Organization Background

Mawk Kon Youth has been organized since 2004 with the leading of youth leaders of Shan Literature and Cultural Committee (SLCC) in Eastern Shan State to promote leadership skill among youths, to give development awareness and adolescent life skills for youths, and to provide livelihood opportunities for the youths. Mawk Kon Youth aims to be local non-government organization to contribute regional development by focusing on capacity building of youths and provide livelihood opportunities towards village communities in Eastern Shan State. The group was simply named as Mawk Kon (Cherry), which is the symbolic flower of Shan State.

Shan Literature and Cultural Committee was established in 1997 and empowered youth in upholding literature and cultural, based in Keng Tung ,Eastern State. The committee has been functioning well and major activities including organizing Annual Shan New Year Festival, Shan literature trainings and strengthening networks with other Literature and Cultural Associations.

In 2004, a number of meetings were conducted by Shan Literature and Cultural Committees on holding Shan New Year. Meanwhile, they noticed that there was hardly any youth who could lead the program. The youth then were found facing with high risk of being infected with HIV/AIDS and could not reach up to leadership level, due to lack of knowledge, experience, pioneers, and resource opportunities. Thus, the committee members had made a decision to form a youth group and implement the program, realizing the important role of capacity building for youth. Then, this group, Mawk Kon Youth, has been formed under the guidance of Shan Literature and Cultural Committee since then. Since in its initial, the leader who has been operating the program is Daw Nang Voe Phart. The group has begun its operation with the capital of 700,000 kyats, 200,000 kyats from SLCC and 500,000 kyats from local businessmen. Mawk Kon Youth has been implementing the following planned activities:

• Agricultural, Livestock skill training, Vocational skill trainings
• Leadership training series
• HIV/AIDS awareness
• Anti-trafficking and safe migration awareness
• Women’s Leadership training
• Women Exchange Program
• Community Organization
• Constitution and Democracy
• Reproductive health awareness
• Summer youth literature campaign
• Life skills training series in Eastern Shan State with local fund raising till 2009

Vision

The Organization aims to facilitate the sustainable development of indigenous ethnic groups living in Eastern Shan State.

Mission

Sustainable development of indigenous ethnic groups will be secured through improving systems and capacity of Civil Society Organizations representing indigenous ethnic groups, nurturing natural resources and adapting appropriate life styles that correspond to globalization while preserving tradition, culture and prestige of respective ethnic groups.