Proposing a Peacebuilding Model for Multicultural Couples through Buddhist Peaceful Means in Contemporary Myanmar

Abstract

This study proposes a Buddhist peacebuilding model for multicultural couples in contemporary Myanmar. It aims to: (1) investigate the concepts, problem situations, and impacts of multicultural couples and peacebuilding in contemporary Myanmar; (2) examine Buddhist peaceful means relevant to peacebuilding among multicultural couples; and (3) propose a peacebuilding model for multicultural couples based on Buddhist peaceful means. The study employed a qualitative documentary research method. Data were collected from primary sources, including the Pāli Canon, commentaries, and Buddhist texts, together with secondary sources such as academic books, journal articles, legal documents, research studies, and reports related to multicultural marriage, interfaith relationships, Myanmar society, and Buddhist peacebuilding. The collected data were analyzed and synthesized to develop a conceptual model for preventing and resolving conflicts among multicultural couples.

The findings reveal that multicultural couples in Myanmar commonly face challenges related to coerced religious conversion, identity loss, cultural misunderstanding, legal complexity, family pressure, and social prejudice. These challenges may affect marital harmony, family relationships, children’s identity formation, and wider social cohesion. The study further finds that Buddhist peaceful means provide an ethical and relational foundation for addressing these problems. Key principles include the Five Precepts, shared responsibility, non-violence, non-anger, non-conceit, open-mindedness, open communication, mutual respect, and acceptance.

These findings lead the study to propose the PR-Based Peacebuilding Model, consisting of two interrelated strategies: Prevention and Reconciliation. The prevention strategy emphasizes ethical conduct, mutual responsibility, non-violence, and non-anger as short-term approaches to prevent conflict escalation. The reconciliation strategy emphasizes non-conceit, open-mindedness, open communication, mutual respect, and acceptance as long-term approaches to restoring trust and harmony. The study contributes to Buddhist peace studies by offering a culturally grounded framework for strengthening peaceful coexistence among multicultural couples in Myanmar and similar pluralistic societies.