I remember vividly in 1986, during my second year of university, a friend confided in me that seven Shan women were admitted to Taunggyi Public Hospital after they had been raped by Myanmar soldiers.

Myanmar, still reeling from the humanitarian crisis triggered by the military coup 43 months ago, now faces a new devastation.

As an organization that raises funds primarily in the United States, then distributes those funds to groups working in the global South (largely Southeast Asia), our role is sometimes summed up as merely an added layer of bureaucracy.

Since the late 90s, the phrase “think globally, act locally” has been used in a range of contexts from environmental activism, to education, to ambitious business strategies for some of the most recognized brands.

Over the last few years, there has been greater recognition that addressing society’s most deeply rooted inequalities requires moving power and resources into the hands of local leaders and directly to the communities those resources are intended to benefit.

It could be argued that SDG17 (Partnerships for the Goals) is the most important of the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

Two very active schools that we support have gathered supplies and are now making masks, soap, and hand-sanitizer.