I AM A BANGLADESHI POLICE OFFICER, NOW I AM WORKING LAST ONE YEAR FROM FEBRUARY 2012 TO TILL DATE IN COTE D'IVOIRE AS A PEACE KEEPER UNDER UNOCI, I WAS ALSO SERVED HEAR LAST 2007-2008 FOR ONE AND HALF YEAR, WE WORK ON SAFETY AND SECURITY MATTER FOR BOTH UN PERSONNEL AND LOCAL PEOPLES, WE TRAINED LOCAL POLICE ON LAW, HUMAN RIGHTS, GENDER EQUITY AND PUBLIC ORDER MANAGEMENT,
I HAVE A 19 YEARS EXPERIENCE ON PROFESSIONAL POLICING AND TEACHING,
I CAN WORK ANY WHERE IN WORLD FOR THE HUMANITY IN THE FIELD OF PROTECTION, SAFETY AND SECURITY.
NOW I AM COMMANDING 200 POLICE PERSONNEL AS DEPUTY COMMANDER OF BANGLADESHI POLICE CONTINGENT.

A Live Facebook Chat with an Online Volunteering Award Winner (2012)

Dhaka, 2 December 2012: UNV Bangladesh hosted a live Facebook chat with Bushra Ferdous Khan (a graduate student from Bangladesh) who was one of the 10 award winners of the 2012 Online Volunteering Awards. She shared her online volunteer experience with the Association for Global Humanists and Ethics (AGHE) in Pakistan where she supported the development of a project proposal that was 8.5 million Pakistani rupee grant from USAID‘s Citizens’ Voice Project for being an innovative model for strengthening civic participation and improving public accountability.  Participants of the live chat from around the world questioned her about her motivation, interest and project during the live chat. Bushra encouraged everyone to consider volunteering part of time for various initiatives through the use of the Online Volunteering site.

https://www.facebook.com/UNVBangladesh/photos_albums#!/photo.php?fbid=463504730361831&set=a.457268624318775.103352.385084101537228&type=1&theater

Celebrate Volunteering

Cox’s Bazar, 5 December 2012: To celebrate International volunteers day (IVD) 2012, volunteers organised a day long beach program at the Pacific Cafe, Cox's Bazar.

With over 50 people in attendance, participants from UNV, AusTraining International, Cox's Bazar English club, Cox's Bazar Surf and Lifesaving club, amongst others, enjoyed presentations on volunteering for peace and development and a forum to express their feelings on volunteerism called "volunteer voices".

After a lunch together, the day concluded with activities such as football, cricket and beach volleyball with a sunset over the Bay of Bengal to boot.

• https://www.facebook.com/UNVBangladesh/photos_albums#!/media/set/?set=a.439923102734128.104246.269972256395881&type=1

Be The Change You Want To See: Conversing with Youth of Bangladesh

Dhaka, 5 December 2012: Youth in Bangladesh constitute approximately 1/3 of the population (appx. 50 million), the country is one the youngest nations in the world bursting with creativity, energy an potential to create massive changes with the right direction and focus.

In light of International Volunteer Day and the UNiTE Campaign, UNV in partnership with The Daily Star and UNDP Bangladesh organized a joint policy dialogue “Be the Change You Want to See” as part of long term consultations and engagement processes with the youth of Bangladesh for strategic programme and policy formulation.

Youth from the mainstream in Bangladesh working on issues access and use of basic services, Gender and VAW, Active Citizenship and migration and in the areas of skills development and use of IT  joined the discussion yesterday at The Daily Star Round Table.

Creating safe spaces in which youth can address and find solutions to issues through peer networks at the village and local government levels was one of the key outcomes. A well-received way forward to the audience was the necessity and importance of creating a platform for youth to come together for collective decision making where the “youth force” could address their concerns with the government.

The Daily Star Newspaper will be publishing a supplement in the coming days in Dhaka with the key discussion points and outcomes of this Round Table.

The Daily Star will also publish a supplement on this RoundTable around 20 December 2012.

• https://www.facebook.com/UNVBangladesh/photos_albums#!/media/set/?set=a.464895250222779.104935.385084101537228&type=3

Use of Online Radio in Bangladesh

Friday, December 7, 2012 – Live Online Radio Dialogue with National UN Volunteer Mahsin Mahmuda on the UNV programme and also information dissemination about the event to be held on 8 December was undertaken.

• www.radiokolergan.com, http://www.facebook.com/radiokolergan

Empower the Nation – Volunteer Your Time In Your Community

Saturday December 08, 2012: Over 600 individuals representative of 20+ organisations gathered  together for an Awareness and Cleanup campaign to highlight the importance of community action and commemorate International Volunteer Day 2012. This year’s theme, Celebrate Volunteering, reminds us all of the integral role that volunteerism plays in addressing issues at the community level, whether it be related to keeping our environment clean, community based health care or supporting information education. We also showcased the impact that volunteers have throughout the country in tackling issues such a human trafficking and disaster preparedness while also paying homage to the impact volunteerism has had on the evolution of Bangladesh as a country.

Over 500 international and national colleagues from the Fire Service and Civil Defence Urban Volunteers Network, BRAC University’s Earth and Environment Forum,  Institute of Disaster Management and Vulnerability Studies (DU), Volunteer for Bangladesh, Rongdhonu, Students from BMET, National Youth Federation of Bangladesh, National Youth Council of Bangladesh, Hope 87, Bangladesh Red Crescent Society and interested individuals joined this event that focused on environmental awareness and cleanliness in Mirpur.

Mr. Ilyas Uddin Mollah, MP, Dhaka 16 committed to the provision of logistical and other support for volunteer led initiatives in this area (Mirpur 10 & 11).

“Take responsibility and action” urged Md. Mahmud Reza Khan (Administrative DNCC) as he motivated the audience to be engaged and further involved in various development and community issues.

The event was also attended by Captain Bipan Kumar Saha, BN (Chief of Waste Management, DNCC), Mr. Moazzem Hossain (Assistant Director, Department of Youth Development). Mr. Badiuzzaman (Vice Principle, Fire Service and Civil Defence Training) and Mr. Shigeki Furuta (Senior Representative, JICA).

 This event will be jointly organized by the Dhaka City Corporation (North), AusTraining, JICA, KOICA, UNV and VSO.

• https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.466189943426643.105155.385084101537228&type=3

• Channel i and other media outlets carried news footage of the event on 8 December 2012. Shall circulate all media clippings upon receipt.

Udbastu Foundation has a countrywide volunteer forum. We are proud to announce that we have more than 700 dedicated volunteers! And its increasing by an increasing rate...... We have celebrated IVD-2012 some what differently by observing World Aids Day-2012 through a Human Chain & Walk-A-Thon. For further details about the event please visit www.udbastufoundation.org or find us on www.facebook.com/udbastufoundation 

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A Live Facebook Chat with an Online Volunteering Award Winner (2012)

Dhaka, 2 December 2012 UNV Bangladesh hosted a live Facebook chat with Bushra Ferdous Khan ( a graduate student from Bangladesh) who was one of the 10 award winners of the 2012 Online Volunteering Awards. She shared her online volunteer experience with the Association for Global Humanists and Ethics (AGHE) in Pakistan where she supported the development of the project proposal that was 8.5 million Pakistani rupee grant from USAID's Citizens' Voice Project for being an innovative model for strengthening civic participation and improving public accountability. Participants of the live chat from around the world questioned her about her motivation, interest and project during the live chat. Bushra encouraged everyone to consider volunterering part of time for various initiatives through the use of the Online Volunteering site.

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I am a big fan of Massive Open Online Courses. These high quality education material changed my life, made me a more knowledgeable and confident person, also fulfilled my childhood dream of studying in top universities in MIT. There are loads of other people in my country who have same kind of needs and thirsts regrading quality education material like I do. So about six months back i started telling people about these courses. Most of the peoples were skeptical and did not give me much listen. But I started finding people in need of these material and also passionate about quality education. Also, people who cant access higher education in my country due to money problem are also befitting from these material. Me and my friends are collecting the materials from different online courses and supplying them to anybody in need. The curator of TEDxDhaka, Mr. cal Jahan and the HRM Mirza Salman Hossain beg started a project under the TEDxDhaka named TRANSED. It means, Transforming Education. I believe the root cause of all the problem my country, Bangladesh have lies in the education system, and i want to transform it in my own way. I am going to jailbreak it.

There was a devastating and deadliest cyclone of Bhola in 1970 on 12 November which is the largest island of Bangladesh, also a coastal and tropical area, where I was born. Up to 500000 people lost their lives. After this, A huge humanitarian crisis created from lack of food, shelter, proper treatment. Dead bodies were not disposed of properly and making it water unfit for drinking. In the storm, I lost all of my family members except my father and grandfather. I heard from my father that if there was warning and help was offered for the victims at the right time such a humanitarian crisis could have been avoided. So that many people could have been able to save their lives. West Pakistani government did not help to the victims even after 10 days. I think that if there were some people who could be able to provide timely necessary help as affected people first res-ponder. That is why we need many trained first res-ponder within our communities in any natural disaster in any corner of the world.

Sustainable development achieve its goal when there is proper volunteering.such as Bangladesh is a poor country.Almost all people are always busy for collecting money and food. There is no assurance for job.For why student/men always feel frustrate. If the govt. the govt. assure them for job and food,they have to be happy.So volunteering is very essential here.Only volunteering can give them advise for not frustrating .Bangladesh is over populated country.Many people pass there time for gossiping and idle.They want to do work but work is not available here.
Atiar,Bangladesh.

My name is Shahida Akhter. I am a UNV from Bangladesh since 1991, worked with UN Peacekeeping Mission in Cambodia during 1992-93. Being a UNV, I have been working both individually and with the groups to help the people in natural disasters, in health sector, environment and promoting basic education to the under-privileged children, adolescent and adults associated with UNICEF, Save the Children, Habitat for Humanity International and other NGOs in Bangladesh. I was the Chairperson of UNV Advocacy Committee in 2009, our partners are UNMC, UNIC, UNAID, Habitat for Humanity International, VSO, JICA, KOICA and other voluntary organizations, who are closely working with the policy makers, NGOs, development agencies, civil society members and media personnel with the objectives of promoting voluntary activities to achieve MDGs and ensure recognition of the volunteers at national and social level. We have prepared a Draft of “National Volunteer Policy” and delivered it to the government.

Bangladesh is a country of natural disaster. Every year people have to face devastated cyclone and storms. As an individual volunteer, I helped many cyclone-affected people in the costal areas of Bangladesh. I raised fund to help cyclone Sidr-victims in 2007 and distributed relief personally to many people. Since then I took the responsibility of an injured boy of 14 years, who was about to die. I helped him getting treatment in the hospital, who had gone through surgery three times. He was from completely bed-ridden. He hailed from a very poor family. I supported him financially, and collected fund for his treatment. After three months physiotherapy in CRP Dhaka and Savar, he was able to seat on a wheel chair. Still I am trying to get him improved treatment so that he can walk and continue his study.

Moreover, I write education materials for disadvantaged children and mass people, these are being distributed by the UNICEF and the NGOs to the learners.

We have arranged a number of workshops on National Volunteer Policy involving the Ministry of Youth, Ministry of Natural disaster and the voluntary organizations. We celebrated IVD with the voluntary organizations through various activities, involving the youth groups, students and the volunteers of different sectors. The program includes: Cleaning campaign in the educational institutions, rally and campaign for better health and environment, Blood donation camp, Art competition for children, Tree plantation, Building Homes for Homeless and award giving to the best volunteers. At present, I am working on arsenic pollution and its harmfull affect on children and other people.
Shahida Akhter, UNV, Bangladesh

I am an advocate for structural decentralization, institutional democratization and fighting corruption. I had noticed in Bangladesh, there is no study center for decentralization, which encouraged me to initiate "Centre for Decentralization and Governance Society (CDG)" in 2011, but it has just been registered or approved by the government under society act (see initial website:www.cdgbd.com). Currently I am the elected and voluntary chairperson of the center.

Center for Decentralization and Governance Society (CDG), founded on 12th day of February 2011, promotes effective, efficient and sustainable democratic governance and decentralization with the exponential increase of transparency and accountability and with a full respect to the rule of law and human rights. Further to building the public trust on democratic governance, the Center intends to cast new light on local governance with a strong democratic decentralization.

The Center is the meeting point of theoretical and empirical analysis of contemporary political and policy affairs. It concentrates on peer study and policy as well as action research in the concerned domains so as to find innovative ideas and/or solution points and to know how to master the existing systems for achieving better results.

One of the unique strengths of the Center is that it focuses not only on the study but also on the advocacy and capacity building for the real actors of democracy and decentralization. It also acts as a publicly visible forum with the civic engagement. And collaboration across the public, scholars, media, politicians, development partners and other legitimate players of democracy as well as decentralization is central to the approach of the Center. Most importantly, gender mainstreaming in governance, fighting corruption and combating poverty are crosscutting themes of the Center.

The Center is a nonprofit organization. The contributions to the center are as diverse technical, material and/or financial. Your participation in the activities of the center or just moral support to it is a contribution as well.

Beyond the voluntary activities for the center, I do advocacy for decentralized and democratic governance and for combating corruption though scholarly write-ups. Here you see the review of one of my books: http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=155784

Mohammad Rafiqul Islam Talukdar
Chairperson, Centre for Decentralization and Governance Society (CDG), Dhaka
Fellow, Center for Development Management, Asian Institute of Management, Manila
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I served as Community to assist refugee women in Bangladesh in their community. During that time my contribution to them were to better support and empower the refugee women in creating income generation activities and in promoting advocacy of girls education. The community started to work in teams in order for the income generation activity to put in place and improved their household income in covering a share of the basic needs. They also started to send their girls to schools, improved their childrens education as well their income.

Thank you.

Manzur