findings W hilst Myanmar’s ethnic states are enormously diverse, they do share key features in terms of underdevelopment, remoteness, and their history of conflict and political repression. Of all the conflict-affected ethnic states in Myanmar at the time of the research, Mon State offered the most stable and accessible environment for research in former conflict and non-conflict areas. Research in Mon State might bring to light findings that could be expected to broadly correlate to the contexts of other ethnic states. The Mon State pilot research has particular value in attempting to describe the information ecosystem of a target community situated at an unprecedented tipping point in the history of a closed society. Future iterations of this research in Mon State will make an important contribution to ongoing analysis of the role played by local and national information ecosystems in the political, economic and social development of Myanmar. Mon State therefore provides an excellent opportunity to case study an environment that remained information dark in many respects during these periods of turmoil. It also contains significant areas that can broadly be divided into those that were relatively unscathed by conflict – termed “non-conflict areas” for the purpose of this analysis -- and “former conflict” areas. Comparison of these two types of areas allows for another important element in the understanding of how information flows are exposed to different kinds of internal and external disruptions. However, beyond the Myanmar/Mon State context, the research methodology piloted here has the potential to supply important insights into how information ecosystems help determine a community’s ability to thrive by metabolizing change. This is a key determinant of community resilience. Such insights in turn can further an understanding of the role that healthy information ecosystems may play in the ability of communities to adapt to future change including shocks such as natural disasters, conflict, or major political events. Use of Media and Technology: Key Findings • 67% of respondents in Mon State have a TV and DVD/ VCD player in their home. • TV use is highest in urban areas. In rural or former conflict areas, access to TV stations without a satellite connection is either challenging or not possible. • Radio use has declined in Mon State overall as access to TV and electricity has improved. • 77% of the sample did not have access to gridconnected electricity. • 21% of respondents own a mobile phone. 54% of all urban respondents have a mobile phone in their household, while 47% own one themselves. • 100% of radio listeners have heard of Nay Pyi Daw Myanmar Radio National Service, Myanmar’s staterun national radio service. 98% have listened to its programs. • Only 2% of mobile phone users use their phones to access the Internet. • Two other domestic radio stations are highly popular, Padauk Myay and Shwe FM. Each are known by close to 90% of radio listeners and listened to by over 80%. • In former conflict areas, radio is the main preferred technology source for news and information. • 90% or more of radio listeners have heard of the BBC, VOA, and RFA radio stations, but only 60% have listened to programs on them. • The most common sources of news and information are radio, friends and family, and TV. • In the former conflict areas where access to news and information is most limited, trusted interpersonal sources are the most used. • Currently, just 1% of respondents use the Internet to get news and information. Qualitative interviews indicated that university students use the Internet more than any other demographic. • Information is most often shared by word of mouth (88% of respondents), while just 5% of respondents share news over the phone. Just 1% share by email or SMS. • The most frequently shared types of information are disaster news or weather forecasts (shared by 79% of respondents), health information (67%), religious information (57%), and news about ethnic conflict (54%). • Less than one-third of respondents saw themselves as a disseminator of news and information to other members of the community. Most news is passed on to friends and family. An Internet cafe in Mawlamyine town. 20 part one: rese arch findings • 98% of respondents have never used the Internet. Over 70% either do not know what the Internet is or do not know how to use it. Information Flows: Key Findings • TV is the most important source in urban areas (used by 62% of urban respondents), while radio is the most important source in rural areas (used by 62% of rural respondents). INFORMATION ECOSYSTEMS in transition: a case study from myanmar • Weekly journals and newspapers are typically only available in towns, and rarely in villages. • Only 2% of the sample— business owners, professionals, military, and students—strongly viewed themselves as a source of information for others. • Over 26% of respondents in former conflict areas do not share news and information at all. However, qualitative interviews revealed an active network of information exchange before the ceasefire to protect villagers from the location of landmines or potential battle zones. • Despite the prominence of monks in recent political events in Myanmar, such as the 2007 “Saffron Revolution,” respondents in Mon State did not consider monks to be a source of political news or information, and only sought them out for religious information. 21 how to inform, empower, and impact communities INFORMATION ECOSYSTEMS in transition: a case study from myanmar how to inform, empower, and impact communities PART ONE: RESEARCH FINDINGS