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Ensuring Access to Information for Better Livelihood |
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“Ensuring Access to Information for Better Livelihood”
Project Concept :
People of Bangladesh have very limited access to information. Grassroots people are in the most vulnerable position as information deficiency is severely observed among the grassroots. They are randomly facing difficulties in different ways. Illegal occupancy of land, occupation of land for the sake of Wakfa or Debottar property, bribery in different service-providing institutions, trafficking, dowry, violation of human rights, women rights and child rights, exploitation, eviction and displacement of the indigenous groups from their native places etc. have become the part and parcel of the lives of grassroots people, yet they don’t know where to go for justice. They don’t know how to take action against the persons causing these harms in their lives because of the secrecy of the information providing institutions regarding information dissemination and illiteracy of the grassroots people regarding the Right to Information. Besides, peoples are deprived of information related to health, education, sanitation and safe drinking water, agriculture etc. To eliminate all these problems of the grassroots people, the project titled “Ensuring Access to Information for Better Livelihood” has been initiated. To implement this project first step would be establishing 21 information centers through out the country and conducting a base line survey on grassroots to identify the effect of information deficiency on their livelihood and the problems and difficulties faced by the people in case of seeking any sort of information. Besides, several local, district and divisional level seminars and work shop would be arranged with the assistance of different local partner organizations and participation of local and national level stakeholders for creating a networking channel and disseminating the concept of Right to Information among the grassroots. Arranging policy level dialogues, dialogues and round tables with the media professionals and parliamentary committee etc. are some of the core activities of the proposed project. The main purpose of arranging round tables and dialogues are to analyze critically the proposed Right to Information act, the presence of Right to Information in MDG and PRSP etc. An opinion survey should be conducted so that the opinion of several professionals may be compiled and presented to the policy makers. In broader sense this may help to enrich the existing Right to Information Act. Creating mass awareness regarding the effect of information on better livelihood is one of the main objectives of this project and to attain this objective huge campaign activities would be undertaken under the project. Folk programs would be arranged in each and every information center on different issue to create awareness in the local level. Radio and TV talk show would also be telecasted and media trip should be organized on different issues. Moreover, the World Press Freedom day would be celebrated on the theme of Right to Information. It is assumed that if all the above-mentioned activities are undertaken properly, a mass awareness would be created among the grassroots people. They would become empowered to create pressure on the information providing institutions. As a result, these institutions have to change their year-old disclosure policy and they would be bound to play a more transparent role. Besides, a network would be created through national and local level seminars, workshops and dialogues and thus, the needs, wants and difficulties of the grassroots would reach up to the top layer of the policy maker, which would help the policy makers to enrich the proposed Right to Information Act. And thus a people friendly Right to Information Act would be introduce in near future. Project Implementing Organization and Project duration :
The project has been initiated by Mass-line Media Center with the financial support of ‘Manusher Jonno’ since April, 2006 and the duration of the project is three years.
Objectives of the project : · Raising awareness to create demand for information among the grassroots and other citizenry groups. · Assessing whether the government and non-government organizations have commitment, responsibility and data resources to supply information as per demand of the people. · Developing a pressure group to make the institution effective and to bridge between information providers and seekers.· Involving various stakeholders both at local and national level to broaden the opportunity for ensuring transparency, accountability of government and non-government institutions by introducing people’s friendly right to information. Activities carried out so far: · Staff recruitment and office establishment;· Development of 21 information centers under 6 divisions of the country; · Recruitment of team leaders for the information centers;· Observation of the World Press Freedom Day in national and local level; · Publication of 2 local weekly newepapers (continuous process): Lokosongbad and Methobarta from Noakhali and Potuakhali districts respectively;· Identification of local partner organizations in 21 districts;· Conduction of base line survey; · Observation of Right to Information Day in national level;· Publishing supplementary in national newspapers (both Bengali and English) during Right to Information Day;· Development of local folk teams in 21 districts where information centers have been established and building peoples’ awareness on information through cultural programs;· Arrangement of folk programs in information centres time to time· Preparation of manual and guideline for the project;· Arrangement of monthly meeting in the information centres (continuous process);· Arrangement of union level workshops in 21 unions where information centers have been established (continuous process);· Arrangement of thana level meetings and workshops with local stakeholders (continuous process);· Arrangement of district level seminars with local stakeholders (continuous process);· Arrangement of divisional level seminars local stakeholders (continuous process);· Arrangement of round tables with the media partners (continuous process);· Arrangement of quarterly media trips with the national and local level journalists on different issues (Continuous process);· Publication of year calendar and diary;· Publication of Janantik (quarterly bulletin) on women and child rights issues (continuous process);· Broadcasting of Radio Program as a part of electronic media campaign· Publication of by-monthly and quarterly reports prepared by the journalists involved with the project activities and the information centres as well Other Activities to be implemented under the project: · Arrangement of cross-country visit for project staff for experience sharing and learning about the Right to Information Act and it’s impacts.· Arrangement of policy level dialogues with professionals at national level · Arrangement of dialogues with the Parliamentary Committee;· Publication of awareness raising materials (posters, stickers, booklets, information cards etc.) about Right to Information;· Arrangement of electronic media campaign – TV & Radio programs; Information Centers: Under 6 divisions of Bangladesh, 21 information centers has been established in 21 unions under 21 districts. The information centers are located in the following districts : 1. Dhaka: · Jamalpur· Sherpur 2. Sylhet: · Moulovibazar (Hakaluki Haor)· Jaflong 3. Chittagong: · Noakhali· Feni· Lakshmipur· Cox’s Bazar· Rangamati 4. Barishal:· Pirojpur· Jhalokathi· Bhola· Barguna.· Patuakhali 5. Khulna: · Satkhira · Bagerhat 6. Rajshahi· Kurigram· Gaibandha· Lalmonirhat· Chapainowabgonj· Natore
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