"Grassroots and civil society organisations need to have a stake in the 21st Century Panglong Conference for the peace process to be a success. On August 31 Myanmar will hold its ?21st Century Panglong Conference” - the latest step in the country?s long peace process. It will be a moment imbued with symbolism. General Aung San, Aung San Suu Kyi?s own father led the Bamar delegation at the first Panglong conference held in 1947, which reached a breakthrough agreement with three armed groups and is still etched in the popular memory of the country today. A lot is at stake with this Panglong Conference. As with the peace process generally in Myanmar, this is the opportunity to transform the country, into a state that the people of Myanmar have wanted for several decades. But to do so it must be fully inclusive. Getting all of the ethnic armed organisations to the table is a major challenge in itself. There still remain 3 groups, still in active combat, that were excluded from discussions on the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) and how they will participate in the Panglong Conference is still confusing. There has been much focus on the inclusion of these groups and this is important, especially given human rights violations which are particularly prevalent in areas of continuing conflict. But inclusivity is more than just about political players but is also about all stakeholders. Experiences in other countries have shown time and time again the need for women to play an equal part, for grassroots organisations and civil society to have a strong voice and for information to be freely available for the people to follow developments. These are the ingredients for a sustainable inclusive process which can propel the country forward and into the prosperous future for all..."