In response to the challenges Asian rural communities were facing – and continue to face, the Asia-DHRRA (Development of Human Resources in Rural Areas) was founded in 1974 and is today a regional partnership of eleven (11) social development networks and organizations in eleven (11) Asian nations that envisions Asian organized rural communities that are just, free, prosperous, living in peace and working in solidarity towards self-reliance
DHRRA Malaysia was formed in the mid-1970s as an affiliate of Asia-DHRRA. It has proved itself to be an effective advocate with government and government agencies for rural community development and needs. It has also initiated many programs among the communities, especially women and youths in rural areas to support greater self-sufficiency and economic sustainability.
In mid 2014, after years of exposure on statelessness issues DHRRA Malaysia geared up for a project to map & register stateless Indians in West Malaysia to help address the issue of ‘Statelessness’ within rural communities and those displaced to semi-urban and urban areas.
Through the successful mapping project, DHRRA was able to position itself as the focal resource place for various agencies and stakeholders in the issue of statelessness in Malaysia and has experience working with persons at risk of Statelessness and Lawyers who provide legal assistance.
In addition, having vast experience conducting series of workshops for paralegals in the areas of identification, registrations, paralegal model, database and case management to government officials and community leaders in Malaysia. Now DHRRA continues to advocate to end statelessness and impart knowledge and close to implementing a similar project in East Malaysia upon learning that statelessness was not only prevalent among minorities but unequal nationality laws could cause one to be state-less