MoeMaKa in 2008 - Report

MoeMaKa in 2008 - Report

In 2008, with Public Funding – US$ 69,200 and Grant received – 15,000.00, MoeMaKa has extended its services and works in the following area, 1. MoeMaKa Online in English (http://moemaka.org), 2. MoeMaKa Audio & Video Archives (http://moemaka.net) , 3. MoeMaKa Burmese website conversion into Unicode 5.1 compliance, (http://moemaka.info), 4. Community Building and Interaction Works inside and outside Burma (detailed explained later).

1. Current Situation

MoeMaKa has established and maintained as one and only community based station providing Burmese literature and audio/video archives run by Burmese volunteers and professionals among other Burmese Internet portals where total of 25 individuals are not paid for their works.

In year 2008, MoeMaKa has reached 3,000 subscriptions (last year with 2000 members) of its online free newsletter service.

It is now reaching a bandwidth of 80 GB a month from 8000 over unique Internet service provider (ISP) servers. Now it is hosting on 3 separate ISP web servers to balance the load of demands from the audience as some of the readers have to come out from inside Burma through firewall and proxy. We also have created MoeMaKa Mirror Websites on Google's free blogger service and Word Press free blog site to tunnel the audience as backup.

It is not only running with the individual volunteers but also with groups and organization from different location across the globe as to prove the positive effort of the strong networking function of MoeMaKa's teamwork.

2. Current Basic Operation

1.      Bi-Weekly Internet Radio Programs

2.      Daily Online Publication and Updates

3.      Web-Casting of weekly Video News and Archives

4.      Weekly Online Publication of news and articles in English

5.      Archiving and Cataloging of digital and multimedia materials (books, CD, periodicals) for Online Library

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

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

8.      Monthly Newsletter Publication (PDF free download, subscription based print version or email online newsletter)

9.      Burmese Helping Burmese, Fund Raising and Charity Drive to help Burmese artists and activists inside Burma who are socially and politically at the disadvantage by the suppression and repression of the Burmese junta and also to raise the awareness, moral support towards the democratic civil society of Burma

10.  Empowering community inside and outside Burma encouraging Burmese people to participate in democratic civil society activities such as Burmese literary talk, Burmese Community Discussion and Burmese Cultural Performances

3.                  Achievements in the year 2008  

1.      MoeMaKa in English – Setup http://MoeMaKa.org website in English format to present translated news and articles from Burmese language. (Part of US$ 7,900.00 – Internet Service Expenses)

2.      MoeMaKa Audio & Video Archives – Setup http://MoeMaKa.net website to house and present archives of audio and videos related to activity and event of Burmese intellects and artists from inside and outside Burma. (Part of US$ 7,900.00 – Internet Service Expenses)

3.      MoeMaKa in Burmese language compliance with Unicode 5.1 http://MoeMaKa.info – Setup and initialize the conversion process of data in Burmese articles from existing database into Unicode 5.1 compliance data format which will soon be universally available on future online community of open source and open OS. (Part of US$ 7,900.00 – Internet Service Expenses)

4.      MoeMaKa in Word Press Community, http://moemaka.wordpress.com - a mirror web blog site for Burmese audience inside Burma as an alternative under the restricted and heavy censorship of the Burmese regime. (Part of US$ 7,900.00 – Internet Service Expenses)

5.      Participating with Burmese in San Francisco Bay Area to co-sponsor "9th Annual Burmese Literary Talk" with 5 Burmese Writers living in USA (http://moemaka2008.blogspot.com) (Part of US$ 1,500.00 – MoeMaKa 5 Year Anniversary Meeting)

6.      Hosting 5th Anniversary of MoeMaKa, meeting with MoeMaKa Team and Burmese writers, contributors from inside and outside Burma. (Part of US$ 1,500.00 – MoeMaKa 5 Year Anniversary Meeting)

7.      Participating with Burmese in San Francisco Bay Area to arrange "Let's Sing Along with Mar Mar Aye", a Burmese cultural music show presenting Burmese classical music and songs to raise the awareness of Burmese culture and tradition in the international community.( http://marmaraye.blogspot.com ) (Part of US$ 7,900.00 – General Expenses)

8.      Raised US$ 20,000.00 from Burmese community outside of Burma to help and support Burmese victims from Cyclone Nargis which left hundred of thousands people homeless.

9.      Raised US$ 20,000.00 from Burmese community outside of Burma for MoeMaKa's initiated "Burmese Helping Burmese" to help and support Burmese activists, political prisoners, families and monks to comfort morally and financially to their everyday struggle of food, shelter and general assistance.

10.  Publication of Book, "Collection of Articles by U Thaung and his Friends", honors U Thaung aka Aung Bala, a great journalist and writer in exile who passed away in April 2008. ( US$ 3,000.00)

11.  Publication of Book, "Collection of Articles by U Win Tin and his Friends", honors U Win Tin who recently released from prison after serving 19 years of jail term by Burmese regime for his political belief and activity. (US$ 5,000.00)

12.  Distribution of Audio CD, "Collection of Songs by Mar Mar Aye in the year of 2007, 2008", where all songs encourage and honor the Burmese activists, political prisoners and Burmese monks under the oppression of the Burmese junta especially of 2007 Burma Saffron Revolution and 2008 Burma Nargis Disaster. (US$ 1,000.00)

13.  Extension and Establishment of MoeMaKa communication team and center in Thailand and Burma to communicate and speed up the process of gathering information, news and online web-casting activity. It also helps secure the channel to support and assist the contributors of MoeMaKa publication and operation. (US$ 2,000.00)

14.  Raised and spent US$ 11800.00 from the grant received to pay the contributor fees, advisory fees, and honorariums fees to writers, artists and professionals from inside and outside Burma for their works, advice and contribution.

15.  Initiated and maintain weekly and monthly group discussion and gathering among team members with the surrounding community to build friendly atmospheres to talk, discuss and arrange program for the better democratic civil society of Burmese people. (Part of US$ 7,900.00 – General Expenses)

16.  In 2008, October, MoeMaKa has been finally recognized from the IRS as 501 © 3, charitable non profit organization compliance with federal rules and regulation of the United States.

 

4.                  Other Operation of MoeMaKa

  Online Catalog Ordering System – http://shop.moemakacom . Present and help distribute 300 over books, audio and video products (grown from 100 last year). Almost 50% of the catalogs offer free download or free distribution.

Online Library – http://moemaka.net/library / http://sites.google.com/site/moemaka2008  http://www.scribd.com/group/70110-moemaka-burmese-archives ) List and archive most of all the books, digital materials and references purchased with MoeMaKa's fund and it is now reaching over 1000 records. You can download the PDF file from our website to look into the list of our books archive and also the books that are for sale too. http://moemaka.net/shop/redirect.php?action=banner&goto=3

 IT/IS Team – Setup and maintain daily operation of web hosting and content updating.

We are still hosting the following websites for the Burmese community;

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

http://mywebdigest.net, http://ezine.mywebdiges.tnet ,  (Myanmar Burmese Web Directory and Magazine Digest),

International Burmese Monks Organization, http://sasanamoli.org,

Palaung Women Organization at Thai Burma border, http://palaungwomen.org ,

Yaung Chi Oo, Burmese Migrant Workers Association to protect their rights and community, http://yaungchioo.org ,

http://zarganar.com , presenting works and reflection of banned and censored Burmese artists and media professionals inside Burma,

http://marmaraye.blogspot.com , presenting works, event and activities of Burmese classic singer and artist, Mar Mar Aye and her foundation, Mar Mar Aye Foundation,

http://childaidmyanmar.org , Building and maintaining website for Burmese Charity Drive run by Burmese monks to support Burmese orphans left by the Cyclone Nargis

 Production & Publication Team has coordinated works with other media group to share resources and assist on each other operation when requested such as – BIT Team (India) (Burmese Information Technology Team aka Myanmar ISP Team) on Burmese font and Burmese content archival support (since 2006), - Radio Lovers Group (Australia) on sharing radio and audio program for weekly radio presentation (since 2006).

 MoeMaKa (Info Comm) Team in Rangoon - After the 09 / 07 (September crackdown in Burma), Moemaka has managed to regroup not only outside Burma but also inside Burma to reorganize our priority and operation to enhance and advance the mission and vision of MoeMaKa organization. It successfully established the team member and group inside Burma especially in Rangoon to support and to report the news and features of Burma and at the same time to carry on the social support network of "Burmese Helping Burma" charity drive.

5.      MoeMaKa in the News

1.      After 2007 Burma Saffron Revolution, MoeMaKa is being recognized among Burmese media outside Burma as one of the volunteer news group with citizen journalists and active web bloggers where it produces photos and coverage representing the voice and reflection of Burmese people struggling for freedom and democracy in Burma. Some of the news and articles are collectively selected by Burmese reporters in Burmese radio programs such as RFA (USA) and DVB (Norway) to air back into Burma for broader Burmese radio audience.

2.      In August 2008, at the 20th anniversary of Burmese People Uprising of 8888, bay area local newspaper, Contra Costa Times, has published an interview article of MoeMaKa news group as an offspring of Burmese democratic struggle under the repressive regime.

3.      In December 10th 2008, on UN Human Rights Day event at White House with the US President, a representative from MoeMaKa team was invited as new technology media user or web blogger to represent the Burmese democratic bloggers for the Burmese struggle for human rights and freedom of press and expression together with other fellows bloggers from such repressive counties as Iran, Egypt, Cuba, China, Belarus and Venezuela.

6.      All the credits go to volunteer works and the charity of the contributors

1.      Without the help, support, advice and contribution of the MoeMaKa volunteer team of 25 people, MoeMaKa Contributing Writers and Artists of 50 people and more from inside and outside Burma, of the collective donors and their charitable donations from more than one hundred of Burmese and non-Burmese around the World and also of the continuous generous grant from the OSI-Burma project initiative, MoeMaKa would not be as successful and recognized as it is now today.

2.      Therefore for all the continuous building of MoeMaKa news group and for the establishment as a building stone for the Burmese democratic civil society, all the credit, acknowledgment and gratitude go to all the volunteers and charity of all contributors.

3.      The detailed income and expenses are attached for reference and reporting purpose.

7.      How the sponsorship of the granters be credited

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

2.      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.

3.      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.

8.  Conclusion and Resolution

            In the year of 2009, MoeMaKa has promised with more hard works and commitment towards building democratic civil society by presenting wide variety of news and articles covering Burmese who are constantly struggling for freedom of press and democracy in Burma and by involving with Burmese community in the activity and event to raise the awareness of Burmese democracy struggle among the Burmese people.

            We will be looking forward to team up with more volunteer team players and raise more fund and charity to provide assistance and support Burmese writers, artists, contributors and to do extension and addition of MoeMaKa’s operation facility inside Burma and Thailand.