Networking, Media and Advocacy Campaigns
Our advocacy work is focused on environmental policymaking, natural resource governance, and responsible investment with the goal to advocate against harmful development and resource extraction, and for policies that ensure gender equity, environmental sustainability, and community ownership and management of land and natural resources.
Alongside our advocacy work, we strive to keep the public – including remote villagers, displaced populations and urban residents – informed about the status and impacts of mega- development projects and the benefits of alternative, sustainable development. KESAN achieves this through communication with grassroots communities, producing print and audio materials, collaborating with academics, and working with the media.
Community radio broadcast
KESAN supports Karen community radio program aims to provide current news on political, social, cultural, economic and environmental issues to the Karen people, covering Burma, Thai-Burma border and overseas. As Karen people are displaced in different areas, the Karen community radio project is an essential way to share information, to strengthen communication and to learn about the current situation.
Environmental magazine
KESAN’s Karen language environmental magazine, locally known as Thoolei Kawwei, has served as a forum for discussion of environmental and social issues of relevance to Karen communities and community leaders for over two decades. The magazine publishes contributions from various writers from local communities, local leaders and KESAN staff.
Video documentation and production
KESAN’s media team documents and reports the effort of the communities to protect their lands, forests, and rivers, documents environmental problems caused by unsustainable development projects, and promotes a sustainable and community-based development approach.
Networking and advocacy campaign
In order to effectively advocate for environmental justice, Indigenous rights, and inclusive natural resource governance policies, KESAN is active in numerous networks through lobbying, public events, knowledge exchange, and media engagement.