Distributed records in the Rohingya refugee diaspora: Arweave and the R-Archive

Purpose This article delineates the pilot implementation of Rohingya Archive (R-Archive). The R-Archive seeks to both confront and exploit roles documentation recordkeeping in forced displacement people through targeted physical bureaucratic violence Myanmar. grassroots activist intervention is located at intersection technology, rights, records, jurisdictions economics. Using Arweave's blockweave, secures copies such as identity documentation, land deeds personal papers, carried into diaspora by refugees against unauthorised alteration, deletion loss, providing a trust infrastructure for accumulating available evidence support rights claims cultural preservation. Design/methodology/approach Iterative development functional requirements, data collection processes identification technological solution community-based, post-custodial, blockchain-inspired R-Archive; design testing pilot; analysis economic concerns arising. Findings A complex set interconnecting considerations raised this use emerging technologies service vulnerable diasporic community. Hostile governments volatile cryptocurrencies are threats distributed post-custodial R-Archive. However, strength community bonds that form archive articulated its records speak possibility perdurance global archive, working challenges surfaced offers serve model might be adaptable other archival projects initiated oppressed, marginalised communities. Research limitations/implications Personal safety accessibility concerns, especially refugee camps under Covid-19 restrictions, presented particular carrying out research addressed future plans. Practical implications goal was collect store examples range documents demonstrate different aspects culture links homeland well those record formal evidentiary relationships between members now Burmese state (e.g. acknowledgements citizenship). intended viability using decentralised system combined with community-driven approach then evaluate results potential scale. Social community-centred driven effort identify preserve, secure trusted conditions possible, digital juridical, value also significance primary documentary used international legal institutions investigating genocide taking place Burma academic researchers studying history Burma. Originality/value novel terms application (Arweave), stateless population it trying address, complexity, simultaneously functions. an important addition notable efforts have attempted employ tools technology