UNA Warwick & District: Burma: Human Rights, Democracy & Development

Guest Speaker: ZOYA PHAN, Campaigns Manager - Burma Campaign UK

Burma`s Leading Democracy Activist and Voice for Free and Democratic Burma within the European Union & UN

Zoya is one of the leading Burma`s democracy activist along with Aung San Suu Kyi. During Zoya`s campaign to free Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest and the subsequent release and the reform process that the Burmese government has intoduced, Zoya lobbied and met with Gordon Brown, David Cameron, senior British, European and world leaders to urge them to take action on Burma.

Zoya has spoken in many international conferences and is regularly featured in national and international media including ABC, BBC, CNN, Sky, CBC and Al Jazeera. Zoya is chair of the European Karen Network and is on the board of Austria Burma Centre, and an advisor of the Karen Community Association UK. She is a fellow of TEDGlobal 2009, Rising Talent for Women`s Forum 2009, a Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum and a member of Young Professional Network of the UN Association UK.

Zoya is from the Karen ethnic group in Burma. When she was 14 Burmese army soldiers attacked her village, and she and her family were forced to flee. They hid in the jungle for weeks before finding their way to Thailand. She is now a refugee living in London. In 2008 Zoya Phan and her family founded the Phan Foundation, which provides aid for Karen people, protects Karen culture and promotes human rights. Her autobiography is published as `Undaunted` in the USA and `Little Daughter` in the rest of the world.

Please do come and meet and hear what Zoya has to say on the current state in Burma - a future leader in the making of (hopefully soon) a free & democratic Burma. She is the voice for Aung San Suu Kyi` in Britain, Europe and the world.