The Arakan Human Rights and Development Organisation (AHRDO) is a non-profit, independent organisation formed on October 9, 2011. AHRDO is open for membership to all Arakanese people, regardless of their sex, colour, religion, or political affiliation, and works for the common good of the entire Arakanese population.
No.3, 4th Floor, Tha Yak Taw Street, San Chaung Township, Yangon Yangon Yangon Myanmar
From August 15 to September 15, 2014, the Arakan Human Rights and Development Organisation (AHRDO) held an intensive one-month training course, entitled "Effective Engagement and Trust Building", in Sitetway, Arakan (Rakhine) State. The programme, fully funded by OTI/USAID, had the following objectives:
To strengthen the organisational capabilities of, and forge networks with, local activists and civic groups in order to help those affected cope and to encourage a peaceful change inside Arakan/ Burma.
To raise awareness among people affected by large-scale infrastructural development and natural resource extraction projects, and highlight the adverse impacts.
To encourage awareness and enjoyment, particularly among Arakanese communities who are vulnerable and underrepresented, of the fundamental rights to which they are entitled.
To realize and understand the tenets of basic human rights, the principles of democracy, the rule of law, and their application to stability, conflict resolution, and peace building.
To create an encouraging atmosphere in which qualified community leaders and activists can emerge, network and organize.
To strive to make progress and solve the ongoing conflicts in practical and peaceful ways.
To advance the concept of a Federal Union of Burma/Myanmar, with a healing and stabilizing Arakan showcasing the potential benefits of such a project.
Twenty-one motivated, dedicated and enthusiastic Arakanese youths, from fourteen townships of Arakan State, participated in the programme. The itinerary was formulated to expose the participants to new and important concepts and skills; to encourage them to plan and think critically; to strengthen their research and information gathering skills; and to offer them a chance to network with other prominent NGOs operating in Arakan and Burma.
Arakanese people have long suffered from a severe lack of educational opportunities. Poverty, isolation and conflict, alongside governmental neglect, have resulted in an educational system which has failed to equip people with the knowledge and skills required to thrive in the modern world. Moreover, the repressive nature of the regime in Burma has created communities where political and civil education is almost non-existent, and people are not empowered to advocate for their own rights. These issues are serious obstacles to genuine political reform and, through projects such as this, AHRDO hopes to equip a new generation of Arakanese people with the knowledge required to be effective citizens, activists and leaders in years to come.
In order to achieve this, participants were trained in seven crucial areas. These were: 1) democracy and human rights, 2) community organising and leadership, 3) rule of law, 4) constitution and federalism, 5) the role of media and citizen journalism, 6) environment, 7) conflict resolution and peace building.
Upon completion of the training, certificates were awarded to all participants before they returned to their own communities. AHRDO continues to communicate with them, and to facilitate cooperation between them, as they begin to apply and share the knowledge and skills they have gained in their everyday activities.
AHRDO would like to thank both our backers and the participants for making this project a success.
Teenage health-training was held over three days, from 2nd- 4th September 2012 at the office of Arakan Human Rights and Development Organisation (AHRDO) in Mae sot. Training was mainly focused on awareness of Sexually Transmitted Infections/Disease (STIs/STDs). Trinner; Naw Lar Hsu (obstetrician) from Matoe Clinic and Ma Mu Naw (Project officer) from BWC led the health-training, and 12 participants from AHRDO and 9 Burmese migrant workers were present. The main aim of the training was to raise awareness of STIs and STDs that are common to teenagers, such as venereal disease and other related diseases. AHRDO coordinated the training because they felt that it is vital that young people have the knowledge and understanding of how to prevent sexual diseases. Burmese Migrant workers living in Thailand have limited knowledge of health care, so we hope that our training will give them a clear understanding of basic sexual health care. After finishing the training, AHRDO intends to do a follow-up training session for the people who we unable to attend the first one.
Four English and two Computer training workshops were coordinated at Arakan Human Rights and Development Organisation (AHRDO) in 2012, in order to improve members and Arakanese youths’ ability.
U Aung Marm Oo (executive director), Ko Khaing Wai Zaw (member of director), Ko Ba Nay Htoo (member of Director) and Alisa (volunteer) led English training courses, which ran for three months.
Moreover, member of director Ko Khaing Kyaw Moe and Ko Moe Zaw also gave training classes twice during the two month computer training course.
Trainees were able to improve speaking, writing, reading and listening skills, and computer typing, publication, E-mail & internet. They are now able to do further studying by using internet resources.
Basic journalism training was held from 19th-20thSeptember 2012 at the Arakan Human Rights and Development Organisation (AHRDO).
This training was led by Daw Mrat Swe Zan (director of AHRDO) and nine AHRDO members, including a member of directors, were present.
The main aim of the training was to promote awareness about basic journalistic morals such as five Ws, one H, methods of following up information, methods of systemically writing news, the duty and responsibility of a journalist, and media morality.
AHRDO also wanted participants to see the worth of journalism and importance of the media.
Documentation training about human rights abuses in Burma was held over four days from 17th- 20th July 2012 at the Arakan Human Rights and Development Organisation's office.
That training was led by Aung Myo Thein from Assistant Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP); two directors and four members of AHRDO were present.
The main aim of the training was to provide skills and knowledge to AHRDO staff on how to document human rights abuses in Arakan by using the Martus Program to disclose the real situation of Arakan on ND-Burma.
AHRDO is now focusing on the documentation of abuses such as: killings; disappearances; torture; inhumane or degrading treatment; forced labor; use of child soldiers; forced relocation; confiscation/ destruction of property; rape; other sexual violence; forced prostitution; forced marriage; arbitrary/ illegal arrest/ detention; human trafficking; obstruction of freedom of movement; obstruction of freedom of expression/ assembly, and taxation.
There have been four dynastic eras in the history of Arakan: Dhanyawaddy, Vesali, Laymro and Mrauk-U. The four dynastic eras spanned over 5,000 years and Arakan existed as an independent…
Teenage health-training was held over three days, from 2nd- 4th September 2012 at the office of Arakan Human Rights and Development Organisation (AHRDO) in Mae sot. Training was mainly focused on awareness of Sexually Transmitted Infections/Disease (STIs/STDs).
Documentation training about human rights abuses in Burma was held over four days from 17th- 20th July 2012 at the Arakan Human Rights and Development Organisation's office.
