InsideOut: Students for Project Umbrella Burma McMaster

Amanda Watkins
LifeStyle Editor

With the rush of school, work and everything in between, sometimes at the end of the day, taking on a new cause may seem like a heavy task.

Students for Project Umbrella Burma McMaster, or PUBMac, are determined to promote awareness for their worthy and reliable cause by hosting relaxing and informative events that will make the end of your day feel both calm and aware.

“We work under the larger organization, Project Umbrella Burma,” says third-year Communications and Multimedia student and PUBMac’s Media Coordinator, Rebecca Annibale.

Project Umbrella Burma is an international non-profit organization centered around providing care and education for young people and medical clinics, and to serve victims of ethnic cleansing and cultural destruction in Burma, now modern-day Myanmar.

Since Sept. 2012, when the club first started, PUBMac’s ultimate goal has been to raise funds for the Kaw Tha Blay College, an alternative high school education system provided for victims of hate crime in Burma. It is one of many institutions and assistance programs supported by the larger infrastructure of PUB.

“The goal for the club is to mainly raise awareness,” adds Annibale. “Last year we were able to reach our funding goal for the organization, and it would be awesome to do that again.”

With awareness as their key selling point, PUBMac has planned a series of low-key events that will help students get a better understanding of the social and political unrest in Burma.

Coming up on Nov. 6, the club will be hosting their first public event for the year, a movie screening of The Lady a film by Luc Besson. The Lady is a documentary about Aung San Suu Kyi, a Burmese politician who was put under house arrest for expressing oppositional ideas.

PUBMac wants to ensure that their events are accessible to all students and can promote awareness to all those interested and concerned. “Entrance into the screening is free,” says Annibale. “And there will be free popcorn as well!”

After their first buy cheap viagra event, the club looks forward to hosting coffee houses, and allergy-friendly bake sales to work towards their financial goal for the year. All of the funds raised will go directly towards helping students and young adults complete their high school education in Burma.

Getting informed about a worthy cause doesn’t have to be an additional stress in your life. With the help of initiatives like PUBMac, becoming aware can be as simple as sitting down for a movie.