Essential Services
Essential Services
VOICE has started a campaign against the privatization of essential services such as health, education and especially water. World Bank and IMF structural adjustment programmes have pressured the government into cutting spending in these sectors, to the detriment of people of Bangladesh, especially in the middle- and lower- income groups. We are advocating for increased and sustained spending in these sectors, especially if debt cancellation were to occur.
We are particularly interested in the fundamental right to water as a common resource and not as an economic good. The ADB is currently proposing to commercialize the water sector, and have even conducted studies claiming that the poor are ready to buy water. We are actively campaigning against this. Bangladesh, as a nation of rivers, should not have to pay for water.
VOICE @ South Asia Social Forum, Dhaka; November 18-22, 2011
VOICE @ South Asia Social Forum, Dhaka; November 18-22, 2011
VOICE (www.voicebd.org) undertakes a number of programmes during South Asia Social Forum (SASF) to be held on 18-22 November, Dhaka, Bangladesh. These events will jointly be organized with different national and international networks including Aid Accountability Group, Bank Information Centre, Eurodad, NGO Forum on ADB, Privacy International etc, among others. Being one of the organizers in SASF, VOICE is calling global civil society actors, youths, women, human rights activists, political groups, organizations and concerned multi-stakeholders to join us aiming at building greater solidarity for new economic and social order. The details of the programmes (draft) attached herewith
Initiate district budget for rural development: Rights group
Rights activists urged the government to initiate district budget in the national budget for the next financial year for the development of rural areas as well as achieving the Vision 2021 as envisaged.
They said that the present budget preparation as colonial top down process and there is no alternative to achieve Vision 2021without district budget.
They were speaking at a rally organised by 14 rights based civil society organisations led by EquityBD in front of the National Press Club on Saturday. The organisations include Arpon, Ahish, Online Knowledge Centre, EquityBD, Eso, SDO, MABS, Lead Trust, Prodip, BNNRC, Voice, Bangladesh Bhumihin Samity, Bangladesh Krihsok Federation and Sirak Bangladesh.
SM Saikat of Sirak Bangladesh said people have no participation in preparing the budget. Nor the people from district level have the means to monitor implementation of the budget. Absence of people’s participation in the process and implementation of the budget has given the rise of pervasive corruption.
Feroze Ahmed of Lead Trust said the top down process is basically responsible for growing trend of widening the gap of regional disparity.
Capacity and Efficiency of CSOs should be developed: Consultation in Mymensingh
Independent CSO Watch Group Should be Formed to Ensure Aid Effectiveness:
Capacity and Efficiency of CSOs should be developed
Mymensingh, Bangladesh, 21 August 2010
A day-long consultation on “Civil Society Engagement on Aid Effectiveness” was held at the District Council Auditorium in Mymensingh on 21st August 2010. Jointly organized by Aid Accountability Group (AAG) and The Reality of Aid Network, 70 participants along with the local government representatives, political leaders, social workers, women organizations, NGOs, human rights organizations, journalists and activists of greater Mymensingh region participated in the program. Upazilla Chairman of Mymensingh Sadar Mr. Faijur Raman Fakir was present as chief guest while Yazdani Quraeshi, President of Supro (Campaign for Good Governance-CGG) Mymensingh district presided over the meeting.
Privatization in power sector may lead to more public debts and poverty
An opinion sharing meeting held at press club in the capital on Sunday organized by different network of rights group criticized government policy that have created space of investment for the private sector, foreign companies in power sector. They mentioned that in view of other Asian country experiences it may create more public debts and increase disparity in society. The meeting was jointly organized by Action Aid, EquityBD, Jubilee South, SUPRO, MFTD, Unnayan Onneshan and VOICE.
Lidy Nacpil of Jubilee South narrated her experience from Philippines, and Sayed Aminul Haque of EquityBD gave analysis on Bangladesh situation in this regard. The meeting was moderated by Rashed Al Titumir of Unnayan Onneshan, while Md. Shamsuddoha of EquityBD, Faruque Ahmed from MFTD and Farjana Akther of VOICE spoke on the occasion.
Call for Observation: May 4, 2010, Asian Day of Action Against Privatization of Essential Services
PRESS RELEASE
[Dhaka, May 3, 2010] VOICE, rights-based research and advocacy organization based in Dhaka called for solidarity to observe the Asian Day of Action against Privatization of Essential Services. The Asia Pacific Movement on Debt and Development (APMDD) and the Campaign Network on the Right to Essential Services and Natural Resources (RTRS) declared May 4 as the Asian Day of Action Against Privatization of Essential Services while VOICE being its members called for strengthening civil society voices against blanket privatization of essential services including heath and education. The day of action coincides with the 43rd Annual Governors Meeting of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in Taskent, Uzbekistan. The observation of the day aims at standing against the ADB’s role in privatizing water, power, and other essential services in the region.
Ahmed Swapan Mahmud, executive director of VOICE urges all sects of society to resist and oppose the imposition and financing of privatization of water and power and other essential services. He said that due to privatization process in Bangladesh, people have already been affected and the poor became the worst sufferers. He further added to stop financing private sector monopolization of
water, power, health and education sectors in Bangladesh.
Other Voice Titles
For more information on any of these titles or to order a copy, please contact us.
People's Movement for Livelihood (Bangla)
MONGA: The Art of Politics of Dying (On Food, Trade and Globalization) by Ahmed Swapan Mahmud
Manual: Corporate Globalization, Agriculture and Trade (Bangla)
Jiboner Golpo (Bangla)
Documentary: Troubled Waters: Water Sector Transparency and Accountability viewable NOW
NEW! Troubled Waters: Water Sector Transparency and Accountability.
Initiated by VOICE in July 2008, this documentary focuses on the
inherent corruption in the water management systems and the problems of
the water services in the Mymensingh municipality. Not only does it
bring to light the inadequacies of the water system and their effects
on the people, but also the role of the administrative system.
The film also highlights how people struggle to have their needs met
and recognized by policy makers and water service providers, further
encouraging the development of more accountable and transparent
practices. It relates the consumers opinions and suggestions on the
feasibility of overcoming the water sector corruption problems. It also
shows the necessity of public awareness of water sector issues so that
people know their basic rights, as well as promotes the building of an
accountable relationship between water service providers and the
citizens.
See the complete water sector documentary on Youtube here.
Read more details about our videos on our Audio/Video page.
MYMENSINGH MUNICIPALITY Majority people out of water supply coverage
http://www.newagebd.com/2009/jul/16/home.html
Most of the dwellers in the Mymensingh municipality are out of water supply coverage and those who are under the supply network never get water round the clock, a study showed.
Only 22 per cent of the dwellers have access to the municipality water supply while the rest 78 per cent collect water from other sources, revealed the study of VOICE, a research group.
The study showed that a large number of dwellers are pilfering water through illegal connections as corruption and mismanagement in water supply go rampant in the municipality.
‘The municipality supplies water only for four hours a day, leaving the dwellers in serious problems,’ Ahmed Swapan Mahmud, executive director of VOICE, said revealing the findings of study. He said the study was carried out recently to assess the current state of people’s access to safe drinking water in Mymensingh municipality.
Around 25 per cent respondents said, they fell victims to fake bills while 90 per cent of them complained about irregular supply of water. Most of them also had complaints about safety of the supplied water.
Sharing Meeting on Findings of the Research on Water Sector Transparency and Accountability
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.