Following the 2021 military coup, young people formed Strike Committees, took to the streets, and kept organising in the face of violent repression. Their courage has been extraordinary. Movements like this need connection, strategy and solidarity - something peacebuilders across the country helped with.

Peacebuilders have been quietly and carefully helping to build these movements. They brought young activists from Myanmar together with activists from across the region, including Hong Kong and Taiwan, for two three-day strategy meetings. People of different nationalities, religions and ethnicities sat alongside each other, discussing the questions that matter most: how the democracy movement leads, who it represents, and how it sustains itself for the long road ahead.

Gathering in person carries real risk. Activists came carrying the weight of years of resistance. At the first workshop, experienced voices tended to fill the space. Instead of letting this pattern persist, the group named it and worked to shift the dynamic. These challenges were met honestly, which resulted in stronger connections and richer discussions.

The actions to ensure sustainability of these groups were clear. Participants called for intergenerational dialogue to be prioritised, and for mental health support to be treated as a serious part of sustaining the movement, not an afterthought. Peacebuilders in Myanmar have continued to champion a flexible, grassroots structure that keeps collective decision making alive.