GBK Background

Date:20th – 26th April 2009

 What is Global Action Week? 
Global Action Week is a week of action and activities, held every year in April since 1999, to raise awareness of the need for Education for All.

Who organises Global Action Week?
Organised by the Global Campaign for Education (GCE), an international collective of NGOs, teachers’ associations and governments supported by 180 countries worldwide, Global Action Week works for the achievement of the second Millenium Development Goal (MDG), ‘Achieve Universal Primary Education’).

What was the theme of Global Action Week this year? 
The theme of this year’s Global Action Week was ‘Youth and Adult Literacy and Lifelong Learning’, aiming to raise awareness of the need for education for children, young people and adults.

How is Global Action Week observed in Bangladesh?
In Bangladesh, the Campaign for Population Education (CAMPE) is a lead organisation that helps to observe Global Action Week throughout the country.

How did GBK observe Global Action Week?
In the Northwest of Bangladesh, GBK is a CAMPE partner, and has been observing Global Action Week in Dinajpur district for many years.

This year, the week was observed once again with exciting and extensive programme of activities that included:
• The Big Read (22nd April) was observed in 199 different locations (Institution) and involved 11 816 participants from GBK’s various programmes’ and projects’ working areas.
• An Art Competition (24th April) was held at GBK’s Head Office Training and Resource Centre in Parbatipur, involving almost 70 students from eight local schools participate in the Competition. The competition’s theme was ‘Natural Scenery’, and the students, aged between seven and fourteen years old, produced a dazzling array of artwork (displayed at the Cultural Competition on the following day). Prizes were awarded for first, second and third places in two age groups.
• A Rally was held (25th April) in Haldibari, Parbatipur, attended by close to 1500 students and teachers from four local schools, plus NGO staff and local government officials.
• This was followed by a Discussion Meeting, held at Haldibari Madhamik Bidya Niketan, a local school in Haldibari, Parbatipur, chaired by the school’s headmaster, Mr Abu Ehiya. Chief guest, Mr Protap Chandro Biswas, the Upazila Nirbahi Officer, of Parbatipur, Dinajpur, and special guests Mrs Taiyaba Khanam, Headmistress of Haldibari Government Primary School, Mohammad Jashim Uddim, GBK’s Programme Manager (Microfinance), and Moazzem Hossain, GBK’s Director gave speeches after an introduction from the event’s organiser, Md Abul Kalam Azad, Programme Coordinator of GBK’s POWER project.
• Finally, a Cultural Competition was held for the students. Participants competed in several categories, including solo song, dance, acting, poem recital and costume show, and prizes were awarded for the most impressive competitor in each category. Judging was very difficult, however, given the outstanding quality of all performances.

Venue: Dinajpur Press Club
Date: 17th March 2009
Time: 10.30am – 1.00pm
Organised by: Jatio Adivashi Parishad
Supported by: Gram Bikash Kendra

Background

The indigenous peoples of Bangladesh mainly live in the plain lands and the Chittagong hill tracts. Altogether, there are almost 45 different indigenous community groups. Among that a big portion of indigenous people are living in the Northwest region of the country, of which the major groups are Santal, Urao, Mahali, Pahari etc. As in the hill tracts, the plain land indigenous peoples are deprived of their entitlements and rights, and lag behind the mainstream community in terms of social, political and economic development. Due to a lack of information, awareness and access to basic services, the indigenous community people are unable to catch up with the rhythm of the mainstream.

In light of this situation, Gram Bikash Kendra developed the Indigenous Peoples’ Empowerment Process (IPEP), a short intervention (September 2008 – March 2009) supported by Actionaid Bangladesh, that focused on the indigenous peoples of Fulbari Upazila, Dinajpur district.

Two of the major activities of the IPEP was to conduct a baseline survey of the indigenous peoples of Fulbari Upazila, and to discuss the identified problems with leading political parties. Jatio Adivashi Parishad, an indigenous peoples’ network, took on the responsibility of arranging a discussion programme at which Advocate Sultana Kamal, prominent humanitarian worker and former advisor to the Caretaker government of Bangladesh agreed to be the chief guest.

Participants

Representatives of different political party’s, civil society members, different NGO personnel, indigenous traditional leaders, indigenous women leaders, indigenous students forum members, cultural activists, journalists, advocates and human rights activists participated in the meeting .

Programme

• Showing of the documentary film on Cruel Landlessness Process of the Indigenous People of Dinajpur (GBK, 2008)
• Welcome speech
• Presentation of key note paper by Professor Gonesh Soren, Chairperson DInajpur District, Adivasi Social Development Samity
• Discussion of the key note paper by Rabindranath Soren, Secrety, Jatio Adivasi Parishad, Central Committee
• Presentation of the Indigneous Peoples’ Empowerment Process (IPEP) baseline survey report by Bhupesh Roy, GBK Programme Manager (Planning, Monitoring and Training)
• Speeches and open discussion from selected speakers
• Speech from Chief Guest
• Closing remarks by Chairperson

Summary of Activities

Showing of the documentary film Cruel Landlessness Process of the Indigenous People of Dinajpur (GBK, 2008)
Showing of this short documentary helped to sensitise the audience to the problems being faced by the indigenous peoples, and prepare them for the discussion to follow.

Detail Report (pdf file)

Coordination of NGO’s for Adibhashi’s (CNA) is a network of 8 NGOs that are working in the field of indigenous people’s empowerment in Northwest part of Bangladesh. GBK is performing as the Chairperson of the network from its inception. CNA’s main activities are dialogue/advocacy with the government authorities on behalf of the indigenous communities, inspiration of the indigenous communities through day observation/celebration of indigenous community’s glorious historical and cultural days, networking with the civil society organizations at different level.

In the occasion of 152nd anniversary of historical Santal revolution day, CNA undertook a large program event on July 03, 2007. 45 numbers Indigenous freedom fighters from different locations of northwest were given glorious reception, discussion meeting and cultural program was also arranged in the event. The program was arranged in Loko Bhaban (Town Hall), Dinajpur District town.

Renowned writer in Bangladesh Selina Hossain inaugurated the program, the women leader, human rights activist and former adviser of caretaker government of Bangladesh advocate Sultana Kamal was the chief guest of the program. GBK director Mr. Moazzem Hossain delivered welcome address with background of the program. Leaders from indigenous communities, freedom fighters representatives, journalists, NGOs activist delivered speech in the discussion meeting. Indigenous women, men and peoples from different communities participated in the program.

Indigenous drama “Hull Hull” was performed by a cultural organization at the second half of the program.

Santal revolution day (usually called “Santal”) is one of the red letter days in the life of the indigenous people, especially for the Santal communities. There is a history of struggle behind the day.

More than one hundred and fifty years ago, the indigenous people were lived by cleaning nearby jungle and produce food crops on that land. The British ruler and their local representatives (zamindars) imposed money lending with very high interest on the poor indigenous people. Their unbearable torture killed thousands of indigenous people.

Afterwards, the indigenous people were united and fought with the British and with the Zamindar government police. Shidhu, Kanu, Chnad and Bhairob-the four brothers were the leaders of the movement. That is why; the movement is also known/observed as Shidhu-Kanu day in Bangladesh. This incident happened in 1855 in Santal Pargana of the present West Bengal of India.

On 30^th June 1855, thousands of indigenous people were killed by the British police. From that time, the 30^th June is observed by the indigenous people, especially by the Santal community people as a revolution day of their history. In the northwest Bangladesh, there live a huge number of Santal people-who are inspired from this glorious history. Being an independent country, each and every citizen of this country is supposed to enjoy their own rights and social dignity.

However, the cruel reality is, the indigenous people are still suffering a lot, in-terms of their human rights, social justice and dignity. Still, they are tortured, evicted from their land, harassed in many ways, their women are tortured and are living in an inhuman condition. The Santal revolution day inspires them to being united and protest against any injustice.

Gram Bikash Kendra (GBK) is observing the Santal revolution day in the ten upazila of Dinajpur district.