SASF 2011 Workshop: Rights And Dignity Of Domestic Workers

National Alliance for Migrants Rights Bangladesh (NAMR,B) has organized a seminar titled “Rights and Dignity of Domestic Workers and Ratification of ILO Convention 189″ at Room no.-202/b, Lecture theatre, Political Science Dept. Arts Faculty, Dhaka University on 21st November 2011. The duration of the seminar was from 10.00 am to 1.00 pm.

Workshop on Rights And Dignity Of Domestic Workers

Ms. Jasiya Khatoon, Coordinator of WARBE development Foundation and Mr. Sk. Mujibul Huq, Str. Manager, BRAC presented their key note  presentation on the mentioned issues.  Ms. Sumaiya Islam, Director, Bangladesh Ovibashi Mohila Sramik Association (BOMSA) discussed on “Women Migrants’ Situation in South Asia”, Mr. Shakirul Islam, Chair, OKUP “Role of Governments in Sending countries”, Mr. Bishnu Khatri, Executive Director, Youth Action Nepal “Situation of Migrant Workers in Nepal”, Syed Saiful Haque, Chairman, WARBE DF “Why Domestic Worker’s Convention ratification requires” and Ms. Rina Roy, Director, Manusher Jonno Foundation “Role of Civil Society and Migrant’s Rights in Sending Countries” took part in the discussion. The seminar was chaired by Mr. Alison Subrata Baroi, Program Coordinator, BRAC. (press release)

SASF 2011 Workshop: Resistance, Democracy and Cyberspace as Alternative Media

Fahmidul Haq presenting the keynote (Image by Sharat Chowdhury)

Media Forum organized an workshop on alternative media in the Institute if Business Administration (IBA) Auditorium at Dhaka University premises today (21st Nov). The Panel discussants were Mashiul Alam, Assistant Editor of Prothom Alo, Kowshik Ahmed, popular blogger and Mahbub Morshed, Assistant editor of Dainik Samakal. The discussion was moderated by Prof M Golam Rahman, Dept. of Mass Communication and Journalism, University of Dhaka.

Fahmidul Haq, associate professor of Dept. of Mass Communication and Journalism, University of Dhaka presented the key note titled “Resistance, Democracy and Cyberspace as Alternative Media”.

Here is a snippet from the discussion.

Mahbub Morshed: We should not be too cheerful about social media.

Mashiul Alam: Now it is possible to publish whistle blower type news such as Wikileaks which was not possible in the past five decades.

Kowshik Ahmed: The main characteristics of Bangladeshi cyberspace is the growth of online communities. At first this community was a carrier of alternative thinking. When some previously unknown people started to mingle with each other online, their ideologies started to become clearer.

We are seeing the advent of new online platforms of different niche – thus internet is spreading from the elites to the middle class to the poor. As technology is becoming affordable to them soon commercial organization swill offer more services using internet. Internet helps news spread quickly. We hope in the future political leaders will use new and alternative media to organize people and organization. The time is near.

SASF 2011 Workshop: Public Private Partnership (PPP) – What Works and What does Not

On 21s of November 2011 a workshop was held in the Lecture Theatre of Pharmacy department of Dhaka University where speakers expressed their concern that, bureaucracy and the lack of confidence are the main challenges for the success of the Public Private Partnership (PPP). According to their observation, to make the idea of PPP successfull political will is must. They were speaking during a workshop titlled “PPP: What Works and What does Not“. The Reality of Aid (RoA) Asia Pacific, The Asia Pacific Reserch Network (APRN), equityBD, Coastal Development Partnership (CPD) and Voice jointly organized the program.

Workshop on Tax Justice. Image courtesy EquityBD

The workshop was moderated by Dr. Sohel Iqbal of EquityBd while Jahangir Hossain Masum delivered the welcome note. M Shamim Siddiqui of The Asia Foundation and Erin Polmares of RoA presented two position papers.

In his presentation Shamim Siddiqui stated that, PPP can play a vital role in implementing devlopment projects effectively, but political will is must to make the PPP succesfull. Intention of maximize the utilization of public fund, strong monitoring mechanism are also needed. He mentioned that, good governnecne in PPP has to be ensured and civil society organizations can take some advocacy inititive to ensure that good governnance. He also emphasized on the good governance and corporate social responsibilitiies of private sector.

In her presentation Erin Polmares stated that, PPP is actually a new face of privatization imposed by the international financial institutions to the developing countries. It is a mean to gain profits of the private sector using public money. But according to her, if public participation in planning, implementation and monitoring process can be ensured, PPP can play positive role in development. (Press Release)