Our Project: Documenting the Voices of Freedom from Inside Burma's Revolution of the Spirit as She Transitions from Dictatorship to Democracy.  

                     Thank you Beautiful People. Thank you for caring about Burma,

                                  freedom, and being the best that we can be. 

       You are Invited to Play a Vital Role in the Creation of this not-for-profit Project

For an Expanded New Edition of the book The Voice of Hope: Aung San Suu Kyi

"Every leader on the planet should read this book at least once."

~ Alice Walker, Pulitzer-Prize winning author of The Color Purple 

Burma (called Myanmar, by some) is undergoing one of the most epic reforms in human history: after decades of authoritarian military rule we're seeing the dawn of a compassion-inspired democracy born from love and nonviolence.  

This next phase of Burma’s "revolution of the spirit" is  being led by former political prisoners, artists and dissidents, including Nobel Peace laureate, Aung San Suu Kyi, “an icon of democracy...all around the world,” as declared by President Barack Obama during his historic visit to Burma just days after his reelection. 

Freed after spending the better part of 20 years under house arrest and prison, Aung San Suu Kyi, a recently elected Parliamentarian within her country’s new civilian Government, has called upon freedom-loving people everywhere, to SUPPORT Burma NOW, more than ever.   

"As spiritual and political beings we are all activists at heart. No one is outside of society...It's about our freedom. That means everybody. We must see that nothing and no one is separate from this freedom. No one is an island in this world." ~ Aung San Suu Kyi 

 Our Intention, Our Hope

We are a team of "freedom-lovers" passionate about travelling to Burma, the heart of this radical transition. Our intention is to document the insights and stories of the less known leaders in their long march toward freedom: former political prisoners; dissident writers, musicians, journalists, filmmakers, poets and comedians; Buddhist monks and nuns; reformed government leaders; shop owners; returning refugees; farmers; students; and possibly Aung San Suu Kyi herself, along with her esteemed colleagues, mentors and teachers.

The Why?

Aung San Suu Kyi's message has been consistent from the time she entered politics: “Be free. Nobody can imprison your mind. They can imprison your body, but they cannot imprison your mind. We must always remember this. Free your mind.”

But how? How have the people done this for the past 24 years of revolution? That is precisely what we want to ask these courageous activists and more, and in so doing, bring their voices of freedom out from Burma into the world.

These revolutionary voices - the many expressions of the strength and effectiveness of nonviolent strategy - are a GIFT to us all and will support  the struggles for freedom going on in so many other places in the world today, and in our own hearts and minds as well. 

  We must ACT quickly

Due to logistical complexities and the fragility of the transition in Burma, our clock is ticking. Our desire is to be in country by late-January. In service of that goal thank you from the depths of our hearts for your generous support.   

The Impact

The (New) Voice of Hope will not only carry Aung San Suu Kyi's illuminated vision, in which politics and spirituality are inseparable, it will for the first time bring forth the courageous stories of many other freedom fighters from over two decades of nonviolent resistance. Together they will inspire a conciliatory message for all of humanity along with an impassioned call for international action to safeguard global human rights and the environment. That is, Aung San Suu Kyi maintains, “if enough of us become voices of hope ourselves.”

This PROJECT is in solidarity with the Occupy movements, the Arab Spring, the student strikes, the immolations in Tibet, and austerity demonstrations the world over. We feel that Burma’s long struggle for freedom, human rights and democracy is a beacon offering a fresh model for global transformation.

For those who make a contribution, this is a unique opportunity to invest in spreading the vital message and strategy of nonviolence to a global audience.

"Every thought, every word, and every action that adds to the positive and the wholesome is a contribution to peace. Each and every one of us is capable of making such a contribution. Let us join hands to try to create a peaceful world where we can sleep in security and wake in happiness."

- Aung San Suu Kyi

Thank you helping us to achieve the vision - joining your hands with ours.

Our Team

Alan Clements: Among the first Westerners to ordain as a Buddhist monk in Burma, Alan lived in a monastery for nearly five years training in meditation under the Venerable Mahasi Sayadaw and his successor Sayadaw U Pandita. 

After leaving monastic life he became active in Burma’s struggle for freedom, authoring (and co-authoring) several books on their nonviolent revolution for democracy while raising international awareness through the media, including ABC’s Nightline, CBS News, Time and Newsweek, the Guardian, as well as  delivering a keynote for Amnesty International’s 30th year anniversary.

After 16 years of being blacklisted from Burma for his writings and activism, he was recently “unblacklisted” by Burma’s President. And just days ago, he was granted “official permission” to re-enter the country! 

Summer Starr: Summer has extensive experience as an activist, international speaker, legal observer, environmental lobbyist, organizer in student movements, the Occupy movement in NYC, and across the country. She holds a Masters Degree in Environmental Law and Policy from Vermont Law School, a Masters Degree in Indigenous Politics from the University of Hawai'i, and was a candidate for a District Seat in the Hawaii State House of Representatives.

Marcia Jacobs: Over the past two decades working as a social worker and trauma therapist, Marcia has been creating programs for refugees in conflict and post conflict situations in Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan and Darfur, through The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, UNICEF, and various NGOs, including the International Rescue Committee, founded by Albert Einstein in response to the plight of refugees after WWII. 

Ian MacKenzie: Ian is a new media producer based in Vancouver, BC. He has a background in video journalism, short films, and documentaries, with his work appearing in The New York Times, National Geographic TV, CBC Documentary, The Globe and Mail, Adbusters, and festivals around the world. He is currently co-producing Occupy Love, and is in post-production for the short film Reactor. Ian’s short film The Revolution Is Love was named one of the top 10 Occupy films to watch 2011. 

 What we need and how your funds will be spent:

10% of contributions go to feeding the monks and nuns and to an HIV/AIDS clinic in Yangon.

Our priority is to be radically transparent in all that we do. We've broken our  costs down for you below so that when you contribute to this vision you know precisely how your funds will be used.

Our Initial Goal: $25,000  

Step 1: Getting to Burma

Flights r/t: $2,350 / Accommodation:$450 / Ground transport $100 

Gifts for hosts and supporters in Burma past and present: $2000     

As a service based vision, no funds are allocated for salaries or stipends.

Step 2: 28 Days in Burma documenting the Voices of Freedom

Accommodation: $2,800 / Food: $1,800 / Transportation: $1,800 / Translator: $2,800 / Medical: $1000 / Internet/phone: $500 / Internal flights $800

Media: Tablet, recorder, two mics: $2,500 / three 128 gb memory cards  $600. / two 1 TB hard drives: $400 / SD Cards: $ 200 / Contingency Tech Needs: $400.   

Indiegogo’s share of funds, pay pal and credit card processing fees $2,000.

And 10% goes to feed the monks and nuns and to an HIV/AIDS clinic in Yangon to buy food, blankets, mosquito nets, and medicines.

Second Tier Goal: $35,000 

Alan spent six months in Burma in 1995 when producing the original edition of “The Voice of Hope.” The initial $25,000 is just the beginning of this project, covering the most basic costs of a 28 day stay in Burma. In other words, every dollar received beyond $25,000 grants us the privilege of continuing to document as many Voices of Freedom as possible. Thus preserving the priceless insights on nonviolent revolution from some of the most courageous activists alive.    

In addition, we need several full time professionals to transcribe the interviews and a couple of great audio/ video editors. In addition, we need a talented web developer and graphic artist. But for now, we're hoping that we can fill these roles with volunteers or interns who can work with us virtually.

If interested in offering your services please email us your resume today! Thank you.   

Third Tier Stretch Funding: $50,000 + 

Funding at this level will radically expedite the project by securing the services of a production manager, quality book designer, researchers, copy editors, a photo archivist and caption writer, social media expert, and a radical publicist. 

From our hearts, thank you for believing in us and partnering with us to bring "Burma’s Voices of Freedom" to the world now ...and for generations to come.