Ethnic Community Development Organization (ECDO) - Sylhet, Bangladesh » Education

Workshop On Leadership & Human Rights for College and University going indigenous students

ecdo_admin — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 04:54:10 +0000

On last 18 December, 2011 ECDO organized a workshop on Leadership Development & Human Rights for College and University going indigenous students. About 45 indigenous students from different community in Sylhet region participated in that workshop. Mr. Laskshmikanta Singh, Executive Director of ECDO made an introductory speech about his organization and its activities through a multimedia presentation.

Professor Dr. Faisal Ahmmed from Social work department, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology was present in that workshop as a resource person. He made two presentations on human rights and leadership. He also described the present situation of indigenous community on the context of Bangladesh and justified why training on leadership and human rights are important for indigenous students. He suggested the students to know about his/her community so that they can take necessary initiative and make plan for the development of their own community. Mr. Lakshmikanta said working on indigenous peoples he found most of the mainstream community peoples are also very much concern about the problems of indigenous peoples. So the leaders of indigenous peoples and others who are working for the development of indigenous community should work together with mainstream civil society members for getting their valuable support & cooperation to establish the rights of indigenous peoples. Further he suggests the indigenous students for establish good relationship with mainstream community students so that indigenous peoples can get their valuable support on indigenous issue. The students thanked to ECDO for organizing like this valuable workshop on leadership development for indigenous students. The participant students were from Khasi, Manipuri, Garo, Hajong, Pangal and some other community. ECDO was organized this workshop with support from Oxfam GB under its Support to Indigenous Peoples in Plan Land-SIPPL project.

Organized Indigenous women Leadership training

ecdo_admin — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 15:26:37 +0000

A women leadership training was organized by ECDO during 10th -12th December 2011 in Sylhet. Twenty five women representatives from different indigenous Community Based Organizations (CBO) for women participated in the training. The main objective of this training was to develop their capacity to ensure women empowerment in the society. Advocate Sayeda Shirin Akhter, Divisional head of Sylhet Bangladesh National Women Lawyers Association (BNWLA) was present as the chief facilitator in the training. Advocate Zakia Jalal lawyer of Sylhet district Judge Court was also present as a facilitator of this three day long training. In this training session topics on women’s leadership, concept of development, present status of women on the context of Bangladesh, a brief discussion on violence against women, CEDAW, negative impact of early marriage etc were widely discussed before the participants. Two video clips related to women’s rights & violence against women was also shown as part of training session. At the last day, as part of the closing session, S. Rina Devi, President, Bangladesh Manipuri Mahila Samity, shared her experience how indigenous people fight for their rights and as woman how much struggle is to ensure rights. In his concluding speech, Mr. Lakshmikanta Singh Executive Director of ECDO, requested all participants to ensure proper utilization of knowledge and skills what they have learnt in the training for establish women rights in their respective societies for stopping violence against women and for ensuring their rights. This training program was organized by ECDO under its Support to Indigenous Peoples in Plain Land- SIPPL project funded by Oxfam GB.

Monthly Group Meeting of DIPTYA Project

ecdo_admin — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 05:00:05 +0000

Ethnic Community Development Organization – ECDO have launched Development Initiative to Promote Transforming Youth and Adolescents – DIPTYA project from 1stJuly 2011 with support from Manusher Jonno Foundation (MJF).

Under this project 5 adolescent groups will be formed consisting 20 members each group and also a discussion session will be held with each adolescent group in every month.

In this monthly group meeting the facilitator will discuss on Human Rights, Women Rights, Child Rights & about Right to Information Act (RTI) to make aware about their rights among the adolescents.

Oxfam GB started its second phase project with ECDO

ecdo_admin — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 07:00:06 +0000

Ethnic Community Development Organization-ECDO launched Support to Indigenous Peoples in Plain Land-SIPPL project from 1^st July 2011 with support from Oxfam GB. ECDO already completed another project Anagrasar Gono Unnayan Project with Oxfam GB which had been started in 2007 for the period of three years. After successfully completion of that project, ECDO started the above mentioned project with Oxfam GB for the period of 1^st July 2011 to 31^st March 2014.

The main objectives of the second phase project is to develop Capacities of adibashi population at different level and local Community Based Organization-CBO’s are enhance to enable to claim their rights and entitlements from government and different service providers. And in the education sector School System strengthened for ensuring the Adibashi children have greater access to bi-lingual pre-primary education and formal education provided by NGOs and Government respectively. And the last objective is to strengthening the Women leadership to protect women rights and ending violence against women in our society. This project will be implemented in three Upozellas (Sub-district) of Sylhet district where different indigenous peoples are concentrated.

The main activities of this project is to recruit indigenous teachers at Government primary school for the convenient of indigenous children to received their lesson with the help of their mother tongue teachers, organizing School Management Committee (SMC) meeting, meeting with parents, organizing training, seminar and meeting with different stakeholder including local government representatives for ensuring the rights of local indigenous groups.

‘Adibashi Barta’ a news bulletin of ECDO is published

ecdo_admin — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 09:28:07 +0000

A roundtable meeting on importance of bi-lingual education and indigenous teacher for indigenous children at primary level

ecdo_admin — Mon, 31 May 2010 17:54:54 +0000

As part of the activities in Anagrasar Gano Unnayan Prakolpo (AGUP) funded by Oxfam GB a Roundtable was organized by Ethnic Community Development Organization (ECDO) on “Importance of Bi-lingual Education and Indigenous Teacher for Indigenous Children at Primary Level” on 22nd May 2010 at the conference room, Hotel Polash, Sylhet. Mr. A K M Riaz Uddin, District Primary Education officer graced the event as the Chief Guest. Mr. Maruf Ahmed Choudhury, Upozilla Primary Education officer was present as special guest. Mr. Lakshmikanta Singh, Executive Director of ECDO presided over the round table meeting.

At the beginning of the program a keynote paper was presented by Mr. Oinam Pamheiba Singha, Project Coordinator of ECDO. Chief Guest Mr. A K M Riaz Uddin thanked to ECDO for taking initiative to bring the issue of Bi- Lingual Education to light. He also added that Government is aware on the issue and will take initiative for ensuring basic education in mother tongue for indigenous children within a short period of time. He mentioned the commitment of government to achieve “Millennium Development Goal” and explained that it will only be possible if we ensure education in mother tongue for indigenous people.

Speakers and participants emphasize the need to provide basic education for indigenous children in their mother tongue & recruit indigenous teacher at Government primary school. They called on the government to take initiative very urgently.

http://www.sylhetsanglap.com/fullnews.php?nid=1812&date=2010-05-22

A Seminar held on Indigenous children’s primary education in mother tongue : Significance and Intention

ecdo_admin — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 10:53:57 +0000

A Seminar was held on 15^th April, 2010 on the issue of the importance of primary education in mother tongue for indigenous children. The seminar styled ‘Indigenous children’s primary education in mother tongue: significance and intention’ was organized by the Ethnic Community Development Organization with a support from Oxfam GB under it’s Anagrasar Gonounnayan Project. The seminar was presided over by Mr. Lakshmikanta Singh executive director of the organization. Eminent author and chief of the computer science and engineering department of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology Professor Mohammed Zafar Iqbal addressed the seminar as chief guest.
Mr. Enamul Habib, Upozella Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Sylhet sadar & Mr. A.K.M Reaz Uddin, District Primary Education Officer (DPEO) were present as special guests. Seminar papers on this topic was present by Professor Dr. Tulshi Kumar Das, Chairman Social Work Department & Dean of social sciences faculty of Sylhet Shahjalal University of Science and Technology.

Mr. E. U Shahidul Islam renowned lawyer & the president of Sylhet Bar Association played role as a Moderator in this seminar. Professor Zafor said every child have the rights to study in their own mother tongue. But considering the real situation we should think up to which class we should provide in mother tongue education for indigenous children. Further he said once all indigenous children have to be mainstreaming for ensuring their own development.

Speakers of the seminar stressed the need for teaching the indigenous children in their mother tongue at the primary level so that they could absorb the lessons easily. Mentioning that the children have a natural capacity to learn any language, the speakers said the indigenous children should learn Bangla as the national language side-by-side with their own language so that they do not have to face any difficulty in their professional life.

In the seminar some indigenous leader participants were very angry for the publication with wrong information in some national curriculum books for primary and secondary level about some indigenous communities. They claimed to the concern authority of the government to make amendment this wrong information after discussion with the concern indigenous communities as early as possible.

Besides the chief & special guests other honorable participants were also delivered their valuable speeches. There were Professor Dr. Yasmeen Haque of SUST, Mr. Farukh Mahmud Chowdhury Administrator Sylhet Chambers of Commerce, Professor Dr. Abul Fateh Fattah of Sylhet Madan Mohan College, Mr, Aziz Ahmed Selim Chief editor of The Daily Uttar Purba & BTV representative of Sylhet, Mr. A K Sheram Chairperson of Bangladesh Manipuri Sahitya Sangsad, Mr. Khoiram Kamini Kumar Singha indigenous teacher, Mr. Khoiram Indrazit Singha Manipuri poet & litterateur have deliver their valuable speeches. At the end of the seminar Mr. Lakshmikanta Singh thanks to all participants to make the seminar successful.

Seminar related media link:-

http://www.thedailystar.net/campus/2010/04/04/newsroom.htm
http://www.newagebd.com/2010/apr/17/met.html

Education Program

ecdo_admin — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 10:09:36 +0000

ECDO is involved in a series of activities to improve the education status of indigenous children. Most of the indigenous children are deprived of the chance to get an education as their guardians see them as an extra hand to work and help them eke out a living. This year ECDO has been involved in two major projects in Education.

Education Materials Distribution Programme:

The Education Material Distribution (EMD) Programme was held on 8th June 2008 at Kushal Patro Indigenous Village, Khadim Nagar, Sylhet. ECDO organizes these programmes yearly from its own fund and this year it went further by adding to the programme of an open discussion with its stakeholders. During the discussion session, ECDO found that 8 indigenous secondary school students had been expelled from school due to not having school dresses. ECDO and the participants then requested the local Union Parishad (UP) Chairman who was present as the Chief Guest of the discussion session to donate school dresses for those kids. The guardians greatly appreciated these efforts made by ECDO and UP Chairman. At the moment, the students are now back to school, just after receiving their uniforms.

Recruitment of Two indigenous teachers at local government Primary School:
With the support of OXFAAM GB, in April 2008 ECDO has recruited two indigenous teachers to teach students in their mother language for the first three years of education. Research has shown that most of the indigenous students struggle with the language barrier as it is their first introduction to Bengali language during their early years of school.

ECDO’s education related special feature in the Daily Prothom Alo;
http://www.prothom-alo.net/V1/archive/news_details_home.php?dt=2009-07-25&issue_id=1353&nid=MjUxNTI=
This causes mental anguish to the young students as they struggle to keep up with the mainstream students leading to higher drop out rates and low performance. The objective for this project is to overcome this language barrier for the indigenous students and ECDO is establishing this project as a pilot programme and if successful, ECDO’s aim is to appeal to the government to adopt this strategy for all schools with a high number of indigenous students.