MoeMaKa and Year of 2005 - Reports

Table of Content

1. Looking Back 2005 – Initial steps and Achievements
2. Plan Ahead Year 2006 – Building up capacity and beyond
3. Major setback and boundary MoeMaKa facing
4. MoeMaKa Still Looking Forward

1.      Looking Back 2005 – Initial steps and Achievements

Introduction

For the first year 2004, we have run MoeMaKa with self-funding received from our volunteer staffs and directors approximately 10248.00 annual. We also received US $ 10,000.00 from OSI Burma Project for technical assistance which was spent sorely on hardware and software upgrade of MoeMaKa's production.

For the second year 2005, MoeMaKa is running its basic operation with 12,000.00 annual by the self-funding received from our own volunteer staffs and directors. On August 2005, we have received grant approval from OSI Burma Project of 16,000.00 US$ and Prince Claus Funds of 5,000.00 EU $.

Current Situation

MoeMaKa has established as one and only community based station providing Burmese literature and audio archives among other internet portals run by Burmese volunteers and professionals. As you can all see, there are 5 major internet news and information sites run by democratic Burmese which are Democratic Voice of Burma (http://wwww.dvb.no), Norway, Mizzima News Group (http://mizzimz.com), India, New Era Journal (http://khitpyaing.org), Irrawaddy News Group (http://www.irrawaddy.org) and Burma News Int'l (http://bnionline.net ), Thailand. They are generally focusing on Burma related current news and articles. However MoeMaKa has gained as the significant Burmese media site which presents and represents Burmese literatures, cultural and social issues contemporary to Burmese people inside and overseas.

That is why within the year 2005, MoeMaKa has reached 1,300 subscriptions of its online free newsletter service. It is now reaching a band width of 50 GB a month from 8000 over unique internet service provider (ISP) servers. Despite blocking from the Burmese military regime's internet censorship authority, we still can see Burmese internet users from inside Burma visiting MoeMaKa through free proxy servers too.

How's self-funding used and affected for MoeMaKa

With self funding, we are doing our basic services operational in the year 2005. They are itemized as follows;

1.      Weekly Radio Program Production

2.      Daily Online Publication and Updates ( electronic news & literary journal)

3.      Archiving and Cataloging of digital and multimedia materials (books, CD, periodicals) for online catalog library

4.      Presenting, Shipping and Posting of materials distributed from Online Catalog Ordering System

5.      General Office and Communication Cost ( Internet, phone, periodicals, books, CDs, DVDs, hardware and software upgrades, postal charge and such general expenses.)

Production Highlights  - 2005

We have produced following audio CD/DVD program archived back from our past production;

"Tin Moe for all seasons around the Burmese year", the  recollection of    interviews with Tin Moe from MoeMaKa weekly radio programs on reflection of a Burmese poet on Burmese festivals around the year.

"MoeMaKa Weekly Radio Archived in MP3/Real Media - 2004", the recollection of weekly radio programs from MoeMaKa in the year 2004 for the Burmese audience who would be able to listen with their computer, CD or DVD player without connecting to the internet.

            Presentation Highlights – 2005 / 2006

We have reached significant recognition among the Burmese media professionals, Burmese artists and audience and following is the list that we considered ourselves some milestones;

MoeMaKa's Special Edition (Presentation) on Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's 60^th Birthday (19^th June 2005)

MoeMaKa's Special Edition (Presentation) on 17^th Anniversary of 8888 Burmese Democracy Uprising (8^th August 2005)

MoeMaka's Special Edition (Presentation) on 90^th birthday of Ludu Daw AhMar – Burmese literary icon representing freedom of expression and struggle for democracy in Burma (29^th Nov 2005)

MoeMaKa in-house serials programs and articles by following Burmese artists in exile such as Tin Moe, Maung Swan Yi, Khaing Mar Kyaw Zaw.

MoeMaKa's regular programs and articles on contemporary issues of Burma written by some artists and writers who are still inside Burma with hidden pen names. ( It is considered most significant because MoeMaKa became trusted and credible by the Burmese audience and also by the artists and writers who are under the heavy censorship of military junta)

MoeMaKa's Special Program -  Letters from the Readers – which is sorely contributed by the Burmese audience inside Burma and overseas, expressing of their opinions and thoughts.

Grants Received

MoeMaKa has received the grant approvals from OSI-Burma Project of 16,000 US$ and also from Prince Claus Fund of 5,000 EU $ for the year 2005 which are more than 10,000 US$ of the grant we received in 2004 previously.

How grants used for MoeMaKa for the year 2005

1.      We have decided to maintain our basic operation within our budget managed from our own self-funding for this year 2005.

2.      We use the grant money received on awarding royalty fees to our artists, writers and advisors. ( US $ 6000.00)

3.      We use the grant money on producing publication of their works in books, newsletters and CD/DVD towards Burmese audience inside and outside Burma. ( US $ 10,000.00)

4.      We also use some amount on upgrade of our web server to serve more band-width and capacity to increasing audience. ( US $ 3000.00)

5.      We use the grant money to provide technical assistance to volunteer writers with hardware and software to be able them to update their news and articles to us whenever they are in the remote area or in mobile. (US $ 3000.00)

How the sponsorship of the granters be credited

1.      All the Granter's representing link are now displayed at the front page of our MoeMaKa website as "Friends of MoeMaKa".

2.      On the covers of all the publication and production materials in the year 2005 from MoeMaKa, all the Granters' name and logo shall be printed.

3.      At least 10 copies of publication and production materials will be sent to all Granters' organization address and if possible, more copies could be able to obtain upon request.

4.      All the materials produced from MoeMaKa with the fund from granters shall be copy right free to all the Granters i.e they are free to present or represent in their works or reports or publications.

Other Achievements

Other Departments supporting MoeMaKa's main operation have done following tasks;

                                                  i.      Online Catalog Order System (http://shop.moemaka.org) has updated regularly with it own publication and also with other publications from other Burmese media groups based in Thailand, Korea, Japan and US which offers the convenient place to order and distribute Burma related issues.

                                                ii.      Online Media Archive Library has regularly updated with books, CD/DVD and audio records so it has collected around 1000 records electronically.

                                              iii.      Web Hosting and Technical Support has been upgraded and maintaining the following domains;

                                                              i.      AAPPB – Assistance Association for Political Prisoners Burma (http://aappb.org, http://aappb.net )

                                                            ii.      MyWebDigest – Burmese related web directory, Burmese Magazine and Burma Related News Article Archives

(http://mywebdigest.net, http://ezine.mywebdigest.net, http://news.mywebdigest.net )

                                                          iii.      Mingalar Online – Overseas Burmese Community and Business Directory (http://mingalaronline.com, http://mingalaronline.net)

Due to financial difficulty, some team members left MoeMaKa voluntarily letting other committed volunteer to step in to run the operation. However we have more recruitment of volunteers in the team, advisors and contributors.

The departed team members –

            Kyaw Aung Lwin (Officer, Production)

            Kay Thwe Khine (Officer, Operation)

The existing team members –

Maung Yit (Director, IT/IS, Editors, Production, Operation)

Htain Linn (Officer, Editors, Production)

                        The newly added team members –

Zarny Win (Officer, Editors)

Chan Myay Ain (Officer, Operation)

                        The existing advisors –

                                    Tin Moe (Poet in Exile)

                                    Maung Swan Yi (Critic in Exile)

                        The newly added advisors –

                                    Mar Mar Aye (Artiste in Exile)

                                    Win Pe (Film Director, Writer and Artist in Exile)

                        The existing contributors – 

                                    Min Zin (Journalist in Exile)

                                    Khaing Mar Kyaw Zaw (Writer in Exile)

                        The newly added contributors –

                                    Mya Kyay Mon (Writer in Exile)

                                    Kyaw Kyaw Naing (Artiste in Exile)

2.   Plan Ahead Year 2006 – Building up capacity and beyond

Estimated Budget for next year 2006 on publication and production

For the year of 2006, we would like to continue to provide the hardware, software support and royalty fees to our advisors, contributors, media professionals, artists and writers.

We would also like to keep up the pace of publication, production and distribution of MoeMaka's works towards Burmese audience inside and outside Burma.

 

We have to recruit more volunteer staffs that came into US with the resettlement program as refugees who are all Burmese democratic journalists in exile.

With the amount of grant we are going to receive, we are planning to use them as royalty fees to the Burmese writers and artists in exile, in the Burmese border area and also for those still inside Burma who contribute their articles passively.

With the amount of grant we are going to receive, we are planning to publish compilations of Burmese articles written by Burmese writers in exile which were normally banned in Burma. The authors are Tin Moe, Maung Swan Yi, Aung Din, Min Zin and other articles by various writers presented in MoeMaKa internet radio and online publication.

We are also planning to do the followings;

To publish monthly newsletter in hard copy to be able to post or ship to any Burmese audience inside and outside Burma so that MoeMaKa's outreach shall be extended to non-internet users of Burma.

To prepare and present "MoeMaKa in English" as MoeMaKa is to gain more audience not only with Burmese speakers but also with non-Burmese speakers to raise more awareness on building democratic civil society in Burma.

3.  Major setback and boundary MoeMaKa facing

1.      Up until now, MoeMaKa could not still be able to compensate the volunteer staffs for their valuable time and service. We still could not even employ a part time staff yet. Still, we have encouraged and requested them to continue their volunteer service and fund contribution to make our operation running so that the grant money could be able to spend on the more production of our works and on the royalty fees to the more needy Burmese writers and artists.

2.      Instead of opening up on-site information center and library for the Burmese audience where MoeMaKa is located, we have withdrawn ourselves just to maintain the online catalog library service for the interested audience.

3.      When extending our service in daily online publication and updates of Burmese articles to the readers, we have hard time presenting weekly radio programs on time between the months of August - November 2005.

4.  MoeMaKa Still Looking Forward

We are deeply appreciated and obliged for the grant received. We would like to commit ourselves on making of MoeMaKa as a practical ground for building democratic civil society for the near future of Burma. We also would like to welcome more volunteers and support to make this institution a success as an example of Burmese communities inside and outside Burma to be more willing and daring to contribute towards democratic struggle of Burma independently.

Best Regards

Maung Maung Win

(Maung Yit)

On behalf of MoeMaKa Team

PO Bx 320207,

San Francisco,