Volunteerism Unplugged: The Selfless Soundtrack of Change
Nandar Min Swe, one of the main fundraisers for the NUG in the United States, came on the podcast to discuss her concerns with outreach and morale. She describes volunteer fatigue setting in, and the need to find solutions that address burnout. As the diaspora has almost single-handedly been funding the NUG, the PDFs, the CDM, and more, a greater effort needs to be taken to reach outside communities.
“Having these noble values as individuals doesn’t necessarily translate into creating that model of government. It’s the boring, messy, unsexy work that’s required.”
“It’s true that all of us came into this [revolution] and are still walking this path with selflessness. With this, you're doing something greater than yourself. So that type of mentality is the only driving force right now, and always. But the issue is how long it can be sustained?
That's the problem, because about half of our volunteers have fallen off. I mean, they haven't completely quit, but they have significantly slowed down. So as our colleagues slow down, the remaining ones have to pick up the slack, because we need more momentum right now. We need more every day, not less.
But the workforce is diminishing. People do have lives, right? They have lives outside of this cause. Look at us, for example, our lives outside of here, we have nothing to worry about. We're far from bullets. We're far from being snatched at home. We're far from being jailed and tortured. Yet, we're the ones who are still working so hard.
But whenever we see it again, stupid social media is always there, right? Our peers in larger cities in Burma are living normal lives! They're going to weddings, dressing up, and having parties. We're like, ‘What the hell? What is happening down there?’ It's like they're still living in the perimeter of a war zone.
These sentiments, this bitterness, it doesn't help volunteers here to keep volunteering. So some volunteers on this side of the world have started slowing down or even quit. We are facing an increasingly difficult time in sustaining our ongoing processes.
That's why we have to keep switching gears, trying different approaches, and hanging on to different angles. I don't know how long I can keep going like this. It's really concerning. It's nothing new for me to hear, but stating it bluntly like this brings attention to the need for a transition. Not abandoning the culture of self-sacrifice completely, because it's noble and represents the best of the human spirit, but incorporating sustainability, livelihood, and establishing a solid infrastructure.
It speaks to the difference between good ethical values and the way one lives their life and fulfills their duties, and the creation of a stable, fair, and sustainable government structure. The learning experience for me is that having these noble values as individuals doesn't necessarily translate into creating that model of government. It's the boring, messy, unsexy work that's required.”