ActionAid Bangladesh

Who We Are
ActionAid is a global movement of people working together to further human rights for all and defeat poverty. We believe everyone has the power within them to create change for themselves, their families and communities. ActionAid is a catalyst for that change. ActionAid works in over 45 countries across the world with more than 15 million people. We have a ‘bottom up’ approach to decision making. Our Secretariat is located in Johannesburg, South Africa with hubs in Asia, The Americas and Europe too. We believe that we can only achieve our goals by working collaboratively – locally, nationally and globally – with people in poverty, our supporters, partners and peers. We are more powerful and effective when we work together.

Vision
A just, equitable and sustainable world in which every person enjoys the right to a life of dignity, freedom from poverty and all forms of oppression.

Mission
To achieve social justice, gender equality, and poverty eradication by working with people living in poverty and exclusion, their communities, people’s organisations, activities, social movements and supporters.

Our Approach
The primary goal of ActionAid is to strive for social justice whereby inequality is eradicated. Patriarchy is deeply entrenched in society and marginalises women across social spheres, depriving them of their rights and excluding them from services and governance processes. The widening economic inequality within the country, which further compounded by populist global trends makes the poorest of the poor even poorer.  Furthermore, the vulnerability of communities living in poverty and exclusion are further intensified due to natural disasters and structural causes of violence Due to climate induced vulnerabilities, the poor and excluded.

AAB has committed to applying a feminist lens and values in its work, which will guide its approach, interpreting and advancing intersecting inequalities. It addresses injustice and inequality caused by the power structures, both visible and invisible, in communities. To generate a broad community-wide understanding of the issue, AAIB will address the structural causes of injustice in terms of distribution of wealth, opportunities and privileges. Affirmative approaches are required at all levels to reconcile inequalities, and address the structural causes of inequality arising from unequal power relations.

Women-led Emergency Response (WLER)
Women Empowerment and Women Leadership is the key to ActionAid’s development work. AAB first piloted Women-Led Emergency Response (WLER) in 2013 during Cyclone Mohashen Response programme in Kalapara Uapzila of Patuakhali District. Since women are never seen playing such role before, community people and relevant actors thought involving women in this task would be waste of time. Women are incapable of leading emergency response was the common perception.

Later the WLER initiative of AAB was highly appreciated by administration, local government, community leaders, media etc. Local government recognised that women-led emergency response is low cost and rapid. Hence, they decided to allocate fund to women leaders for emergency response.

Since 2013, community women leaders participated and shared their experience in different Global Platform Disaster Risk Reduction (GPDRR). Ms. Laily Begom, a woman leader form Kalapara participated GPDRR in 2017 as the only community representative in Government of Bangladesh delegation team.

AAB developed WLER team in 10 disaster prone districts in the country. AAB facilitated WLER in 8 emergency response situations in recent years covering land slide, flash flood, flood, cyclone, cold wave etc. Recently this approach has been replicated in three districts (Gaibandha, Sirajgonj & Jamalpur) under DFID funded flood recovery programme.

Providing information to the communities and receiving information from them has been the most challenging task in COVID 19 response. At the same time, it is also the key to effective COVID-19 response. AAB established Women Led Communication Matrix (WLCM) to reach out to grassroots communities particularly to connect to community women through this WLCM to combat COVID-19 crisis.

Women Leadership in Rohingya Response Programme of AAB
• Protection support (gender-based violence, child protection support and general protection) led by women staff
• Around 60 % staff of AAB Rohingya Response team are women
• In COVID-19 response, critical protection services (Health, Food, Nutrition, Communication with Community and Protection) are provided by AAB are listed below. These services are mostly provided by women staff and volunteers.
- Awareness raising on COVID-19 prevention and preparedness
- GBV case management
- Psychosocial support
- General protection case management
- Mask production and distribution

Humanitarian Response
The virtues of Emergency Response include faith, courage, insistence, love and compassion. In humanitarian response, ActionAid always puts emphasis on ensuring accountability and transparency and it should not be the one way rather both way communication needed so that community can hold us to account during the emergency responses. In the humanitarian context of the Rohingya refugee influx in Bangladesh, AAB is working in cooperation with the Government of Bangladesh. AAB is responsible for the camp management of Mainarghona camp/ extension of Balukhali camp. The accountability mechanism of AAB is not just establishing a system but will enable refugees to participate in the humanitarian aid process and hold humanitarian agencies accountable. In relation to the camp management role and to ensure participation, a number of committees have been formed comprising of Rohingya refugees such as WASH committees, WATCH groups, and Youth groups and etc. As a result, these committees will play an important role to hold humanitarian actors to account on the aid process.

Amid coronavirus pandemic, ActionAid Bangladesh is continuing its critical service in the Rohingya camps as per sector and RRRC guideline which cover awareness raising on COVID-19 prevention, psychosocial support, case management and referral services. ActionAid has also started producing mask in 3 of the centers in the Rohingya Camps.

CENTRE FOR GENOCIDE STUDIES (CGS), UNIVERSITY OF DHAKA

University of Dhaka was the epicenter of genocide during the Liberation of Bangladesh in 1971. The University lost many of its eminent teachers, academicians, students, employees and their family members during the Liberation War of 1971. After 41 years of the massacre, University of Dhaka established and launched the Centre for Genocide Studies (CGS) on 25 March 2012. CGS recognizes that in the past 150 years, tens of millions of people have lost their lives in genocides and mass atrocities in the world. Millions have been tortured, raped, and forcibly displaced from their homes. At present, more than 60 countries are involved in armed conflicts around the globe. There are more than 40 situations of protracted conflicts. Presently, there are potential situations of genocide in Syria, Sudan and Myanmar. The aim of CGS is therefore to address genocide, mass atrocities, violence and crime over peace-loving people of the world and lead effective initiatives for a peaceful world. To make its task unique in this part of the world and attain the greater goals of humanity, CGS is involved in a number of activates including:

Teaching: CGS currently offers Postgraduate Diploma in Genocide Studies (PDGS). The aim of this program is to provide a comprehensive introduction to Genocide Studies. The diploma degree is designed for practitioners, journalists, lawyers, and academic researchers, personnel from law enforcement agencies and professional from any field with interest.

Fellowship: CGS offers fellowship to Bangladeshi applicants who demonstrate outstanding potentials and can contribute in diverse areas. The fellowship is offered in three categories - PhD Research, Senior Fellow and Junior Fellow.

The Walking Museum: The birth of Bangladesh, cannot be contemplated without taking into consideration the glorious role and the painful sacrifice of the University of Dhaka. To sensitize newly admitted students of the University and introduce them with the genocidal violence of their campus, CGS regularly organizes The Walking Museum: University of Dhaka & 1971 Genocide.

Seminar, Conference and Public Lecture: CGS regularly organizes national and international seminar, conference and public lectures to discuss and discover different dynamics of genocide and violence in Bangladesh and beyond. Prominent scholars like Dr. Ranabir Samaddar (Director, Calcutta Research Group, Kolkata, India) lectured on: Policing A Riot-Torn City: Kolkata 16-19 August 1946, Sue Groneeold (Professor of History, Kean Univerrsity USA) on Genocide in Asia and many others from different countries have visited CGS and delivered insightful findings on their respective subject matter. Beside regular seminars, CGS organizes annual international conference on genocide which attracts a large number of participants every year. On 14-15 December 2017, CGS organized its Second International Conference on Genocide and Mass Violence. The first international conference was held on 24-26 March 2016 titled: Genocide and Mass Violence: Theories Traumas Trials and Testimonies. The third international conference was held in March 2019.

Friends of CGS: Since 2014, CGS is supported by personnel from diverse sectors like the government, academic institutions, think tanks, media, NGOs, civil society and other stakeholders under the umbrella of friends of CGS.

Publications: ● CGS Peace Report: 12 ● CGS Papers: 7 [four under CGS-Square Fellowship (2015-2018) and three CGS-FES Fellowship on the Futures of Education (2018)]. ● Human Rights in Bangladesh: Past, Present and Futures edited by Imtiaz Ahmed (2014). Published by CGS in association with University Press Ltd. (UPL). ● Genocide and Mass Violence: Politics of Singularity edited by Imtiaz Ahmed (2019). Published by CGS ● Rohingya Refugee Crisis: Towards Sustainable Solutions edited by Imtiaz Ahmed (2019). Published by CGS in Collaboration with ActionAid Bangladesh and BRAC Centre for Peace and Justice (CPJ).

The Bangladesh Peace Observatory (BPO): Accessible at www.peaceobservatory-cgs.org, BPO is a research facility established in 2016 and housed at the Centre for Genocide Studies (CGS), University of Dhaka in partnership with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). BPO is a component of UNDP’s project on the “Partnerships for a Tolerant, Inclusive Bangladesh” (PTIB). The BPO seeks to support government institutions, academia, civil society organizations, and the media - in making better public policy decisions, tailored interventions and programming, enhanced research, and effective advocacy campaigning for social cohesion and peace based on data, evidence, research, and critical analysis. The ongoing activities under BPO are:

Open Access Data: BPO consolidates data on violence in Bangladesh, standardize and aggregate them, and perform visualization and analysis out of those data in a more user friendly way.

Micro Narratives: BPO utilizes micro narratives collected from CGS’s qualitative research works and incorporates these on its peace reports and discussions.

Professional Certificate Course/ Trainings: As a part of BPO initiative, CGS also offers intensive course to understand the underlying factors behind violence, including practices in various countries of preventing/countering it.

CGS Peace Report: As a part of BPO initiative, CGS publishes Peace Report to provide an understanding of thematic situations. Five CGS Peace Report have been published so far covering a number of issues. The Latest CGS Peace Report focuses on the Rohingya Issue.

Peacegraphics: Peacegraphics are published online on BPO website to visually comprehend the monthly and weekly data on violence situation of Bangladesh.

Covid19graphics: BPO Covid19graphics is an infographic publication providing insight in trends in social tension and social cohesion related to COVID-19 and COVID-19 response.

Center for Peace & Justice, BRAC University

Centre for Peace and Justice (CPJ) is a multi-disciplinary academic institute, which promotes global peace and social justice through quality education, research, training and advocacy. CPJ is committed to identifying and promoting sustainable and inclusive solutions to a wide range of global concerns and issues, including fragility, conflict and violence. CPJ has already accomplished much in the area of research, training and advocacy in its three thematic areas (1) Peace and Fragility (2) Social Justice (3) Open Society.

CPJ has been working in the Rohingya refugee and host communities of Cox’s Bazar since the influx in August 2017. As a knowledge partner with UN agencies, donors and NGOs, CPJ promotes community engagement, social cohesion and peace through research, training, advocacy and programme support. In 2019, CPJ established the Refugee Research Unit and launched a ‘satellite’ office in Ukhiya, Cox’s Bazar to facilitate research and to implement various ‘pilot’ interventions. CPJ has developed a network of community-based organisations, including educational institutions, in the refugee and host communities of Ukhiya, Cox’s Bazar.

CPJ has undertaken multi-disciplinary empirical research related to topics, such as, peace, social cohesion and civic engagement with special focus on youth, gender and communities living in fragile situation, for example, the Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar. CPJ’s research is both quantitative and qualitative in nature, and the following are some notable examples: (1) Social Cohesion, Resilience and Peace Building between Host Population and Rohingya Community in Cox’s Bazar (2) Learning Peace and Civics towards Positive Change in Rohingya Camps and Host Communities (3) Rohingya Civil Society, Governance and Security Dynamics: A Changing Landscape of Cox’s Bazar (4) Rapid Assessment on the Role of Community in Response to COVID-19 in the Rohingya Camp. Currently CPJ is completing two studies, namely, Formulation of a Roadmap for further Localisation of Humanitarian Response in Cox’s Bazar and Rohingya Mobility Study - Cross Border Analysis.

CPJ has implemented two pilot interventions in Cox’s Bazar. First, Community-Based Learning for Peace Project and second, Civic Outreach Project, which involved youth from both the Rohingya and host communities. Presently CPJ is implementing three projects: (1) 2-year long project tilted ‘International Justice and Accountability for Rohingya’ in partnership with International Commission of Jurists with support from the Asia Justice Coalition (2) 3-year long project titled ‘Bridging Communities in Cox’s Bazar: Mitigating Risks and Promoting Gender, Governance and Localization of Humanitarian Responses in COVID-19 Era’ funded by IDRC and (3) ‘Bridging Community and Humanitarian Response to COVID-19’ funded by DFID.

The ultimate aim of CPJ’s work is to undertake evidence-based policy advocacy and to create a bridge between academics and practitioners. CPJ is actively engaged in various advocacy related to justice and accountability for Rohingya refugees. CPJ has assisted the International Criminal Court by organising various events with civil society organisations in Cox’s Bazar in order to submit victims’ representation. In June 2018 CPJ facilitated the submission of Amicus Curiae Observations to the ICC on behalf of Bangladeshi Non-Governmental Representatives. Another significant event organised by CPJ was the ‘International Conclave on Justice and Accountability for Rohingya’, which was held on 18th October, 2019 at The Hague with the support of the International Institute of Social Studies, The Netherlands and the Asia Justice Coalition.

In 2018, CPJ co-organised an international conference ‘Rohingya Refugee Crisis: Towards Sustainable Solutions’, and an international seminar on ‘Accountability: The International Criminal Court and the Rohingya Crisis’ with ActionAid Bangladesh and Centre for Genocide Studies of Dhaka University.

CPJ lauds the initiative taken by the International Court of Justice, and CPJ has organised a number of public lectures, seminars and roundtables on various ICC related issues. CPJ will continue to highlight and present credible evidence to promote the well-being and welfare of the Rohingya refugees.