February 22, 2026 – The Institute for Peace and Social Justice (IPSJ), in partnership with the Burma Lawyers’ Council (BLC), has completed its Advanced Federalism Training (Batch 1/2026). The five-day intensive program, held from February 17-21, brought together 32 selected participants—including National Unity Government (NUG) officials, MPs elected in the 2020 elections, CDM judges, lawyers, and civil society leaders—to build a strong constitutional foundation for a future federal democracy in Myanmar. Members of commissions responsible for drafting interim measures from federal units are among the trainees.
Read Mizzima’s news coverage about the training in Burmese Here : အနာဂတ်ဖက်ဒရယ်ပြည်ထောင်စုအတွက် အဆင့်မြင့်ဖက်ဒရယ်စနစ်သင်တန်းကို IPSJ နှင့် BLC တို့ ပူးပေါင်းကျင်းပ
As Myanmar’s political landscape remains fractured after the 2021 military coup and the subsequent 2025–2026 sham elections, the need for advanced federal solutions has never been more urgent. This training goes beyond basic theory to tackle the complex mechanisms of power-sharing, judicial independence, electoral system design, and local governance.
“This is not just a classroom exercise; it is an exercise for the nation-building,” said U Kyaw Kyaw, Senior Executive of the IPSJ and Training Facilitator. “By bringing 32 dedicated individuals into one room to debate the complexities of legislative structures, judicial federalism, fiscal federalism, and local governance, we are preparing the architects of our future Union.”
A Curriculum
The program features a distinguished panel of trainers and legal experts, including U Myint Thein, U Kyaw Kyaw, U Khin Maung Win, Dr. Daisy, and Dr. Thaung Htun. Key modules of the five-day curriculum include:
- Comparative Analysis: Examining Myanmar’s federal constitution-drafting history, from the 1990 Manerplaw Blueprint to modern frameworks.
- Institutional Design: A comprehensive analysis of the Legislatures and Executives of current federal democracies, focusing on the application of Judicial Federalism.
- Electoral Systems: Analyzing how various voting methods influence federal stability and minority representation.
- Resource and Local Governance: Strategies for decentralized management and fiscal fairness.
Empowering the Next Generation
The 32 trainees were chosen for their active involvement in resistance and interim administration. The group’s diversity ensures that the constitutional models discussed reflect the hopes of Myanmar’s multi-ethnic population.
“These 32 trainees will be involved in various capacities in developing the blueprints that will guarantee the military never again holds a monopoly on political power,” said U Myint Thein, General Secretary of the BLC.
This initiative is part of a broader series of capacity-building programs to strengthen the interim legal frameworks currently being implemented in conflict-affected areas of Myanmar.
About IPSJ: The Institute for Peace and Social Justice (IPSJ) is committed to promoting democratic governance, human rights, and social equity through policy research and capacity building within institutions.
About BLC: The Burma Lawyers’ Council (BLC) is a prominent legal advocacy organization dedicated to establishing the rule of law and promoting a federal democratic constitution for Myanmar.
Media Contact:
Yamin May Oo
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