USIP’s Peace Education Program in Burma

• In Event: From Early Outcomes to Scaling in Peace Education: Evidence from Burma

Proposal

The United States Institute of Peace (USIP) implemented a peace education program in Burma/Myanmar from 2017 to 2023, spanning periods of democratic transition, escalating ethnic conflict, and a military coup. Across these phases, USIP faced the dual challenge of demonstrating program results and adapting to rapidly changing contexts. Early outcome measurement played a crucial role in meeting both needs.

USIP’s evaluations combined surveys, focus groups, and structured interviews to track changes among participants. Results showed significant outcome-level shifts:
Attitudes: 73% of participants reduced negative stereotypes of other religious groups after training.

Affinity: The proportion of participants who felt close to those of other faiths nearly doubled, from 44% to 81%.

Skills and confidence: 86% reported feeling better equipped to address inter-communal conflict.

Social networks: The program facilitated an estimated 18,500 new connections, most of them across ethnic or religious divides.

These findings illustrate how early outcomes provide credible evidence of peace education’s impact even in the absence of a counterfactual. They also informed program adaptation. During Phase 2 (2020–2023), after the 2021 coup, USIP adapted its curriculum to include nonviolent action, digital security, and mental health support. Early outcome data helped identify which elements resonated most with participants, guiding iteration and scale-up in collaboration with monastic schools, Civil Disobedience Movement teachers, and emerging education providers.

The evaluations further highlighted the equity and inclusion dimensions of peace education: women and religious minorities were disproportionately likely to report gains, suggesting that the program reached and empowered traditionally marginalized groups. Sustainability was also evident, with many participants continuing to apply skills and build networks long after the trainings.

By focusing on early outcomes, USIP was able to:

Provide donors with credible evidence of results amidst crisis.

Adapt programming to shifting political and social contexts.

Build a case for institutionalizing peace education in formal and non-formal education systems.

This presentation will argue that early outcome measurement not only demonstrates the effectiveness of peace education but also enhances its adaptability and scalability. In fragile contexts like Burma, it offers a pragmatic, rigorous, and actionable way to sustain peace education initiatives under conditions of profound uncertainty.

Author

• Billy Ford, Southeast Asia Peace Institute