"...The emerging Myanmar civil society and NGOs, with few exceptions, still generally display an apolitical appearance. Yet, over time, some aim to help produce capable leaders and strengthen local governance structures, either by engaging with the state or with nonstate actors. The role of the youth has to be highlighted. New active generations, generally not involved in armed struggle, tend to have less resentment than the elders to the state and demonstrate more openness to consensus-building. They could be called upon to play a role in the future political landscape. It remains to be seen if NGOs are actually working in the direction of a power shared system. In spite of the values they promote, NGOs in some ways continue to rely on the current stable and rigid political regime. If political constraints were abruptly removed, their opposition role would be seriously destabilised as they are somehow dependant on the status-quo maintained by the current regime. As much as they are comfortable working around a deficient system, their ability to establish an efficient one today remains to be demonstrated. Nonetheless, in the more likely event of a progressive transition, NGOs might increasingly influence local politics and potentially gain expertise to influence higher levels in the government. Greater coherence among them would be strategic for NGOs to weigh in the new decision making processes. Myanmar NGOs? creativity and capacity to adapt to challenges doesn?t need to be proven anymore. The latest trend among the NGOs is to federate various actors, generally alien to the NGO sector, who enjoy charisma, visibility and economic influence to get their messages heard. The recent collaborations with Buddhist monks? networks during the Cyclone Nargis relief operations are also signs of a more mature understanding by NGOs of the need to evolve and to move beyond the traditional ethnic, religious and political lines that have been sustaining the rhetoric of conflict for decades. But will they be able to cement such a diverse society where coercive methods used by the Army for half a century haven?t succeeded?"