The Peacebuilding & Development program at MIPS includes three primary projects:

“Gender, Democracy, and Decentralization: Public Service Delivery in Ethnic Minority States”
This project aims to analyze the prospect of decentralization from the view of public service delivery capacity in ethnic minority states, with an emphasis on gender. MIPS’ researchers are exploring how public service delivery is complicated by actors involved in the peace process, especially in conflict-affected areas. The research will also aid the on-going negotiation on federalism between the government and various armed ethnic groups. Project Director Dr. Myat Pan Hmone, Dr. Min Zaw Oo, Professor Jacques Bertrand, and Morgan Michaels implement the project in partnership with the University of Toronto with funding provided by the IDRC.

“Developing a digital platform for child protection case management system”
With funding from Plan International, MIPS is developing a mobile-based child-rights violation monitoring application. This initiative utilizes MIPS extensive expertise in peace-related technology in the pursuit of strengthening child rights and protections in Myanmar. The project is led by Dr. Min Zaw Oo and Ne Lynn Aung.

“Empowering Young Women and Men as Agents in the Peace Building Process”
In partnership with UNICEF, MIPS is undertaking this capacity-building initiative to foster research skills and conflict sensitive awareness among youths. The project trains members of UNICEF’s U-Report Program who come from conflict-affected areas to conduct fieldwork in IDP camps. Under MIPS’ supervision, these trained youths collect and analyze data that will later be compiled into a report. Major findings will then be briefed to decisionmakers.