Audio and Video

Reflect Circles: Realities of Change

SYNOPSIS

Reflect Circles: Realities of Change is a 5 to 10 minute documentary showing the lives of women involved in Reflect Circles in rural villages of Bangladesh. It focuses on Lucky and her experience as the facilitator of one of these circles.

Started by VOICE in June 2007 as a means to empower and educate women, Reflect circles have seen remarkable success within their communities. These village women, a mix of young and old, with and without children, meet every day for 2-3 hours to participate in literacy exercises and discuss community and family-related problems, as well as pertinent environmental and political issues. Support from VOICE comes in the form of chalkboards, chalk, books, paper and pens, etc. but also in the selection of the group leader. Once-illiterate women are now able, in less than a year, to write and recognize the alphabet, numbers, basic words, and their names and addresses (important for voter registration, a task done with thumbprints before REFLECT). They are also encouraged to draw pictures as a positive form of creative expression, and share knowledge and life experience to build the community. Each circle has an Action Plan based on the specific problems of the community, such as early marriage, the dowry system, domestic abuse, sanitation, etc. Some groups have successfully been able to challenge local government or solve domestic disputes.

The film tells Lucky’s experience as a circle leader, her struggle to improve life in the village and the successes that followed. Through testimonies from various women and some of their husbands, the film also shows how the circles not only help women become literate and improve their knowledge of many other subjects, but also create a better environment to foster justice, food sovereignty, and the respect of human rights, among other long-term goals. These circles, besides providing a welcoming environment for women to share concerns and knowledge, help empower them in their local community and give a more powerful voice to express their village needs.

The film also includes an interview with Swadheen Chowdhury, VOICE staff member and Reflect trainer, who explains how the circles started and on what bases they are able to run smoothly, providing a historical aspect to the film.

Read more about Reflect Circles here.

TARGET AUDIENCE

Because it deals with both local and global issues, Reflect Circles: Realities of Change is targeting the international community as well as the local Bangladeshi people. It can be used to inform the people about rural realities of Bangladesh, to promote the efficiency of the circles in order to spread them across Bangladesh, or it can also be used as a promotional video to help VOICE in its fundraising process with local and foreign donors.

See our Reflect Circle Video on the Citizen Shift website (in collaboration with the National Film Board of Canada)

Perspectives on Aid Effectivness

This 10-minute video, produced by VOICE, includes some incisive facts and analysis on the state of foreign aid in Bangladesh from noted commentators Anu Muhammed, Dr. Piash Karim, Saiful Huq, and Ahmed Swapan Mahmud. It was first shown on January 24th, 2008 at a press conference entitled "From Paris 2005 to Accra 2008: Will Aid Become More Accountable and Effective?”. In English and Bangla with subtitles in English.

See our Perspectives on Aid Video on the Citizen Shift website (in collaboration with the National Film Board of Canada)