Project Name: Strengthening ethnic communities’ access to information in Bangladesh(SECAIB)
UNDEF Project Number: UDF-BGD-10-380
Donor: United Nations Democracy Fund
Total Budget: $ 200,000(USD) BDT.163,00,000.00
Funding Round and Year of Application: Fifth Funding round, 2010.
Staff: 21
Duration: 24 months (from May 01, 2012 to April 30, 2014)
Working Area: 12 Upazila in Bandarban, Khagrachari and Rangamati.
Implementing Agency(Lead): Trinamul Unnayan Sangstha (TUS)
Marma Samsad Building, Pankhaiya Para, Khagrachari Hill District-4400, Bangladesh,
Implementing Partner(s):
1. ASHIKA Manabik Unnayan Kendra, Rangamati, Bangladesh
2. ECO-Development, Bandarban, Bangladesh
Participants: 540 villages at 12 upazila’s in Rangamati, Bandarban and Khagrachari hill districts.
Project Purpose:
This project aims to enhance access to information among Ethnic people of the Chittagong Hill Tracts on public services offered by local government institutions and departments, and NGOs, thus contributing to their active participation in the democratic governance process and to their access to public services for their livelihood and survival. This will be achieved via increasing awareness on the right to information, generating a demand for information, strengthening community-based institutions as a source of information, sensitizing the local government and NGOs about their roles and responsibilities for delivery of information, and strengthening and organizing local print media to cover and advocate for RTI issues.
Project Summary: Ethnic communities of the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) have little access to information on public services provided by local government institutions and departments, and by NGOs. This negatively affects their livelihood and survival, and impedes their participation in democratic governance. The underlying problems are an inadequate awareness among Ethnic communities of the Right to Information and the importance of information on local government and public services for their livelihood and survival; the absence of a locally available source of basic information on public services; a lack of awareness and interest on the part of local government institutions and departments, and NGOs, in delivering information on their duties, services and facilities to the community; and a local print media that is not skilled and active in covering and advocating for RTI issues.
In this context, the project aims to enhance access to information among Ethnic people of CHT on public services provided by local government institutions (Union Parishads, Upazila Parishads and District Councils), government departments (especially agriculture and livestock, health, education and food) and NGOs, thus contributing to their active participation in the democratic governance process and to their access to public services for their livelihood and survival. The project will a) increase awareness on RTI and the importance of information on public services among Ethnic people of 540 paras (villages) in order to generate a demand for information, via monthly education sessions, cultural events, films shows, and IEC materials; b) increase availability of basic information on public services, democratic processes and governance, and citizens’ rights at community level by strengthening community-based institutions (Para Development Committees) to function as the grass-roots source of information at community level; c) increase access to, and availability of, information from local government and NGOs, from union to district level, on public services and facilities, by sensitizing them about their roles and responsibilities in the delivery of information to communities, via workshops and active dialogues; and d) strengthen, stimulate and organize local print media to cover RTI issues, to deliver information on public services and facilities, and to advocate for the implementation of RTI.
The project will be implemented by TUS, in partnership with Eco-Development and ASHIKA, in Khagrachari, Bandarban and Rangamati districts of CHT.
Reference Contact Details: Roland Rich, Executive Head, UNDEF
CONTACT INFORMATION
Implementing Agency
Name of Organization: Trinamul Unnayan Sangstha (TUS).
Address: Marma Samsad Building, Pankhaiya Para, Khagrachari Hill District- 4400, Bangladesh.
Telephone/Fax: +880-37161179, Fax:+880-37161398
*Web Site: www.trinamulcht.org
Point of Contact: Mr. Ripan Chakma, Executive Director
Telephone/Fax: Telephone:+880-37161179, Fax:+880-37161398
Email: trinamulcht@yahoo.com; trinamulcht@gmail.com; trinamulcht@hotmail.com
Alternate point of contact: Ashish Chakma, General Secretary, Executive Committee, TUS.
Telephone/Fax: Telephone:+880-37161179, Fax:+880-37161398
Email:> chakma_ashish@yahoo.com
Implementing Partner 1
Name of Organization: Ethnic Community Development Organization (ECO-Development)
Address: Brozar Fakir Building, Ujani Para, Main Road, Bandarban.
Telephone/Fax: +88-0361-63260
*Web Site: www.eco-dev-cht.org
Point of Contact: Mr. Aungsathwi Marma, Executive Director
Telephone/Fax: +88-0361-63260
Email: ecodvlpmnt@yahoo.co.in
Implementing Partner 2
Name of Organization: ASHIKA Manabik Unnayan Kendra
Address: K.K.Roy Road,Rangamati-4500,Bangladesh
Telephone/Fax: Phone:+880-351-71220, Fax:+880-351-71182
Web Site: www.ashikabd.org
Point of Contact: Biplob Chakma, Executive Director
Telephone/Fax: Phone:+880-351-71220, Fax:+880-351-71182
Email: ashika_ranga@yahoo.com
