For #LIFTDonorProfiles, we’ve interviewed members of our Donor Consortium so that you can learn more about our donors, their development goals in Myanmar and get a better understanding of where LIFT fits in.
This week, we invite you to meet Ms Fiona Quinn, Deputy Head of Development (Vietnam, Lao PDR, Cambodia, Myanmar/Burma) with Irish Aid.
LIFT: Please tell us a little bit about yourself
I am a Development Specialist based in the Embassy of Ireland in Hanoi. The Embassy in Hanoi is accredited to Cambodia, Laos PDR and since January 2013, Myanmar. These four post-conflict countries are the poorest members of ASEAN. All of these countries suffered serious economic loss from war and are still in the process of developing their economies and societies. I arrived in Vietnam with my daughter three years ago and I travel regularly in all four countries.
LIFT: Please tell us about Irish Aid's relationship and goals with respect to Myanmar?
Through the Embassy in Hanoi, in 2013, Ireland began a process of engagement from an Irish Aid programme perspective with Myanmar, looking at how best to promote the political transition underway while at the same time being conscious of the reality that the political process remains in the early stages. Through this programme of work, Ireland is working in partnership with a number of key civil society and other partners, including the LIFT.
LIFT: Where does LIFT fit in?
Ireland’s Policy for International Development, entitled “One World, One Future” is an intrinsic part of our foreign policy. It seeks to achieve three goals:
- Reduced hunger, stronger resilience;
- Sustainable development, inclusive economic growth;
- Better governance, human rights and accountability
Ireland has contributed €400,000 to LIFT since 2013. A further contribution of €200,000 will be provided in October this year. We believe that the LIFT programme meets the needs of the poorest and most marginalised communities. We strongly support the focus on nutrition and food security and on smallholder farmers. We like the fact that LIFT supports livelihoods across many states in the Union of Myanmar, including Rakhine State, (Ireland supports NGOs who work with displaced people and ethnic minorities in Rakhine). We expect that through this broadbased and inclusive support, this will help underpin peace, prosperity and the political transition to full democracy in the country.
LIFT: What particular challenges do you see for livelihoods development in Myanmar? How do you think these can be overcome?
I think that the end to conflict is imperative for livelihoods to be more secure and on a sustainable footing. The risk of climatic disasters continues to be high and gains made through LIFT could potentially be eroded. Poor communities are very vulnerable to climatic disasters and other economic shocks. I was pleased to see the real and tangible efforts that LIFT made to respond to the recent flooding in large parts of the country. This flexible way of working is to be commended and encouraged.
LIFT: What legacy would you like LIFT to have?
I would dearly like to see overwhelming evidence that LIFT succeeded in increasing food availability and the incomes of millions of poor rural people in the country including in newly accessible areas. Eventually, I would like to see the Government of Myanmar taking more responsibility for implementing the type of programmes that LIFT currently implements through NGOs, UN Agencies, International organisations, research institutes and the private sector.
LIFT: How would you like to see Myanmar in ten year's time?
I would like to see an end to conflict and a peaceful Union of Myanmar that is well on the road to reducing poverty and with a higher level of economic development country wide. This would mean that the country had been through a successful transition to democracy and moved to an open and inclusive society.
LIFT: Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Ireland is a strong supporter of the Scaling Up Nutrition Movement. We are pleased to see that LIFT responded to the nutrition needs in Myanmar and that they have supported the public awareness messaging around the need to invest in good nutrition in particular in the first 1,000 days of a child’s life. Ireland also supports the SUN in Myanmar through a regional nutrition programme which offers technical assistance in the area of infant and child feeding through the Alive and Thrive initiative.
Read more about Irish Aid here
