When I was applying for the Inspirator Program, I was very unsure of what my specific job would be. Then I read this “Inspirators are a boost to local partner organizations to help them focus, re-think or just being better at implementing specific activities through shared learning and critical reflection. It is thus essential that the Inspirator can provide and outside perspective and present new ideas.” Sound interesting and impossible at the same time. How can I provide insight to an already functioning organization? But still I applied, and then when I was approached by the MENA regional office to join them in helping build the Activista Arabia Network.

The purpose of this study is to share the results of the Action Research for Community Adaptation in Bangladesh (ARCAB) evaluation of effectiveness of ActionAid Bangladesh’s (AAB) two community based adaptation (CBA) projects. The aim of this evaluation itself is to assess the impact of these interventions in facilitating progress towards the long-term goal of transformed resilience of the climate vulnerable poor. It is also to provide recommendations on how AAB can further support the communities they have engaged with in moving towards this aim.

‘Learning Document Series 11-13’ contains three development alternatives. The first alternative talks about formation of ‘participatory video’ team, what it takes to be ‘participatory’ and how to proceed in terms of research, issue, script etc. As a tool, participatory video has had significant success in campaigning on rights and change of mindsets. The second alternative features how grassroots leadership helps promoting right to education. Case in point is remote char (island) areas and the means suggested is Government registration of formal schools set up by communities. Journey towards this has never been easy with policy hurdle, logistic limitation, faculty shortage etc. posing constraints. This article suggests ways to overcome these difficulties. Finally the learning about Lokokendra (people’s organisation in the communities) shows what drives Lokokendras ahead, how they come into being etc. We also come to know about how to create enabling space for people to determine action points to take against inequalities and injustice

This Reference Handbook is made under the supervision of Education Department of ActionAid Bangladesh in an attempt to strengthen education rights and strengthen the right-based education movement. The main objective of which is to provide a quick source of information on the rights of education to every educational worker, constitutional and national responsibility for establishing rights, national and international commitments in education.

Doha COP18 will go down in history as the COP that incorporated Gender in the main negotiation text. The draft circulated co chairs of SBI Agenda 21, which was prepared with contributions from many, especially Mary Robinson, and circulated by EU, was opened for consultation on 29th of November. After two days of consultations among delegates from participating countries a draft text was submitted for consideration in SBI with the suggestions that it go to COP.

ActionAid Bangladesh, in association with experts, academicians, scientists and other stakeholders, conducted the study “Financing Local Adaptation: Ensuring Access for the Climate Vulnerable in Bangladesh”. It captures ground experiences to provide some guidelines for a structure that ensures equitability, transparency and effectiveness. AAB will remain dedicated for achieving justice and a climate-resilient future for those most at risk.

The first issue of our e-magazine captures our work that took place with support from partner NGOs as well as external development practitioners. We hope you find it interesting and appreciate the efforts of the authors as we as the members of editorial boards.

4th of August: a team of ‘humans’ leaves Dhaka in the early hours… destination a ‘popular’ place in Faridpur. Sightseeing? That and more… Trust me when I tell you that the visiting friends from Italy (a Comms. colleague, a holding-it-just-fine journalist and a how-do-I-put-it photographer) did taste a bit of Dhaka traffic even though all that they did was to touchdown, get terminal clearance and pick us (Jamal and Hamid – names we picked up along the way) up from home to leave the city.

After an hour and a half on Dhaka’s crowded roads where the kamikaze bus driver is king, I reach Chanpara slum in Roopgong, just outside of the Bangladeshi capital. The corrugated iron huts are home to 40,000 people – a small slum by Bangladeshi standards – but the problems faced by the residents of Chanpara slum are huge. With shared toilets and bathing areas, and no street lighting, the dark alleys of this slum hold many dangers for the women and girls of the slum.

… purpose, which was only their personal gain and nothing further. Youth were intentionally overlooked for long and it became a practice to accept the societal structure as it was. But being in the same system few youngsters were exceptions and broke the cycle as they decided not to be disregarded for their dreams anymore. Not only did they start a new trend followed by many others, they brought in immense development. Yes! It was the golden Era of Youth revolution and I was so thrilled to have witnessed it.

Being a non-government human rights-based development organization, we, ActionAid always prefers to play the role of facilitator in bringing change and supplement and complement the government’s initiative. Our conviction to work with the government was further strengthened while I was in Tala (sub-district) in Satkhira on 18th April, 2012 along with our Country Director, Farah Kabir. She was there to visit the activities of our ECHO-funded project Emergency Assistance Support to Water Logging Affected Populations in Tala of Satkhira.

We spent significant time on Board development and registration process. The Executive Board and Board Committees were engaged in institutional governance. We also developed Country Strategy Paper – IV and carried out change management. South Asia Social Forum was other major engagement. Besides regular work with long-term, strategic, network and project partners, we facilitated 94 Lokokendras (people’s organisations), 18 Self-Help Groups and 813 village farmers’ associations.