Upcoming Events

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

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 :

Organized by:

Aid Acountability Group
VOICE

VOICE has been participating in the 2010 Amar Ekushey Book Fair held in Bangla Academy, Dhaka that ended on February 28th after month long book fair. In the book fair VOICE participated with a number of 50 items of its publications  including books, reports, newsletters, posters and other publications. It also keeps books and reports from national and international organizations whom VOICE has been closely working with. The participation of VOICE in the Book Fair helped disseminating information valued by VOICE, more specifically around the issues of globalization, trade, aid effectiveness, ICTs and information rights, climate change, IFIs, food and agriculture and of politics. Participating in the book fair, VOICE takes the opportunity for  building wider constituency and raising critical awareness among the stakeholders including teachers, students, politicians, researchers, citizen actors, NGOs, activists, researchers etc, around the issues.

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. 

You are coordially invited.

Regards,

Ahmed Swapan

The climate talks began already, and many of the members of `International Campaign on Climate Refugees' Right (ICCR)' are now in Copenhagen including Secretariat colleagues from VOICE, Bangladesh. We are preparing for holding the launching meeting of ICCR including other events. The launching event will be held on Friday, 11 December, from 1pm to 03 pm at Venue A-yellow, klimaforum. The experts and practitioners from the global south will be speaking at the meeting.

You will get useful information including a number of publications on issues around displacement and climate refugees.

Please book your time. You are cordially invited to the event. Your support and solidarity will be highly appreciated.

In case of contact over phone, please note down the cell number of Ahmed Swapan: 50492643.

A meeting will be held at VOICE meeting room ( House 67, Block-Ka, Pisciculture housing society, Shyamoli, Dhaka) from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm. on August 24, 2009. The meeting will jointly be organized with Washington based civil society organization The Bank Information Centre (BIC- www.bicusa.org).

The areas where BIC is focussing on for its advocacy, campaigning and research are transparency, climate change / energy and extractive industries.

The meeting aims at discussing with different civil society organisations to understand their engagement on these issues and to identify areas for mutual cooperation and joint work.

BIC Asia Manager Jelson Garcia and Joe Athialy will attend the meeting. As an organisation engaged on these issues, and/or issues of IFIs, we cordially invite you to attend the meeting.

If you need any information please contact Farjana Akter, email farjanakter@gmail.com

Sharing Meeting on Findings of the Research on Water Sector Transparency and Accountability

Venue: Meeting room, COAST Trust, Shyamoli, Dhaka-1207

Time: 3:00pm

Date: 15th July 2009

VOICE will present the findings of a research on water sector transparency and accountability, a case of Mymensingh municipality. It will also screen a documentary titled Troubled Waters.

Subject : Neoliberalism, Poverty and Social Protection Policies

Date : 5 July 2009

Time : 10 am.-1:00pm.

Venue : VIP Lounge, National Press Club

Speakers : Eminent economists, sociologist, academicians, NGOs leaders and civil society activists

Organized by : VOICE

You are coordially invited.

Regards,

Ahmed Swapan

Cell No. 01711881919
www.voicebd.org

VOICE is going to organize a roundtable on ‘ Access to Information : Internet surveillance and censorship vs People`s Rights Protection.

Date: 4 June 2009
Time: 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Venue: VIP lounge, National Press Club, Dhaka

The objective is to discuss current issue- policies and implications of access to information focusing on internet surveillance and censorship in relation to human rights principles.

Experts, academicians, journalists, telecommunications specialists, engineers, economists, concerned professional bodies, civil society organizations, NGOs etc will attend the programme.

If you need any information please contact with Farjana Akter, Programme Coordinator, Cell: 01712990078

VOICE is going to organize a Consultation meeting on ‘World Bank’s Information Disclosure Policy: People’s Voice and Propose Greater Transperency and Accountability’.

Date: 20 May 2009
Time: 3:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Venue: VIP lounge of Dhaka Reporters Unity, (8/4-A Topkhana Road, Segunbagicha)

The objectives of the consultation are to raise critical awareness among citizenry and also to prepare a set of recommendations for further improvement of the Disclosure policy to ensure greater transparency and accountability to its constituencies.
Noted that World Bank is going to revise its Disclosure policy and it has already posted an Approach Paper titled Toward Greater Transparency: Rethinking the World Bank’s Disclosure Policy in its external website.

Please contact us for more information! (email: ahmed.swapan@gmail.com, Mobile: 01711-881919)