Contesting Buddhist Narratives Certainly many Buddhist teachings discourage a rigid dogmatism in favor of openness and curious, well-intentioned investigation. The Buddha’s encouragement to assess other truth claims carefully and fairly, reinforced by the Ashoka example that 969 adherents themselves have celebrated, might compel Myanmar Buddhists to seek to better understand Islam on its own terms, from Muslim scholars, with openness to the insights it might offer. Building Peace and Strengthening Reform— Considerations and Recommendations Myanmar is at the beginning of a process of profound social, political, and economic change, which is uncovering and exacerbating underlying grievances and structural inequalities that are driving violence in the country and threatening its future. Increased political and economic openness also creates opportunities for people and groups to impede reforms. Creating sustainable peace will require more than simple refutation of the Buddhist narratives that are driving bias and violence, but must also address underlying economic and political issues. In this final section, considerations and recommendations are offered to advance pluralism, human rights, equality, and democratic governance to complement the efforts of religious and other actors in their promotion of peaceful Buddhist narratives. Economic and Development Concerns Development projects hold the possibility of significantly increasing standards of living and creating employment and educational opportunities that were previously unimaginable for a population living under decades of military repression. Yet it is by no means certain that economic development will progress in an equitable or inclusive manner; in fact, the available evidence suggests that this is not currently the case. During the last decade of military rule, as the government gradually began to implement a free market system, so-called “cronies” (those businesspeople who had close ties to the military or who were former military members themselves) were well-positioned to create monopolies, amass large landholdings, and use other advantages to become a new oligarchy in Myanmar. Not only this, but the military remains in control of large sections of the country’s economy through its two 45