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.
