Starting Point
Ms. Nilar Oo has been working with the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue since 2012, following the government's initiation of peace talks. After retiring as a university lecturer and starting to work in international organisations, she became involved in numerous negotiations, which led to a deep interest and active participation in peace processes.
She stated that, as there are currently numerous local armed organisations, coordination with all of them is necessary to achieve peace. Moreover, trust-building is crucial to ensure fruitful peace talks between ethnic armed groups and opposition armed groups aimed at ending conflicts. From the government side, the initiation of peace efforts aimed at reducing conflicts started in 2012. In her view, she believed that all those involved in the conflict resolution are striving to create peace. Yet trust-building is still a challenge.
Personally, she admires Queen Elizabeth as her female role model.
Peace Journey
She is still actively involved in mediation and peacebuilding. She suggested women should participate in all sectors of the peace process so their views are considered in policy-making. To this end, women need to be well-prepared and knowledgeable. Opportunities must be created, and educational programmes must be provided to increase women's participation. Additionally, sufficient funding is required to enable continuous efforts.
Success Stories
Her role provided opportunities to travel to various regions for negotiations and capacity-building training. Her successes include creating peace talk platforms, facilitating group communication, amplifying the voices of minorities, and conducting awareness activities in support of the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement.