swapan's blog

Dear all,

Greetings! VOICE and Bank Information Centre (BIC). This is to invite you/your representative to a training workshop. Please find information below and also details in attached files.

Subject : Unpacking the World Bank Group operations in Bangladesh in the Context of Climate Change and Development

When: 2-4 March 2010

Where: The Catholic Bishops Conference of Bangladesh (CBCB), 24/C, Asad Avenue, Mohammadpur, Dhaka- 1207

Who to contact: Farjana Akter, Programme Coordinator, VOICE, <farjanakter@gmail.com>

RSVP: 8158688, 01712-990078

As the number of participants are limited for better outcome, please confirm your participation soonest as possible.  We are only accepting participation through confirmation.

Looking forward to hear from you.

Best regards,

Ahmed Swapan

PEOPLES' RESPONSE TO THE BANGLADESH DEVELOPMENT FORUM (BDF) METING 

JOIN THE PRESS CONFERENCE, REJECT DESTRUCTIVE AID

Subject : PRESS CONFERENCE

Title :Reclaim People's Power for National Development, Reject Destructive Foreign Aid

Date : 14 February 2010
Time : 10.30 morning
Venue : VIP Lounge, National Press Club, Dhaka

Speakers :

Justice (Retd) Golam Rabbani
Prof. Anu Mohammad
Noor Mohammad
Arup Rahee
Ahmed Swapan Mahmud

and others,

Organized by:

Aid Accountability Group
VOICE

European Union (EU) ambassador in Dhaka Dr Stefan Frowein has urged the civil society members to find a way to work together to elaborate common positions and lobby effectively to contribute to development and progress to make aid more effective, reports UNB.
"This is especially true in Bangladesh… where civil society plays a crucial role as partner of the government improving the living conditions of thousands and thousands of people," he said while addressing a discussion at the National Press Club (Tuesday).
Voice (Voices for Interactive Choice and Empowerment) and Aid Accountability Group jointly organized the discussion titled ''Role of the Civil Society on Aid Effectiveness''.

VOICE and the Aid Accountability Group (AAG), Bangladesh are going to organize a Consultation on the 'Role of Civil Society on Aid Effectiveness'.

Date : 26 January 2010 

Time : 10.00 am. to 1.00 pm.

Objectives: The objective of this consultation is to discuss the effectiveness of aid in the context of Paris Declaration of Aid Effectiveness and Accra Action Agenda (AAA). This national consultation helps promoting discussions, enhancing information exchange and consensus building and presenting opportunities for wider coordination and collaboration among CSOs. The consultation will also discuss on a sharper focus on how the civil society organizations can play a better role for the effective use of aid for development results as well as the role of government and donor communities. 

Venue : Conference Room, National Press Club

Speakers : Excellencies EU Ambassador Mr. Stefan Frowein and Danish Charge de Affairs (Deputy) Mr. Jan Moller Hansen have kindly consented to speak at the occasion as Guests of Honour. Among others, Mr. Bo Sundstrom, Advisor, Aid Effectiveness from DFID will speak as a panelist. 

[16 December 2009, Ahmed Swapan Mahmud, writes from Copenhagen] There was snow, cold and wind in Copenhagen. But the warmth of Reclaiming People’s Power lead a few thousand activists from around the world to gather in different blocks and rally towards the Bella Centre where world leaders are in mock climate negotiations. 

The activists called for climate justice, democracy and people’s sovereign power to end the false solutions to climate change proposed by leaders of rich countries.

We had the warm hearts of creative and imaginative leaders and activists from the South and the North demanding justice, surrounded by hundreds of police. But the police used brutal action on the activists.

Can it be a democratic regime where people’s voices are not heard and considered? How can we trust those in power when people are blocked, beaten, tear-gassed, arrested and abused? It was unjustified intolerance to democracy. The Danish police action resembles the inhuman and undemocratic behaviour of the Danish government in the climate negotiations.

Ahmed Swapan Mahmud, Stockholm, 23 October 2009 `Democracy and Development' was marked with a lively debate among the panelists during the second day of the European Development Day. The plenary was held in Victoria Hall of the EU Conference held on 23 October 2009. 15 other events and discussions. Some of 15 other events and discussions were also held which were attended by hundreds of people including Ministers, Government officials, civil societies from around the world. Amr Moussa, Secretary General, League of Arab States, urged that, “Democracy is a system that should be promoted, but the definition of democracy must be broader than simply a ballot box. Democracy promotion requires more than elections, it also requires institutions” . Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, President of Liberia, argued for infrastructure: “If one wants to promote good governance and democracy, one needs a people that are able to access the information that enables them to do that. In many underdeveloped countries, infrastructure is a major constraint to development Putting emphasis on building infrastructure is very important and that in itself will foster the processes of development.”