METTA’S STRATEGY UNDER COVID-19 (MAY 2020 – MARCH 2023)

As indicated in the 2020 Myanmar Humanitarian Needs Overview, Myanmar ranks 17th out of 191 countries in the Index for Risk Management and fourth highest in terms of exposure to natural hazards. This fragile situation affects in a most serious degree those population groups impacted by humanitarian crisis including displaced people, stateless people and other vulnerable people, namely in Chin, Kachin, Kayin, Kayah, Mon, Rakhine and Shan states. Many of these populations would likely face difficulties accessing basic services including health services. On top of this the conflict affected populations are most likely to become the most vulnerable groups during the COVID-19 outbreak. Therefore, to be able to provide essential services to affected populations, integrating COVID-19 responses into ongoing and future humanitarian programmes will be a major objective of Metta over the next three years. Our humanitarian mandate is to respond to any type of humanitarian emergency in any part of Myanmar while prioritising our ongoing project areas, proximity to our existing office bases, and presence of our partners.

Metta has become both a channel and a focal point for humanitarian response in Myanmar, being adept at dealing with natural and human induced conflicts for almost two decades. Metta will continue to lead in the humanitarian sector in Myanmar, taking active roles in the local, national and regional coordination. We will also be a champion of essential humanitarian values and eco-humanitarianism. Related to the anticipated return and resettlement of IDPs and refugee to their home communities in Myanmar, Metta will likewise take an active leadership role.

Metta’s Humanitarian Framework will guide our humanitarian work during the strategic period.

• To protect the life and dignity of those affected by disasters by providing timely humanitarian assistance and ensuring their protection, especially the most vulnerable.
• To ensure that displaced persons return to their homes or resettle with dignity and provide access to basic services and fulfilment of their rights; either by supporting IDPs directly, and/or advocating as appropriate in order to protect their rights.
• To reduce human suffering by preventing conflict and building resilience within communities.
• To ensure that the rights of affected people, especially the most vulnerable individuals, are protected and fulfilled, including protection from all forms of gender violence;
• Humanitarian support is accessible to all, covering all the components of the humanitarian cycle for each sector. All partners will observe Metta’s humanitarian values and principles, and avoid any negative impact of humanitarian interventions; Metta adopts and strictly follows the humanitarian approach which is Rights based; Eco-humanitarianism; People-centered, community based participation; Do no harm; Conflict sensitivity; Gender equity understanding; Relief, response, recovery and rehabilitation, development and resilience building; Partnership approach; and Protection and empowerment of vulnerable groups.

There is a need for radical change in the food systems. Looking at the big picture, the underlying cause of this pandemic is linked to industrialised food production and its associated depletion of natural resources, poisoning of the food chain, and crossing of eco-system boundaries. Some of the ways forward are what Metta has been advocating for a long time: localised food systems, national food sufficiency, programme and policy support to smallholder food producers and indigenous communities as the backbone of national food sufficiency.

For Metta, economic growth must not come at the cost of social inclusiveness and must directly address poverty and inequality. Metta’s long-standing focus on these fundamental issues has enabled us to build expertise in specific areas which are now and will be important in future. One of the Metta strengths is agro-ecological farming through a Farmer Field School approach and Metta will increase its focus on this area and pay even more attention to smallholder farmers. All the work in the rural areas remains important in responding to the COVID-19 crisis including sustainable agriculture, the rights to land and natural resource governance, addressing food insecurity in the community. Metta’s role of advocacy for smallholder farmer at the sub-national, national and regional levels will also be critical to ensure that government policy during and after this COVID-19 crisis directly considers effects on farmers, their lands and natural resource as well as on their social organisation and democratic processes.

• Build and promote the food security and food sovereignty of communities through the programme approach of agro-ecological farming, kitchen gardening, urban gardening, agro-forestry, bio-diversity, conservation of traditional and neglected or underutilized species, local seed promotion and natural resource management to be able to cope with COVID-19 crisis. Support communities to develop and promote their own policies (agricultural, labour, fishing, food, land use, forestry etc.) which are ecologically, socially, economically, and culturally appropriate to their circumstances as well as to be able to protect their rights under COVID-19 crisis. Promote people-led development and local knowledge. Initiate and support the local seed and traditional food culture movement and uphold customary practices (land reform, redistribution, restitution, access.) both for long-term development and in the short-term as COVID-19 coping mechanisms.
• Enhance the roles of women and youth in the sustainable development of communities, agro ecological farming, social enterprise and entrepreneurship.
• Invest in research and development as well as link up with research institutions which are paying attention to the rights of the marginalized farmer in their practice and policy work.

Civil society has a critical role to play in the response to this pandemic. This is all the more so because drastically reduced international travel and supply lines make large scale international mobilisation impossible. Many international actors are also dealing with their own operational disruptions and domestic COVID-19 crises.

Myanmar’s civil Society is well aware that this will be not only a public health, but also an economic and social crisis. We predict a rise in ethnic, gender based and domestic violence. We foresee social unrest among daily wage earners and people working in the informal sector who will face loss of jobs, income and food security. All local and national capacities need to be mobilised to mitigate these impacts.

The greatest challenge is whether Myanmar society will respond to this threat by largely turning inwards, or will mainly look outwards. The choice we as CSOs collectively make will be mirrored at all levels: from the village to regional and international relations. The role of civil society is key. If Myanmar manages to maintain an outward-looking perspective it will be because of the leadership of civil society. This choice, this year, will shape the next two decades.

While the choice will be powerfully influenced by social, cultural and religious forces, these forces and their symbols can be mobilized for either isolation or for social solidarity. Defending civil society, democratic rights, and our fundamental freedoms can be challenging, let alone having to do it while under “lockdown” practicing social distancing in the midst of a global health crisis spreading rapidly across the world. In times like these, solidarity and social compassion play the most important role.

The primary objective of Metta’s social and civic support in the short-term phase of this strategy will be “to slow the rate of COVID-19 infection”. The short-term purpose of slowing infections is not to avoid overloading the health systems, but to maintain at least a sustenance economy and community-support systems in the communities where we work. The medium-term purpose is to reduce infection, sickness and death in anticipation of a national vaccination programme. Thirdly, the COVID-19 response provides Metta with the window to progress its longer-term vision of becoming a national Resource-Hub for Myanmar’s civil society.

The main measures we know so far that can support reduced or slowed infection are: proper hand-washing; social distancing, wearing of masks, no crowding or gathering, and extra special protection for the elderly and the sick. None of these can be implemented on a wide-scale by the government, the health system, the police or the military: they must be implemented by communities themselves.

Therefore, awareness-raising amongst the public and within local communities underlies all these “containment measures” and is the starting-point for our support to civil society and CSOs.

Awareness-raising and support for community-initiated containment and mitigation at village and township level will be critical. The more that communities understand about the virus and its lifecycle, the more effective and equitable will be their maintenance and management of protective equipment and material, quarantine spaces, and their coordination and communication with external stakeholders.

Establishment of a national Resource-Hub for civil society on financial, technical and material resources. By the end of 2020, The Hub will be providing strategic support including financial, material and technical resources to local civil society actors, groups and networks to assist in the response, mitigation and recovery from this crisis. Beyond 2020, the Hub will be providing similar resources for local civic actors to develop and accompany the development visions of the communities of their constituents.

This strategic decision is partially influenced by our forecast of falling international funding and by the COVID-19 operating environment. However, it is primarily driven by our belief that Metta’s acquired expertise will have most impact for disadvantaged communities when Metta acts as a broker, a convener, a resource and as an umbrella for local civic action.