Hello digi-cnx Community,
We are excited to invite you to the launch of our Digital Humanities Un-College, featuring two sessions on “Digital Myanmar” tomorrow, October 12, beginning at 10:30 a.m. at Brick X @ NSP, Science and Technology Park, Chiang Mai University (CMU-STeP on Grab).
This first session will take you through real-life stories of how people in Myanmar have navigated a digital landscape filled with barriers and restrictions. You’ll hear from our own Bradley and Gar Gar, researchers and activists who have experienced firsthand the struggles of staying connected in a time of crisis
Event Schedule:
10:30 a.m. – Welcome and Introduction to Un-College
11:00 a.m. – Stories of Digital Life in Myanmar through Photos
In collaboration with the Myanmar Internet Project, this session highlights “Hello from the other side,” a photo gallery documenting the incredible struggle to stay connected amid ongoing conflict. Learn about the technical tools, policies, and the harsh realities of internet repression in Myanmar since the 2020 coup. Researchers Bradley and Gar Gar will guide you through these important stories, captured in Karen, Sagaing, and Karenni.
Questions to Consider:
- Have you ever experienced an internet shutdown?
- What would happen if all forms of connectivity in your neighborhood were down permanently?
Recommended Reading:
- Myanmar Internet Project Gallery
- “Staying Online in Myanmar is a Matter of Life and Death” – Frontier Myanmar
12:00 p.m. – Borders, Resistance, and Exiled Activism
This session delves into resistance movements along Myanmar’s borders, particularly in India and Thailand. Presenters from Exile Hub will explore how national borders both help and hinder activism, focusing on fragmented support systems for Myanmar refugees. We’ll also discuss the paper “Voices from Exile,” which highlights the specific safety concerns faced by exiled female journalists on the Thai border. This session will provide crucial insights into the intersection of borders, displacement, and digital activism.
Questions to Consider:
- How do borders influence the resistance movement and exiled activism?
- How has the internet reshaped the way these activists and journalists organize and mobilize globally?
Recommended Reading:
Voices from Exile: The Safety Needs of Myanmar Women Journalists
(event cover photo by Sit Htet Aung: A phone tied to the tree, where connection can be detected in Karen State)
This event also marks the launch of the Digital Humanities Un-College. The Un-College is an open space for anyone to lead or join college-style learning sessions on topics under the wide umbrella of digital humanities. Whether it’s technology, history, innovation, ethics, or the cosmo-local, we want to create a community-driven environment where we can all learn from each other.
Lunch is sponsored by Public Works, and spaces are limited, so please RSVP. We look forward to seeing you there!
Note: We are trying out Social Layer for the Un-College events, as it is also being used by many of the pop-up cities this month. If you already have an account, you can easily RSVP using the button on the event page. If you don’t have an account yet, it’s simple to sign up with your email address. Once you’re signed up, just return to the event page and select the RSVP button. If you have any questions, feel free to email us or reach out to Dev or Lorilee, and we’ll make sure you’re signed up.
Floods
These past few weeks have been difficult, with the entire region, including Chiang Mai, severely affected by flooding. We hope everyone is okay, and if you need any help with cleaning, access to showers, or food, please let us know by emailing back or reaching out to any of the digi-cnx stewards.
The recovery and cleanup will take time, and many of our members have already been out helping in various ways.
A good way to get connected to volunteer opportunities is through this WhatsApp group
– https://chat.whatsapp.com/HyUdjKcBcoBHWRFvu8SWy3
Digital Humanities Un-College
More un-college events are being planned over the next few weeks. We will try and send out another update when more is listed, but the Social Layer account and the website will also be updated.