While Myanmar has been standing on democracy’s doorstep since its November elections saw landslide gains for the historically suppressed National League for Democracy party, the new government has decades of sanction-inducing behavior to reverse. The Corruption Perceptions Index ranks Myanmar among the top 20 most corrupt countries in the world. Following suit, the World Press Freedom Index places Myanmar’s press freedom 144th, mirroring its 141st GDP ranking.
But as high-ranking politicians and foreign interests scramble for a piece of Myanmar’s freshly baked democratic pie, countless unsung heroes continue working to make “the tropical East Berlin” one of Myanmar’s long-forgotten nicknames.
One of these unsung heroes is Jim Connor, and he’s a long way from his hometown in Pennsylvania.
When Connor was a teenager in Penn Wynne, Pennsylvania, his disenchantment with America’s public school system inspired him to explore an alternative education. (Courtesy of TakePart)
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