ND-Burma was formed in 2004 in order to provide a way for Burmese human rights organisations to collaborate on the human rights documentation process.
The 12 ND-Burma member organisations seek collectively to use knowledge of what communities in Burma have endured to challenge the Burmese regime’s power, through advocacy as well as preparation for justice and accountability measures in any potential transition to democracy.
ND-Burma conducts fieldwork training; coordinates input into a common database using Martus, an open-source software developed by Benetech; and engages in joint-advocacy campaigns. When possible, ND-Burma also collaborates with other human rights organisations in all aspects of its work.
In January 2009, ND-Burma established its own Documentation and Training Centre, which serves as a physical location to manage the database and to provide small-scale training to ND-Burma members as well as other partners. The Documentation and Training Centre provides a space for similar training, whether through a formal programme or for short-term ad-hoc training with members and non-members who seek ND-Burma’s assistance in building their skills with Martus.
ND-Burma has also produced a Training Manual for Human Rights Documentation Training, which is available in both Burmese and English.
In September 2012 ND-Burma held its first ever Fieldworker Workshop in Mae Sot, Thailand. The training included 18 participants from a diverse group of organisations operating inside Burma and representing a number of regions. This addressed a number of topics, including: improving communication and collaboration strategy among ND-Burma and Fieldworkers; extending network to other organisations; building on existing trust and problem solving abilities between the main ND-Burma office and Fieldworkers; and learning from local experience toward the establishment of a standard system among different networks.
