We are an inclusive network that is non-ethnic specific, with the mission: to work towards strengthening Burmese civil society so that all the people of Burma may benefit from the practice of endogenous and holistic development strategies, based on economically, environmentally, and socially sustainable ideas. We attempt to achieve this goal by concentrating our efforts on the promotion of environ
mental conservation, sustainable agricultural, and economic development in Burma. To this end, we are building a strong network in Northern, Western and Eastern Burma, by acquiring knowledge as well as seeking the participation of grassroots communities in order to help promote the practice of sustainable agriculture and economic development. Many of the Arakanese, Kachin, Lahu, Karen, Burman and Shan youth participants of NEED are actively working for life security, peace and development in their respective communities by sharing knowledge, educating local communities and collecting data. This is the first step of NEED’s holistic approach to sustainable development in Burma. In other words, NEED is an organization that not only utilizes grassroot traditional knowledge, but also pursues contemporary scientific knowledge. It is our belief that through an amalgamation of the two, there is the possibility for the creation of a sustainable development path. By promoting the use of traditional knowledge for conservation, NEED is encouraging grassroots people to challenge the current agricultural and farming development path which is unsustainable and harmful to local biodiversity. We are implementing practical ways to challenge the actual system of development by educating, mobilizing, motivating and researching target problem areas with short-term and long-term plans. Recently, NEED has been researching and educating local Burmese people about the serious negative effects of chemical fertilizer use in Arakan state in western Burma as well as Kying Ton and Tachilek in the eastern of of part of Shan state.
