Karen Environmental and Social Action Network.
Empowering communities, securing peace, protecting environment, land and livelihood
KESAN is a community-based, non-governmental, non-profit organization that works to improve livelihood security and to gain respect for indigenous people’s knowledge and rights in Karen State of Burma, where the violence and inequities of more than 60 years of civil war have created one of the most impoverished regions in the world.
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Along the Salween: A Story of Cooperation and Forest Protection
For more than a decade, authorities, community forest rangers, and local residents along the Salween River have quietly worked to monitor illegal logging, timber trafficking, and other activities threatening one of Southeast Asia’s last major free-flowing river systems. In late August 2026, those efforts resulted in…
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Big News: KNU Officially Recognizes 33 Indigenous Karen Territories in Kawthoolei
KAWTHOOLEI, 3 September 2026 – The Kawthoolei Central Land Committee (KCLC), a key land governance body of the Karen National Union (KNU), approved and signed customary land certificates for 33 Kaw, covering 380,984 acres of ancestral Karen territories across Kawthoolei, during the final day of the…
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Learning Together for Better Community Forest Management
In July 2026, community forest committee members from across the Salween Peace Park gathered in two locations to strengthen their skills and share experiences in community forest management. The two five-day trainings brought together 92 participants, including representatives from 20 community forests, forest rangers, and staff…
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Mo Po Mu (Mommy’s Daughters) Women’s Group: Capacity-Building Training
From 17-18 July 2026, KESAN’s Community Based Livelihoods Initiative (CBLI) team conducted a capacity building training with the Mo Po Mu (Mommy Daughter) Women’s Group at Ei Tu Hta Village, Bu Tho Township, Salween Peace Park, Mutraw District, Kawthoolei. With more than 30 Mo Po Mu…
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A Stronghold for Southeast Asia’s Vanishing Wildlife
Deep within Kawthoolei lies a rich and vibrant landscape where wildlife continues to survive despite growing threats across the region. In Mergui Tavoy District, one of the seven districts under the Karen National Union (KNU), the KNU and local Karen communities are continuing their efforts to…
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For Present and Future Generations: Community Forests in PIST
For generations, the Karen people have managed and protected their forests through community-based traditions rooted in collective responsibility and long-term care. In most villages, certain forest areas are set aside as community forests, protected not for profit, but for the survival and well-being of present and…
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The 20th Anniversary: A Pathway to Social and Environmental Justice
