GreenCities

The Society for Environment and Human Development [SEHD], founded in 1993, is a registered Bangladeshi non-profit organization engaged in action-oriented research, investigative reporting, documentation, training and advocacy on issues concerning environment, human rights and indigenous peoples. The organization builds information bases on these issues to assist people arrive at informed opinions and choices. It pays special attention to crucial and critical areas that are inadequately attended or not attended; highlights inequity; arouses debate around contemporary national interest issues; and provides information and ideas to the policy makers, development thinkers, activists and journalists. Exposé of human rights abuses against indigenous peoples and other disadvantage or marginal communities and abuse against nature is a strategic activity of the organization. This strategy has proven effective in assisting people to speak out.



After a decade of work the organization treasures numerous books on Bangladesh`s environment, land, forest, indigenous peoples, commercial sex workers, elections, election reporting and NGO-business partnerships; research monographs and survey reports on the indigenous peoples, Rohingya refugees, pesticide use in Bangladesh, commercial or industrial plantations; and occasional magazines Earth Touch [English] and Dharitri [Bangla]. SEHD has also produced two documentary films on forest destruction, prawn cultivation and ethnic communities. Its photography exhibition [by Philip Gain] on forest and indigenous peoples, “Cry of the Forest”—organized first in June 2003 in Dhaka and which will eventually be organized in other districts—has become an effective tool of communicating messages as regards wrongs done to forest and indigenous peoples.



For civil society building, enhancing understanding and conceptual clarity, action-oriented research, skill development and sharing of information, ideas and insights certainly play a significant role. This is where SEHD makes a significant contribution. SEHD`s working areas are not uncommon among other human rights, environmental and media organizations in Bangladesh. But SEHD certainly maintains a significant point of difference in the perspectives and strategies.



SEHD’s vision: Improved conditions for human rights, security of the ethnic and marginalized groups, sound environment and free flow of information. This ultimately leads to the improvement of quality of life of the people of Bangladesh and helps Bangladesh to become a bona fide participant in the globalization process.