Acts of Translation

About this episode

May Shine discusses the impact of displacement and minority identity on policy work in Myanmar, focusing on child labor and the need for representation in humanitarian efforts.

Episode #544: May Shine, a recent graduate of the Elliott School of International Affairs, approaches policy work from the position of someone shaped by displacement and minority identity within Myanmar’s Chin community. Her work focuses on a persistent gap between lived realities and international policy, particularly in how crises like Myanmar’s remain underrepresented despite ongoing conflict and displacement. Her research along the Thailand–Myanmar border reveals how issues such as child labor emerge directly from structural pressures like legal insecurity and economic instability. “I have also come across with child labor,” she adds, describing how children miss school not by choice but necessity. These observations inform her critique of humanitarian aid systems that often fail toreach affected communities due to political and logistical barriers. She argues that more representation within policymaking spaces is essential, noting that Myanmar remains underrepresented globally. At the same time, she situates this within broader geopolitical realities, where competing crises limit sustained international attention. Within Myanmar’s movement, she emphasizes collective…

People in this episode

Guest: May Shine

Topics covered

• policy work
• displacement
• child labor
• humanitarian aid
• geopolitical realities
• collective leadership

Keywords

• Myanmar
• displacement
• child labor
• humanitarian aid
• geopolitical realities
• policy work
• Chin community

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Elliott School of International Affairs

Places: Myanmar, Thailand–Myanmar border, Chin

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