At the Rohingya Youth Union (RYU), we believe that every community deserves the right to define its own story, shape its own future, and contribute to global knowledge with dignity. For decades, research on the Rohingya has been conducted about us—rarely with us, and almost never led by us. This imbalance has resulted in gaps, misconceptions, and narratives that often fail to reflect lived realities.

To change this, RYU is launching a new community-driven research initiative—and we are inviting researchers, institutions, students, human rights organizations, and allies to collaborate with us.

Why This Research Matters

The Rohingya community continues to face displacement, statelessness, persecution, and structural barriers to justice, education, and economic opportunity. Yet much of the existing information is fragmented, outdated, externally imposed, or inaccessible to the very people it concerns.

Our research project seeks to:

Document lived experiences, needs, capacities, and aspirations of Rohingya youth

Generate evidence to support policy advocacy and humanitarian response

Build research skills and leadership within the refugee community

Promote ethical, participatory, inclusive knowledge production

Strengthen global understanding beyond stereotypes and political narratives

This is not just research—it is empowerment, representation, and groundwork for long-term justice.

What We Are Looking For

To carry out this work effectively, RYU welcomes collaboration in the form of:

Research partnerships — universities, think tanks, scholars, and research networks

Technical mentorship — methodology, data ethics, qualitative/quantitative design

Training & capacity-building — research skills for Rohingya youth researchers

Funding & resource support — research equipment, technology access, micro-grants

Peer review & knowledge exchange — co-publishing, presentations, workshops

Advocacy collaboration — amplifying findings at local and global platforms

Whether you are an academic, activist, humanitarian professional, journalist, or simply someone who believes in justice—your support can help shift the future of knowledge production.

Our Principles

RYU is committed to:

Community ownership and consent

Transparency and accountability

Do-no-harm and trauma-sensitive approaches

Inclusivity across gender, age, and identity

Evidence rooted in dignity and human rights

We research not just to describe suffering—but to generate solutions, strengthen agency, and build sustainable peace.

Join Us

If you are interested in partnering, supporting, or learning more, we welcome you to connect with us:

???? Email: [email protected]

???? Website: https://sites.google.com/view/rohingyayouthunion-ryu/home

???? Social Media: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rohingya-youth-union-ryu/

Collaboration is not charity—it's shared responsibility, shared learning, and shared humanity. Together, we can build knowledge that leads to action, and action that leads to change.

Let’s co-create a future where Rohingya voices are not only heard—but valued, cited, and centered.

— Rohingya Youth Union (RYU)