet there was no safety there. From infancy, she had to flee with her family to escape violence, facing gunfire, airstrikes, and landmines. No matter where they stopped, the Burmese military found them and forced them to flee again. Myra wondered why this was happening to her and her family, and began to see the Bamar people as monsters. Her parents died before she was a teenager, and she was ra...
Grahame White, Part 1
September 19, 2023 12:00 - 1 hour - 269 MBEpisode #190: A carefree Australian surfer, Grahame White’s life changed dramatically on a chance encounter with Hermann Hesse’s, Siddhartha. After reading it, he decided to practice breathing based on a short line in the text. What happened next blew him away. “The mind became very bright and luminous after about five minutes and I said, ‘Oh, this is better than drugs!’” Grahame then practiced Buddhist meditation in the Mahasi style at a monastery offered by the Thai Embassy in London, befo...
The French Connection (Bonus Shorts)
September 15, 2023 12:00 - 1 hour - 95.4 MBEpisode #189: Nan Su Mon Aung took on a significant role to support her country and government by agreeing to become the NUG Representative in France. Despite acknowledging the challenges and responsibilities that come with the position, she embraced it with determination. Nan Su Mon Aung's mission is to inform French society about the situation in Myanmar, represent Burmese citizens in France, and foster communication between the NUG and French organizations. She expresses gratitude for th...
Picturing a Revolution
September 12, 2023 12:00 - 1 hour - 267 MBEpisode #188: Min Ma Naing, a photojournalist and narrative visual artist, stumbled onto her path accidentally. While studying in Hong Kong, she often went to a park to take a break from the strain, where her innocent smiles were misconstrued by men. To deter unwanted advances, she carried a camera, igniting a passion for photography. After attending an intensive international reporting training, she ventured to Meiktila, a town marred by religious tensions. In contrast to the media’s usual...