Social and Economic Security for Traditional Resource Users of the Sundarbans

The Sundarbans, the largest mangrove ecosystem existing in the world today and also legally declared as “Ecologically Critical Area”, serves as coastal protection from cyclones and tidal surges. The Sundarbans Impact Zone (SIZ) has an approximate (2009) population of 8.5 millions which constitutes about 6.0 percent of the  total Bangladesh population and has an area of about 15,352 sq km which represents 10.4 percent of the country’s area.

The Sundarbans provides livelihoods for a vast majority of the population living in and around the SIZ, who suffer from chronic poverty and lack access to decent work or social security schemes. Frequent natural disasters disrupt their livelihoods and income sources, and the status quo is further maintained by entrenched systems of social exclusion, discrimination and abuse, such as bonded labor, wage-exploitation, corruption and discrimination based on factors such as gender, ethnicity, disability and age. Moreover, non-traditional and unsustainable economic practices generating profit for local business and political elites put the fragile ecosystem of the Sundarbans at risk of degradation and over-exploitation, thus endangering the primary source of income available to local communities.

With funding support from the European Commission under its Investing in People program , Relief International empowers the Traditional Resource Users (TRUs) in the SIZ by helping them gain access to decent work  and enables informal workers to identify, access and advocate for social protection rights and services. Consequently, the TRUs are no longer forced to extract resources from the forest, which helps preserve the ecosystem.

Key Activities and Results

1.       Provision of cash vouchers and legal support allows 5000 TRUs to have direct access to permits, Boat License Certificates and Identity Cards

2.       Asset support for 1000  families to purchase the equipment, supplies and livestock necessary to generate sufficient income

3.       3000 TRUs receive skill development and vocational training for income-generating activities, such as mat weaving, livestock rearing, bee keeping, to name a few, to make them self- dependent

4.       Establishment of workers’ unions to enable TRUs to organize, claim rights and services they are entitled to, and gain representation with local authorities

5.       Grassroots advocacy for sustainable resource use helps in the conservation of the Sundarbans ecosystem, which lies at the heart of this program

6.       Children of 1000 TRU families receive education stipend and access to health support services which ensures their social security

Transparency for Human Rights in Bangladesh

The government of Bangladesh has taken significant steps to ensure that all individuals are able to exercise their fundamental rights. However, a large percentage population still lacks access to information and remains unaware of their fundamental rights, leaving them vulnerable to being victims of human rights violations.

The RI project Transparency for Human Rights in Bangladesh, funded by European Commission, is implemented in 20 districts in Bangladesh, to establish a culture of human rights at the grassroots and governmental level through harnessing the power of media and new information and community technology such as mobile phones and SMS.

Key Activities:

1.       Professional Development for journalists on media and human rights, use of technology and effective reporting practices

2.       Rural reporters from the most impoverished communities are paired with mentor journalists working with mainstream media outlets, ensuring  reporting of local human rights issues in the mainstream media

3.       Mini grants are awarded to rural and semi urban media professional to conduct peer trainings for other journalists and youth in their respective  communities.

4.       Transparency for Human Rights Virtual Community disseminates information on basic principles of human rights and establish a thriving network of human rights advocates and media professional through use of social media

5.       Local newspapers are monitored to generate information on the most common forms of human rights violations which is widely disseminated through the project web portal and media agencies

6.       Radio talk shows on national FM radio station generate information and awareness about various aspects of human rights

7.       Mobile phones are used by journalists, youth and community members to report on human rights violations; these reports are then displayed on the project portal

8.       Human rights roundtables bring together members of various strata of society including local officials, religious leaders, educators, youth and community members

RightsSMS

The RightsSMS, an SMS based application developed under the project Transparency for Human Rights in Bangladesh empowers marginalized communities by disseminating and exchanging critical human rights information through use of mobile technologies. It enables local journalists, youth and community members to report occurrences of human rights violations.

In order to reach a wider audience, every report submitted through SMS is archived and displayed on the project web portal. Moreover, the portal delivers pertinent information such as human rights related public announcements, existing laws and policies, news, events, incidences of rights violations directly to its subscriber’s mobile phones through SMS alert system.

The Right SMS portal can be an effective and interactive advocacy and campaigning tool to protest and report human rights violations, especially in communities where the need for advocacy and awareness is acute.

Beneficiaries

• 1,800 journalism and media professionals from 20 districts
• 2,500 community and religious leaders, educators and youth
• 1,000 representatives of educational institutions, civil society, and local government

Global Connections and Exchange Program

Access to quality education remains the key development challenge for Bangladesh. RI project Global Connections and Exchange program enriches the learning process by enhancing the skills of educators through use of Information and Communication Technology such as, computer, internet and social media. This in turn instills vital 21st century skills in the students and helps develop them as global citizen.

Spanning more than 20 districts and covering more than 51 schools, RI has established internet enabled computer centers (popularly known as Internet Learning Centers) at schools and madrasa (religious schools) of in resource poor rural and semi urban communities in Bangladesh. Funded by the Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs (ECA) under the US Department of State the RI project has served to bridge the information gap that exists between the communities and to enrich the educational sector through innovative use of ICT and other educational resources.

Key Activities:

• Establishment of Internet Learning Center in schools and madrasa provides opportunities for educators, teachers and community members to access
• information and resources available on the Internet
• Professional development training for teachers has helped them to learn use of technology to improve their teaching skills
• Use of social media (social networking sites) enables teachers and students to communicate with their peer all across the globe
• Cross cultural collaborative projects have generated information about globally relevant issues and culture, establishing linkage between educators and youth across the globe and promoting global dialogue and harmony

Combating Violence against Women in Bangladesh through Community Participation, Education and Media Access

Millions of women and children, who live in the patriarchal society of Bangladesh, are often subjected to various forms of violence which deters them from contributing towards the development of the country. This problem is deeply rooted and stems from a societal norm where men are viewed to be superior to women and are allowed to exercise their superiority in the form of violence. There is also an acute lack of understanding on Violence Against Women (VAW) issues on the part of local leaders and officials who influence local level enforcement of laws and policies.

With funding support from the European Commission, the project utilizes the local leadership, media, opinion leaders and civil society in Bangladesh as a vehicle to combat VAW leading to create a culture of respect for women’s rights and accountability at the community and government level.

• Creation and capacity building of local women’s groups to enable them to advocate for women’s rights in their communities
• Local officials and leaders, who have much influence over community members, are trained on gender issues and the importance of upholding women’s rights
• Religious leaders in rural areas are trained to sensitize local communities on women’s rights and to help abolish VAW
• Building capacity of local NGOs and CSOs on programmatic issues such as advocacy, strategic planning, networking, survey and data collection, and monitoring and evaluation
• Provision of mini grants to local NGOs, women and youth groups to support their existing initiatives to prevent VAW
• Educators and youth are enlightened about gender issues though a class module
• Local journalists are trained on reporting VAW and connected with main stream media  to generate widespread awareness on VAW
• A web portal is developed to disseminate information on women’s rights, as well as common cultural practices that are illegal and why they are harmful, how to report illegal activity, how and where people can find help

Promotion of Civic Rights in Bangladesh through Education, Advocacy and ICT

The RI project Promotion of Civic Rights in Bangladesh through Education, Advocacy and ICT reinforces respect for civic rights and unites human rights activists in a network in order to establish a culture of human rights in Bangladesh.

Funded by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor under the US Department of State, the two years long project contributes towards upholding human rights in 10 districts of Bangladesh through engaging local communities including media professionals, journalists, local leaders, civil society officials, educators, youth and opinion makers.

Key Activities

• Provision of training and equipment support for Human Rights activists to help them advocate for human rights
• Deployment of Information and Communication Technology for dissemination and exchange of  Human Rights information
• Utilization of print and electronic media for promotion of human rights

Enhancing Community Capacity to Reduce Vulnerability to Human Trafficking

A large percentage of the rural population in Bangladesh migrates seasonally to urban areas in search of employment and is, as a result, vulnerable to exploitation and abuse. One of the poorest districts in Bangladesh, Jamalpur is a primary source for internal trafficking for sexual exploitation and forced labor.

RI’s project Enhancing Community Capacity to Reduce Vulnerability to Human Trafficking in the Jamalpur District of Bangladesh is designed to enlighten the vulnerable populations in Jamalpur district about the hazards associated with trafficking, and to build their capacity so that they can effectively identify the risks and warning signs of exploitation. It also teaches them what steps to adopt in case they do find themselves in danger of being trafficked. The project is supported by the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons under the US Department of State.

Key Activities

• Formation and capacity building of Anti-Trafficking Community Committees (ATCCs) in 27 Unions (lowest administrative units) in Jamalpur district
• The ATCCs help identify the most vulnerable groups in the community who may be prone to being trafficked and therefore, monitored to ensure that they receive protection from impending hazards
• Livelihood support for at-risk groups enable them to generate sufficient income, thereby protecting themselves from unscrupulous entities who traffic them with the ruse of providing them employment
• Sensitization of the media helps ensure timely and investigative reporting on trafficking related issues in local and national media
• Educate youth about human trafficking through youth journalism camp in order to help them distinguish the hazards of trafficking; the participants of the camps are also instructed to undertake awareness raising activities in their own communities in order to reach a much wider population
• Legal support and temporary shelter are provided to rescued victims; skill development training ensures that the rescued victims have the capability to generate sufficient incomes for themselves, and not have to face the same risks again