Recent news reports have been detailing attempts by Rohingya refugees to enter Thailand after fleeing Bangladesh and Burma, and the horrific treatment that has ensued. Rohingya are a Muslim ethnic group originally from Rakhine State in Burma. Considered stateless because Burma denied them citizenship, and due to increased violence against the group, Rohingya were forced to flee Burma in numbers reaching the hundreds of thousands, to neighboring countries, most frequently to the Cox’s Bazaar region of Bangladesh. In Bangladesh they are persecuted and live under deteriorating conditions as well. Read more…
Welcome to our new site! We’ve made a lot of improvements in layout and design, and added some images that give you a more visual idea of what we’re all about. It’s easier to search archives of past entries on the right side of this page, and on the top of this page you can navigate through the options to locate more information about our programs, products, and how to donate. Read more…
Our co-directors spent this past week in Washington D.C., witnessing history and looking to the future as responsible citizens. D2 presented our research on technology in closed societies and had several exciting meetings with groups doing incredible work, some of whom might turn out to be great partners. Inspired by the quick call to action of our new President, we too have hit the ground running in the new year. Read more…
In December we applied for a 2009 Echoing Green fellowship. Recipients of this fellowship receive seed funding and technical support, as well as support from a large network of organizations and individuals. We’re thrilled to announce that we’ve made it to the Semifinals! Read more…
As 2008 came to a close we were able to take a look back at the highlights from the past year, the places we’ve been, the people we’ve met, and the many milestones we’ve been able to reach as Digital Democracy has continued to develop. Read more…
Thanks to everyone who voted for us for the 2008 Development 2.0 Challenge! We’re grateful for your continued support. Unfortunately we did not make it to the 2nd round, but we send our congratulations to the winner, Child Malnutrition Surveillance and Famine Response, and runners-up ClickDiagnostics and Ushahidi V2. We’re excited to see how the field of mobile projects continues to develop in the coming year. Read more…
We just entered our Virtual Community Center (VCC) project into the 2008 Development 2.0 Challenge being presented by NetSquared and USAID. The mission of USAID is to: Read more…
After returning from Africa in early November, and spending several weeks in New York and D.C. presenting our research from the past 2 years, we headed to San Francisco. San Francisco is the hub for the world’s largest technology companies. It is also home to a number of younger companies, who are working along with those more well-established, specifically with emerging technologies. Read more…
On Thursday, Nov. 13 we participated in a fantastic roundtable discussion at USIP on the role of youth in the process of peace-building in Burma. Twenty-five people from a range of organizations including the Center for Peace Building International, USAID, USIP, the State Department and PACT International came together to discuss observations, experiences, lessons learned and ways forward for involving and strengthening youth in peace-building. Read more…
Overcoming Obstacles, Creating Opportunities: Presenting the Situation of Displaced Burmese Youth in Thailand Read more…