ABSTRACT
This chapter recounts short-term consultancies in Indonesia, Rwanda and Egypt before the author confirmed that he preferred longer placements and wanted to participate in the evolution of Myanmar. Initially he worked with the British Council “building capacity” in two Myanmar CSOs – this became writing proposals to foreign donors. He gave a training course for CSOs in local philanthropy, but in spite of Myanmar having a very strong Buddhist tradition of philanthropy, he found Myanmar CSOs to be most interested in foreign donors.
He was then offered a much more interesting job managing a project by a Myanmar CSO funded by the EU to stop the illegal timber trade. It was meant to do this through collaboration between CSOs, government and business – to work with CSOs to research and expose the reality of the illegal timber trade, which would hopefully lead to reform and then a combined Voluntary Partnership Agreement between all parties to clarify legal exportable timber. Sadly, it was proven that the reality was extensive and structural corruption – which was well documented – and only lip service paid to reform.
Separately, the author pursued the story of George Orwell, author of Burmese Days, to his old house in Kathar and the start of an Orwell museum.
