about
BURMA

"In the near future, if you want to see a Karen person, you'll have to go to a museum." --Burmese Official

Burma, is one of the most oppressed nations in the world, and remains under the control of a brutal military Junta. With the international community unaware of the atrocities that are taking place, it leaves little hope for those who are being a fflicted. Mass rape of women, ethnic cleansing, mandatory relocations, military recruitment of children, and forced labor are only a few of the many violations that are taking place. A British colony until 1948, Burma was once an Asian leader in the export of agriculture and minerals. Britain was eventually forced out by a Japanese invasion who were soon after overthrown by a once ally; the Burmese. The Burmese Military took over the central government in 1948 but didn’t stop there. Immediately after gaining independence, the Burmese Military made it very clear to the other ethnic groups which make up the multifaceted region, if they wanted their freedom they were going to have to fight for it. Thus began the longest running war, and most horrifying cases of human rights abuses in recent memory. For nearly 60 years now the Military Junta has been on a mission to rid the world of the beautiful diversity of ethnic minorities throughout their country. The largest of the ethnic groups being hunted and oppressed by the Burmese are the Karen. The Karen are estimated to make up about 8% of the total population of Burma which is roughly 50 million people. After the army take over of the central government the Karen were one of the many ethnic groups forced to fight for there freedom. Almost 60 years later they continue that fight.

The atrocities against the Karen are almost to hard to imagine. Thousands of Karen inside Burma find themselves on the run from the Burmese army to this day. Forced relocations of hundreds of villages at a time is a common occurrence in the land. Once a village relocates it is common for the army to plant landmines in the case that the villagers may want to return to their home. The amount of villages destroyed by the army and number of people currently on the run are well into the thousands, the amount of deaths are estimated into the millions. Those who survive direct attack find themselves as displaced people lacking basic needs such as food, water, and medicine which causes many to die of treatable diseases. It also makes it nearly impossible for an education of any kind as they exist with the constant reality that at any time they can find themselves running for their lives.

In certain circumstances the villagers are forced to move into a center area of the village where they can be controlled by the army. This control consists of forced labor, torture, using the villagers as human landmine sweepers and an obligation to give most of there food and supplies to the army. If a person is caught trying to flee an army control village they are shot and killed on site.

The stories are endless of the atrocities committed by the Burma government against the Karen people. As time progresses the amount of people dying and radically affected by this treatment increases greatly. At this present moment there is little hope of peace and no end to the war in sight.

about
ELEHO

"We live to embrace and empower the masses."

Our Mission

The mission of Eleho is to assist the Karen people through three main avenues: awareness, immediate assistance on the ground, and political advocacy. We believe each of these will play a vital role in bringing sustainable peace to the people who have fought for independence for over half a century.

Awareness and Advocacy

Through awareness, our goal is to educate and inspire youth who will commit themselves to seeing this conflict come to a peaceful and sustainable resolution. To this end, our awareness efforts will work intimately with our political advocacy aims. By continually investing in and educating Eleho’s supporters, we will empower individuals to use their influence as constituents and shift more attention on the Burmese crisis. Our goal is to make Burma a priority for this nation’s people and leaders, ensuring the necessary US involvement to realize peace for the Karen and others affected by the brutal Burmese regime.

Eleho on the Ground

While awareness and advocacy are essential to accomplish our mission, we know the Karen are in need of more immediate and tangible relief. While our goal is ultimately to develop long-term, sustainable programs in partnership with the people, it’s currently impractical to pursue such permanent investments while peace remains elusive. The persecution of the Karen in Burma does not allow them to establish homes, schools or lives of any permanence; they are continually moving and hiding as a means of survival. As of 2007, it’s estimated that over 55,000 Karen remain on the run, hiding in the jungles of Burma, while over one million have been displaced. Structured towns and cities remain an afterthought they are still in need of life’s basic necessities: food, clean water and medical aid. Our focus on the ground will begin by meeting these immediate and essential needs.

Accomplishing the Mission

The Karen people and the situation in Burma have been a huge part of our lives since 2003. But as the crisis has escalated and the urgency for aid and action become more pressing, we realized it was going to take much more than our personal investment and time. It was going to take the commitment and passion of many.

For Aid

While Eleho became incorporated as an official nonprofit in November 2007, and while we continue to urge interested individuals to learn more about the crisis and get politically involved, developing effective and practical means to meet the needs of the Karen necessitates further research in Burma and the refugee camps. As an aid organization, we do not want to come to the table with a savior complex. Our desire is to form a partnership with the people, meeting their most urgent and essential needs with a clear knowledge of their culture, political climate, country and resources. To do so we must go back.

We are currently in the process of planning an intensive month-long trip to Thailand and Burma for the summer of 2008. This trip will consist of 10 qualified and committed individuals who will lay the groundwork for Eleho’s future presence on the ground in Burma and surrounding regions. While there are many objectives for this trip, our primary goal is to develop and maintain relationships with key individuals in the community that can help facilitate an effective aid partnership. As we continue our dialogue with the Karen people, we will come to a better understanding of how we can serve them best. Our time in Burma will also give us the opportunity to communicate with other NGOs on the ground, discuss what they’re presently doing to aid the people, potential partnerships that could emerge, and, from their experience, see what the most effective and efficient ways are to use our resources for benefit.

For Awareness

As a nonprofit, we are also striving to pursue a more personal and innovative relationship with our supporters. In doing this, we want to hold them as a captivate audience, not only keeping them continually aware of the progress of the conflict, but also engaged in the discourse and pursuing change.

To do this we realize we must meet them where they are, in a language they understand. One of our main influences as a nonprofit is Invisible Children. Their creativity and innovative nature is a testament to how an untraditional approach to humanitarian aid can be incredibly effective.

Invisible Children’s nonprofit is a model for Eleho’s vision. While we will certainly deviate, create our own brand and identity, we will likewise use the basis of film and storytelling to reach youth and individuals across the States who show the capacity and desire to help.

Our documentary film “The Road” will serve as piece that not only captures the attention of individuals, but that will also educate and empower them to get involved. While we already have footage from previous trips, we are currently planning a documentary trip to the region in tandem with the summer 2008 research trip. Consisting of 10 highly qualified individuals with a talent and passion for film and storytelling, the purpose of this trip will be to document the ongoing story of the Karen through writing, photography and film. What’s captured on this trip will not only be used in the documentary, but will also provide the necessary information and assets for building our website, our promotional material and other necessary media that will enable Eleho to sit on an accessible public platform.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

The success of Eleho’s mission requires your investment. While the future remains open and promising, our current and most pressing needs are for financial investment in our summer 2008 film and research trips.

If and as you consider contributing to either of these trips, please know you are making a present investment with long-term effects. What we accomplish both for our awareness side with the filming and for our development side through research will serve as the foundation for Eleho as we move ahead in partnering with and aiding the Karen.

Beyond these trips, Eleho remains a newly-founded nonprofit and is therefore in need of major funding for start-up and general costs that will support programs, supplies, administrative needs and salaries.

Please feel free to contact us at any time if you have any further questions about who we are, what our mission is, or how you can be involved.