June 26, 2026 – The Institute for Peace and Social Justice (IPSJ) today completed the third installment of its critical working group, the Federal Dialogue Series 3: Constitution-Making for Ayeyarwaddy Federal Unit. The five-day workshop, held June 22–26, 2026, brought together 30 members of the Ayeyarwaddy Interim Measures Drafting Committee to advance foundational governance structures essential to a future federal democracy.
Emphasizing the importance of cross-regional solidarity and shared learning, the workshop also welcomes official representatives from the Magway, Sagaing, and Mandalay Federal Units. The opening day focuses on inter-unit experience sharing, enabling the Ayeyarwaddy committee to draw vital lessons, insights, and recommendations from their peers’ progress nationwide.
“This dialogue series marks a crucial milestone in our collective journey toward a cohesive federal democratic union,” said Dr. Thaubng Htun, Executive Director of the IPSJ. “By convening drafting committee members and representatives from other federal units, we are fostering the collaboration needed to build robust, inclusive, and highly functional state institutions.”
A major highlight of the opening day’s proceedings is the official launch of A Handbook on Transparent Legislative Process, authored and presented by U Chan Myae. This new publication will serve as a practical, foundational resource for committee members across federal units as they draft their state’s interim measures.
Throughout the week, expert facilitators and resource persons—including U Kyaw Kyaw, Zue Zue Myint Lwin, Yamin and Sein Thinzar Latt—led participants through intensive, focused sessions. Key focus areas for the week included:
- Reviewing Interim Measures: Comprehensive input and review of the drafted Ayeyarwaddy Interim Measures.
- State Legislatures & Governments: Comparative analysis of unicameral versus bicameral legislatures and of parliamentary versus presidential systems, led by U Khin Maung Win.
- Local Governance & Autonomy: Structuring effective local government institutions, facilitated by Dr. Daisy Kris.
- Judiciary Systems: Designing a fair, independent, and accessible state-level judiciary, under the leadership of Dr. Daisy Kris.
- Fiscal Federalism & Resource Management: Exploring resource allocation unique to the Ayeyarwaddy region with Dr. Thaung Htun, and sustainable governance and revenue-sharing strategies with Dr. Kenton.
The workshop concluded on Friday, June 26, with a strategic review of the week, outlining the remaining steps in the drafting process and establishing a roadmap for how IPSJ can further support the Ayeyarwaddy Commission in achieving its historic mandate.
