Social Development Center (Mae Hong Son, Thailand)

The Social Development Center [1] (SDC) is an ERI alumni organization, which acts to build knowledge and skills in human rights, the environment and law along the Thai-Burma Border. The vision of SDC is to promote the lives of the people who have suffered human rights abuses at the hands of the Burmese Government, to teach non-violent skills to develop their society, to develop the rule of law, to value human dignity and to protect the environment. Since 2003, the SDC has produced graduates who have gone on to work in many local camp based organizations, while others have traveled at great risk into Burma to pass on their new knowledge and skills and collect information on the human rights and environment situation within the country.

Amazon School for Human Rights and the Environment (Ecuador) [2001-2005]

The Amazon School for Human Rights and the Environment was a joint project of the Centro de Derechos Economicos y Sociales (Quito) and EarthRights International from 2001-2005. The purpose of the school was to build capacity of indigenous and mestizo leaders from the Andean-Amazon countries in human rights and environment issues. The intensive course included workshops in contemporary Amazon environment and development issues, economic, social and cultural rights, strategic campaigning and advocacy, media messaging, and internet use. EarthRights International continues to work in the Amazon region through our Amazon campaigns [2].