Myanmar Book Aid and Preservation Foundation

Myanmar's general population lacks digital, information literacy, and critical thinking skills. There’s a huge deficit in people’s ability to find and evaluate the quality and credibility of information obtained online, create and share online information effectively, and participate safely and securely. There have been numerous reports of how postings on Facebook have spread rumors and inflamed racial and communal tensions, in part due to the complicity of major media and the susceptibility of ordinary citizens who have little history of questioning the authenticity of online information. We also found that only 35% of the people benefiting from the Beyond Access program were women and youth, indicating concerted effort is needed for these population groups. Given this context, it is imperative that efforts be undertaken to equip Myanmar’s citizenry, especially women, with the knowledge, skills, confidence, and other abilities to shape a democratic, trustworthy, and vibrant local information society. These two projects are already contributing to this vision, but ongoing funding is needed to continue and build upon their initial achievements.