As Burmese refugees, including the Karen and other ethnic groups, relocate to Ithaca and other places around the country because of political upheaval back home, community members, sponsors and teachers could benefit from learning more about the historical and political context that led the refugees to leave their homelands, as well as the richness of their diverse languages and cultures, says Thamora Fishel, the outreach coordinator of the Cornell Southeast Asia Program (SEAP).

That's why SEAP, home of the Cornell Burma/Karen Project, opened its doors May 8 for a daylong free workshop for the community at the Kahin Center. SEAP created the Burma/Karen Project in response to the surge of requests for information and training about Burma and ethnic groups such as the Karen, who make up the bulk of the incoming Southeast Asia refugee population in upstate New York and many other communities in the United States.

The event, which drew more than 50 people, included presentations about the political situation in Burma and on the border; updates on the refugee camps; a Burmese cooking demonstration; issue-oriented break-out discussions; language lessons in Burmese and Karen; and a tour of SEAP's online Karen Book Project and how it is being used for language preservation.

"This workshop had a strong community focus, in that we made a special effort to invite local employers of Karen and Burmese, church members, and the many volunteers who sponsor and assist newly arrived families," said Fishel. One of those employers, Fishel noted, is Cornell.

The Burma/Karen Project also provides educational resources for teachers and community organizations on Burma and its many ethnic groups. Resources include a lending library and the Burma/Myanmar Explorer Box -- a traveling culture kit of such objects as Karen and Burmese textiles, posters, puppets and magazines. The project also includes professional development workshops for teachers, and presentations for community groups and businesses that focus on cultural background and communication issues; online Karen children's books; a free online booklet recounting refugee experiences; Burma backgrounders; texts in Karen; and more.

The workshop was sponsored by SEAP with funds from the U.S. Department of Education.