Kind Kids create OUR BURMA BOOK

On Friday 13 November 2009, the children from Balgreen, Forthview, Pirniehall, St Mary's Leith and Tollcross Primary Schools who worked with 3 Burmese refugee schools to produce OUR BURMA BOOK, received a Kind Kids award. The award was presented by Edinburgh's Lady Provost and was for the children's kindness in telling the story of the Burmese people through their book and exhibitions. Well done, everyone. (Sorry it's such a poor photo. If anyone there has a better one, send it in!)

Run for Burma

Fortunately, Mrs Jenkinson and Ms Vacher were out at the race to capture all the highlights! Well done, Mr Wright and Mrs Thomson - we both agreed we could not have done it and that you both did really well...

though, personally I was a bit disappointed Mr Wright

decided not to run in his longyi as did some of the other runners!

This is the front of the 200 or so runners just been given the off!

Here's Mr Wright approaching the finish line looking remarkably fresh!

Closely followed by Mrs Thomson!

"Can I get ma cuppa tea now then?"

If I had been in a photo at the end of this race, I'd have been PURPLE!

Inspiring!

Mr Wright and Mrs Thomson jog 5 Km for Burma

Well done to Mr Wright and Mrs Thomson for running 5 Km for Burma today in Inverleith Park. They ran alongside 200 other runners to raise money for Partners, an organisation that work with the Karen people, who have been brutally persecuted by the Burmese military junta. Unfortunately Ms Laing slept in and was too late to get a photo of the runners!

The run was followed by a lunch and a talk by Zoya Phan, a Karen refugee who works for The Burma Campaign UK. (www.burmacampaign.org.uk) Zoya spoke of her parents who spent their lives fighting for democracy and human rights for the Karen people. She lost them both prematurely because of the Burmese junta and started up the Phan Foundation to continue the work of her parents. Zoya is a refugee in the UK but like all Burmese people, she just wants to go home to her homeland. You can read her story in the book she recently wrote, 'Little Daugher'. It can be bought by going to Amazon via the Burma Campaign website. Mr Wright bought it so he can tell Forthview all about it.

Run for Burma - the Edinburgh run

On Saturday 10 OCtober at 11am, Partners Relief and Development are holding a 5 Km run to raise support for Burmese migrants and refugees. The race starts at 11am and Forthview's own Mr Wright will be taking a 'slow jog' for Burma.

You can read more about it all on www.runforburma.org

You can read more about it all on www.runforburma.org




Afterwards at a free lunch event in St Stephen's Church at 1pm, Zoya Phan will speak about her childhood as th daughter of two parents who were involved in the Karen Resistance movement.

Zoya is from the Karen ethnic group. For decades the Karen have been under attack by Burma's military junta. Her father was General Secretary of the Karen National Union.

When she was 14 years old Burmese army soldiers attacked her village, and herself and her family were forced to flee for their lives. They hid in the jungle and eventually ended up in a Thai refugee camp.

She joined Burma Campaign UK in 2005 and was sponsored when she was a student by Burma Education Scholarship Trust.

In February 2008 her father, Padoh Mahn Sha Lah Phan, was assassinated by agents of the Burmese military dictatorship in Mae Sot, where Forthview's link school, Hle Bee is situated.

Come along and hear Zoya and cheer on Mr Wright.

Orng,a Burmese student, graduates from Newbattle Abbey College

Orng, is a friend of Ms Vacher and Ms Laing's. He is a BEST student (Burma Educational Scholarship Trust). He is also supported by Prospect Burma, who are the UK charity that use the money Aung San suu Kyi got when she won the Nobel Peace Prize, to support Burmese students in higher education. There is a link to Prospect Burma's work on the right hand side of this page. Prospect Burma also support Dr Thein Lwin's projects to train Burmese Teachers. We were very proud of him today. Now he is going to Glasgow University to study Politics. Well done Orng!

OUR BURMA BOOK exhibition - a wee video clip

Journalists from the Democratic Voice of Burma have made a lovely wee video clip of the exhibition opening. It's in Burmese so is great for our Burmese readers. Scottish readers can guess what it says. People to spot are Dar Dar Kyaw, Tominai, Si Si Win, Phyu Phyu Win and little Bobo from Hle Bee, Murray Forgie, Kyaw Win, Louise Laing and there are others.... If you can play an MP4, enjoy......

OUR BURMA BOOK opens in Chiang Mai

OUR BURMA BOOK exhibition opened in Chiang Mai on Saturday 22 August 2009.

The exhibition is in Lur Cafe, Soi 9, Nimanhemin, Chiang Mai.

Louise Laing spoke at the opening on behalf of the Scottish schools

and then Burmese and Shan children took part in an etching workshop

as you can see here.

More photos at www.ilovemaesot.blogspot.com

Our artist friends who are putting on the exhibition

support the children through the etching process.

We are very grateful to them for their hard work and creative input to this project.