For our future generation

Karen Association of Connecticut (KACT) was formed to provide resources and encouragement to the Karen people relocated from our homeland of KawThooLei. We provide support and help for the Karen families needing assistance with situations such as language barrier, tutoring, medical care translation and advocacy, and court interpretation. KACT also provides assistance with situations such as citizenship application process, educational support and any other help to advance the Karen community to an improved and efficient future.

KACT provides cultural activities to reinforce our Karen culture, values, and beliefs. This includes an annual Karen New Year celebration, annual soccer tournament, fundraising efforts to support our people here and abroad in KawThooLei. Through our networking to support our Karen people, we will continue to develop those relationships and partnerships with other collaborating non-profit organizations to provide the best resources to our Karen people.

Statement of cultural significance. Our Karen culture is rich in meaning and values for thousands of years. As such, our culture and identity has been under attack for the past 70 years. The war against our ethnic people has included overt attempts to marginalize our culture and replace it with Burmanization directed by Burmese General Aung San decades ago, resulting in much historical trauma for our people. This continues even today through the corrupt and brutal Burma regime, most recently that effected a coup overthrowing its own democracy. Because of this, it is important that we recognize the efforts to undermine our culture and identity, so that we can strengthen each other through improved education of our culture and history.