Rebuilding Myanmar: A Needs-Based Approach To Post-Conflict Transformation – Analysis

By Harry Myo Lin

As Myanmar likely will move toward a post-coup transition in 2025, rebuilding the nation requires a comprehensive and strategic approach. The country’s deep-seated divisions, economic instability, and social fragmentation call for a framework that addresses immediate humanitarian concerns and long-term peacebuilding. 

By applying Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs to conflict transformation, this article provides policymakers and stakeholders with a structured understanding of how unmet needs fuel conflict and how fulfilling them can foster reconciliation and stability. Drawing from successful post-conflict examples in Aceh, South Africa, and Colombia, we outline practical applications that can guide Myanmar’s path to sustainable peace. From economic justice and governance reforms to interfaith dialogue and trauma healing, this article highlights how a needs-based approach can rebuild trust, empower communities, and ensure a democratic and inclusive Myanmar.

Theoretical Framework: Maslow’s Hierarchy and Conflict Dynamics

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Conflict transformation, a process aimed at addressing the root causes of violence and fostering sustainable peace, requires a deep understanding of human motivation and needs. Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, a seminal psychological theory, provides a structured framework to analyze how unmet needs perpetuate conflict and how fulfilling them can promote reconciliation. By bridging psychological principles with peacebuilding methodologies, addressing physiological, safety, belonging, esteem, and self-actualization needs can dismantle cycles of violence and empower individuals and communities. Maslow’s theory posits that human needs are arranged hierarchically, with basic physiological and safety needs forming the foundation, followed by social belonging, esteem, and self-actualization (Maslow, p. 370–96). Lower-level “deficiency needs” (D-needs) must be “more or less” met before higher “growth needs” (B-needs) become salient (Maslow, p. 69). However, Maslow later acknowledged flexibility in the hierarchy, noting that needs can overlap or reorder based on individual and cultural contexts (Maslow, p. 68).

Linking Unmet Needs to Conflict

Structural conflicts, such as colonialism, patriarchy, or economic exploitation, often arise from systemic deprivation of basic needs. The Dependency-Power-Violence (DPV) Triangle illustrates this: involuntary dependency on dominant groups creates power imbalances, which, when sustained, justify violence as a means to fulfill unmet needs (Arai, p. 30). For instance, marginalized communities deprived of physiological needs (food, shelter) or safety (employment, healthcare) may resort to violence to reclaim agency (Arai, p. 30). Similarly, dehumanization—a key conflict dynamic—stems from polarised groups denying each other’s humanity, often due to perceived threats to their safety or esteem (Conflict Dynamics, p. 1).

Conflict Transformation Through a Needs-Based Lens

Conflict transformation strategies must address both immediate needs and structural inequities. Johan Galtung’s concept of structural violence—systemic harm caused by unjust institutions—aligns with Maslow’s emphasis on deficiency needs (Galtung, 2010, p. 157–188). By ensuring access to resources (physiological/safety), fostering inclusive communities (belonging), and empowering marginalized voices (esteem/self-actualization), practitioners can dismantle cycles of violence.

Practical Applications for Myanmar

Transitioning from Theory to Practice

Applying Maslow’s hierarchy to Myanmar’s post-coup transition requires a needs-based approach to rebuilding the nation after the military is defeated. Myanmar will face a reconstruction period, requiring a careful strategy to address the economic, social, and psychological scars of military rule. By looking at successful post-conflict models from Aceh, South Africa, and Colombia, we can propose practical steps for Myanmar’s transformation.

1. Addressing Physiological and Safety Needs: Economic Justice and Stability

Land Rights and Economic Redistribution: Myanmar’s history of land dispossession and economic control by the military must be addressed through comprehensive land reforms. Inspired by South Africa’s post-apartheid land restitution program, Myanmar can implement policies that return land to displaced ethnic minorities and provide economic opportunities to former resistance fighters and war-affected populations.

Employment and Financial Stability: A post-conflict Myanmar will need economic stabilization programs similar to Aceh’s reintegration projects for ex-combatants. These programs can provide former resistance fighters with vocational training and employment opportunities, reducing their reliance on armed struggle. Microfinance programs, modeled after Bangladesh’s Grameen Bank, can be extended to rural Myanmar to empower women and local businesses.

2. Building Belonging and Esteem: Social Reconciliation and Healing

Interfaith and Ethnic Dialogue: Religious and ethnic divisions fueled by military propaganda will require structured reconciliation efforts. In Colombia, interfaith dialogue and truth commissions were crucial in rebuilding community trust. Myanmar could create community dialogue forums in the different potential federal unit areas where religious and community leaders engage in trust-building initiatives, learning from South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC).

Education and Media Reform: To dismantle ethnic and religious prejudices, education reform is essential. Curriculums should be redesigned to promote pluralism, civic education, and human rights awareness, following Rwanda’s model of post-genocide education reform. Media regulations must ensure that hate speech is countered, similar to Germany’s strict anti-hate speech laws, preventing extremist ideologies from resurfacing.

3. Empowering Self-Actualization: Grassroots Leadership and Civic Engagement

Decentralization and Local Governance: A post-coup Myanmar should avoid over-centralization of power. The governance model can be inspired by Indonesia’s post-Suharto decentralization, where local communities were given greater control over governance. Local councils, led by former resistance leaders and civil society actors, can provide a sense of ownership in rebuilding Myanmar.

Arts-Based Peacebuilding: Creative expression is a powerful tool for social healing. Sri Lanka’s Butterfly Peace Garden demonstrated how art, theater, and storytelling help trauma-affected youth reconcile with past conflicts. Myanmar’s traditional cultural arts (e.g., Zat performances, poetry, songs, animations, movies, murals, etc) can be used to create shared narratives of unity and national renewal.

Challenges and Considerations

Cultural and Contextual Adaptation: Maslow’s hierarchy, developed in Western individualistic contexts, may not fully align with Myanmar’s collectivist society. Efforts must respect communal identities while ensuring individual agency.

Power Asymmetry and Structural Barriers: While symbolically powerful, women’s inclusion in peace talks may remain tokenistic unless patriarchal norms are actively challenged. Quotas for female participation, modeled after Liberia’s post-war governance reforms, can help address systemic barriers.

Psychological and Trauma Considerations: A conflict-affected society like Myanmar will have profound psychological wounds. Addressing trauma healing and mental health services is essential to preventing cycles of violence. Programs modeled after Bosnia’s post-war psychosocial interventions could help address collective trauma and ensure sustainable reconciliation.

Balancing Immediate Needs and Long-Term Goals: Simultaneously addressing urgent survival needs and long-term democratic restructuring will be critical. Myanmar’s transition must prioritize stability and justice, ensuring that governance structures do not replicate past inequalities.

Conclusion

A needs-based approach provides a holistic framework for Myanmar’s post-coup transition. By addressing economic justice, social reconciliation, and grassroots leadership, Myanmar can lay the groundwork for sustainable and inclusive peace. Learning from global post-conflict transformations, Myanmar’s future must be shaped by policies that bridge psychological well-being with structural reforms, ensuring a resilient and democratic society. Policymakers and all stakeholders must work collectively to achieve this vision of national renewal.

• About the author: Harry Myo Lin is a Myanmar expert with extensive experience across Myanmar and Asia, specializing in peacebuilding, interreligious dialogue, and promoting freedom of religion and belief.
• Source: This article was published by The Sabai Times