Ensuring Access to Information for Better Livelihood

Details

Ensuring Access to Information for Better Livelihood

Location within Country: 6 divisions of Bangladesh
Donor : Manusher Jonno Foundation (MJF)
Duration : April 2006 - March 2009

Narrative Description of 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.

Description of Actual Services Provided_ 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 newspapers (continuous process): Loksongbad and Methobarta from Noakhali and Patuakhali 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· 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;