Inspired to Make a Difference

With President Greenhaw of Eden Theological Seminary

Hau Sian Suan is passionate about eco-justice and the ability of communities to impact climate change. A first year M.T.S. student from Myanmar, Suan hopes to combine his love of church history and his commitment to eco-justice when he returns to his country. Support from Eden's International Scholars Program and from his home congregation, Lawibual Baptist Church, has made it possible for Suan to attend Eden.
Through his involvement in a forum on climate change at his home church in Myanmar, Suan participated in planting 21 trees on the church grounds. This experience made a powerful impression and he vowed to continue the work in whatever ways he could. Subsequently, Suan participated in Youth for Eco-Justice, a program organized by the World Council of Churches and the Lutheran World Federation where he continued to learn and became more determined to share his knowledge and enthusiasm. He subsequently began a program called "Awareness Training on Climate Change" to educate young people about the latest technological advances in reducing the use of firewood and coal, thus reducing CO2 emissions.
Suan describes Myanmar as a country where communication is difficult and where the prevailing view is an acceptance of conditions as simply "the way things are". In a community where electricity is only available for limited hours in the day, families heat their homes by burning wood. Significant deforestation has occurred over the years which could be reduced through the use of more efficient wood stoves, resulting in the need for less wood to be cut and burned.
Suan has been inspired by new theological insights and hopes to make an impact on his community by preaching, lecturing, and teaching to illuminate how actions can effect climate change in either positive or negative ways. Suan looks forward to returning to his home community to share what he learns at Eden in his church and in Tedim Theological College where he works as a community educator and librarian. Suan's message to his community is that we are all God's creation and, "We can do something about climate change."

ecojustice activities in Myanmar

 

In Myanmar, eco-justice flourishes even in challenging settings                

To use his learning from the Youth for Eco-Justice training, Hau Sian Suan conducted his own project on “climate change and water management” in Myanmar. © Nang Kim Mang

 

                

31 October 2012

By Susan Kim (*)


Hau Sian Suan, a young man from Myanmar, and his peers have drawn close to work together for eco-justice, even in a community where communications are difficult. Suan likes to reflect on the moments that shaped a new initiative in his home country.
After hosting a forum on climate change at the Lawibual Baptist Church in Myanmar, Suan recalled joining other young people who were planting 21 trees on the church grounds.
Seeing the newly planted trees was inspiring – but talking to the other young people about eco-justice impressed Suan even more. “I learned that youth in my area have very innovative and interesting ideas on climate change because they face issues related to it in their daily lives,” he said.

That day, as they planted trees together, the young people's enthusiasm grew, and they vowed to keep their group alive because the work was so important to them. “In my life, I can never forget about that wonderful day,” said Suan. Last year, Suan participated in the Youth for Eco-Justice (Y4EJ) programme, which was jointly organized by the World Council of Churches and the Lutheran World Federation. When he returned home, he found ways to apply his training in a challenging setting. He lives in Tiddim, in the northern part of Chin state in western Myanmar. “It is difficult to visit and difficult to communicate,” he said. “To get to Yangon, Myanmar's business capital, it normally takes three days and three nights of travel and, during the rainy season, it takes even longer.” After his Y4EJ training, Suan was determined to spread the knowledge and enthusiasm he picked up. “I visited three villages by bike. The road is rough and very difficult.” He began a programme called “Awareness Training on Climate Change and Water Management.” His training not only covers eco-justice related theology and justice; he also educates young people about the latest technological advances in reducing the use of firewood and charcoal. “Reducing the use of those fuels also reduces CO2 emissions,” he pointed out.

Motivating young people: Five tips from Suan 1. Suggest reachable goals. “In Myanmar, where the lack of electricity means people depend on firewood for cooking, suggesting that people stop cutting trees would come across as nonsense,” said Suan. “Telling people to use firewood as efficiently as possible and not to waste it is more inspiring to them,” he said. 2. Introduce a “caring for creation” theology. To help educate young people in his community, Suan built his efforts on a theological foundation in which salvation itself is caring for creation. “I focused on this aspect of theology to help them understand the concept of 'eco-justice'.” 3. Draw young people out into the community. “We spend one day a month as 'Work Day',” said Suan. “We pick up plastic litter along the street. We clear the gutters.” 4. Focus on issues that affect daily life. “We suffer from climate change because we get too much rain, and that collapsed the streets in many parts,” said Suan, “we also don't have enough pure drinking water or hydro-powered electricity.” Suan focuses on these issues because, he says, “they happen in our daily lives.” 5. Communicate a sense of hope. From stoves that burn less wood to organic gardens, Suan and other young people in Myanmar learn about new products and practices to build a “green” economy at a grassroots level.

In addition, Suan keeps his eyes out for new eco-friendly products. At least one local man is crafting special stoves that use less firewood. However, for now, they are too expensive for most people to afford. As more stoves are made, Suan hopes to watch the price come down.
[613 words]
This feature article is part of a series that provides information about the follow-up initiatives of the Youth for Eco-Justice participants.
(*) Susan Kim is a freelance writer from Laurel, Maryland, United States.

Youth for EcoJustice Training at Durban, South Africa

Youth for Eco-Justice: Hau Sian Suan

Name : Hau Sian Suan

Age : 28
Function : President of Youth
Department in Lawibual Baptist Church
Country of Origin : Myanmar (Burma)
Church of Origin : Lawibual Baptist
Church of Myanmar Baptist Convention
What is really important for your life?
In my life, I realize, integrative negotiation is the most one. Not only to have negotiation amidst human
being, it does need to have it also with our fellow creatures as well. As a saying, “We may not be able to
think ourselves into new ways of living but we can live ourselves into new ways of thinking,” we should
live with eco-justice not greed upon all the creatures.
What are your wishes for the negotiations on Climate Change in Durban?
In Durban, I hope, as a youth, to learn not only invaluable cultures among different parts of the world
but including to find out our common challenging issues nowadays and to revitalize what is our common
future world which we want to build together.
What would you like to do so that your church/country becomes more environmentally just?
In my country Myanmar, especially in my hometown Tedim, Northern Chin State, the most pressing issue is
deforestation and water management. We are cutting trees for firewood since our forefathers’ time. This has a
great impacts on climate i.e. too much monsoon rain in the rainy season and too hot in summer as well.
In summer, pure drinking water is very difficult to get sufficiently. Therefore, the churches should give
awareness upon every people not like as not to cut the trees for firewood but also not to consume over their
needs. The churches also need to give technical assistance together with NGOs  advocate for climate change to use less firewood. As John Wesley once said, “the world is my parish,” the churches have to begin their mission from Genesis.
 

As a steward

From Left to Right: Suan, Konrad Raiser & Samuel Kobia

Meet Hau Sian Suan, steward at the WCC Central Committee

Name: Hau Sian Suan

Country: Myanmar

Church: Lawibual Baptist Church

Function: president of the Youth Department

Participating as: steward

Age: 27

First ecumenical encounter: this one.

The role of church in situations of conflict: To build up the community in the country and the church. We do missionary work in our own tribe but to send missionaries to other tribes in the country. Baptist leaders try to engage Myanmar leadership in conversation about the country but it’s very difficult. I was a student at the time of the demonstrations led by Buddhist monks and we students participated in that movement.

Environmental issues central to our church, particularly deforestation, which has had terrible effects on our climate. Through councils of churches, we can cooperate, for instance to create central cooking places which reduces the use of fire wood.

Main challenge is migration. My friends have all gone away from my country so there are not enough youth in my church and not enough talent in my country. Another issue for us is drinking water, so the churches’ advocacy for water rights and purification are crucial.