Ethnic Community Development Organization (ECDO) - Sylhet, Bangladesh

‘Adibashi Barta’ a news bulletin of ECDO is published

ecdo_admin — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 08:00:40 +0000

A Manipuri Women Weaver Association formed by ECDO

ecdo_admin — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 15:53:03 +0000

A Manipuri indigenous women weaver association consists of 25 members formed by ECDO. All of the members are involved with indigenous Manipuri traditional hand loom production. The ECDO’s aim of formation of this women association is are as follows;
• To make a common platform for Manipuri indigenous women who are involved with hand loom sector.
• Increasing their skills & capacity by providing different kinds of training & other technical support.
• To set up a production & display centre for marketing.
• Providing funding support with the help of from other GO & NGO sectors.
• To create gradually more employment opportunity in this sector also for the rest of other women.
• To uplift the standard of livelihood for Manipuri women through creating income generating activities.

ECDO is seeking cooperation from government and NGO/INGO for ensuring these above mentioned aims of ECDO through providing financial & technical support.

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

ECDO arranged a meeting with Manipuri women weavers

ecdo_admin — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 11:42:14 +0000

Ethnic Community Development Organization has been taken an initiative for formation of a Manipuri Women Weaver Association. The main objective of this initiative is to empower the Manipuri indigenous women through providing different trainings on leadership and other income generating activities and entrepreneurship.

ECDO already arranged several meetings with Manipuri women weavers & everybody was appreciated very much for this good initiative. Now formation of a women weaver group is under process. After formation of this group ECDO will arrange training for them. It should be mention that Manipuri indigenous community is very famous for its rich culture & Manipuri weaving & handicraft is also very well known to all in Bangladesh. But due to lack of skill development training and fund now this valuable traditional sector is abolishing from this community. On the other hand the socio-economic condition of Manipuri community is also become very worse day by day due to increasing unemployment problem among the community. Considering these things ECDO is taking this initiative to address the above problems in this community.

ECDO observed International Mother Language Day 2010

ecdo_admin — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 07:22:37 +0000

ECDO observed International Mother Language Day on 21^st February, 2010. ECDO tributes to the Language Movement martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the mother tongue 58 years ago. ECDO organized a rally on the occasion of this day observation & after rally ECDO laid wreaths at the Sylhet Shaheed Minar and stood in silence for a few moments in remembrance of the martyrs. In the program there were present Executive committee members of the organization & staffs. ECDO observed this International Mother Language Day every year.

A visitor team from Danida & Oxfam GB visited ECDO

ecdo_admin — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 07:57:47 +0000

Mr. Hans Hoffmeyer Senior Advisor/Programme Coordinator of Project Support Unit-Human Rights and Good Governance of Danida & Mr. MB Akter Program Manager of Oxfam GB, a total five members of visitor team visited ECDO office and its project area at Jaintapur Upozela under Sylhet district for monitoring the progress of Anagrasar Gono Unnayan Prokolpo (A backward community development project) which was started at the end of 2007 with support from Oxfam GB & Danida.

During their field visit they met and discussed with local government representatives and community peoples to know about the immediate impact of this project & for future directions. After field visit they also met with the executive members of ECDO. It should be mentioned that ECDO is implementing this project in the indigenous area to create awareness and ensure capacity building for the local indigenous people’s organization such as; Community Based Organization (CBO), Traditional Social Structure (TSS), and to ensure their rights for education, land and other rights on indigenous issues in the aspect of national and international.

ECDO have already some significant achievements under this project within this short period of time, which is appreciated by different stakeholders and civil society members. One of the mentionable achievements is that after getting different training under this project access of indigenous peoples to the different local government offices increasing gradually. Now they have gained some capacity to bargain about their rights with the local government authorities.

Consultative meeting held on indigenous issues

ecdo_admin — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 10:42:10 +0000

ECDO organized a District Level Consultative Meeting on 31^st December 2009 under Anagrasar Gono Unnayan Prokolpa (Backward Community Development Project) with support from Oxfam GB. The consultative meeting was presided by the additional deputy commissioner (Education & Development) of Sylhet Mr. Ahmed Shamim Al-Raji. Mr Lakshmikanta Singh Executive Director of ECDO was present as the moderator of the meeting. At the beginning of this meeting he delivered a well come speech and described about the aims and objectives of the meeting.

The main objectives of this meeting were as follows;

Sensitizing deputy commissioner and other district level government offices on indigenous issues.
Introducing present situation of indigenous peoples to different local government offices as well as civil society.
To get attention of local government authorities for the solution of existing indigenous people’s problems on education, land, health, human rights & for other important issues.

It should be mentioned at the beginning of the meeting the Executive Director of ECDO made a presentation on the present activities of ECDO & the existing situation of indigenous peoples. In this meeting among the participants there were present different representatives from civil society, government and non government organizations. The deputy commissioner office gave some commitment to work for the solution of existing indigenous peoples problems. They also suggest to indigenous leaders to share with deputy commissioner office any kinds of problems on indigenous issues, so that they can take proper steps for solution. Finally, the deputy commissioner office thanked to ECDO for organizing like this exceptional important meeting on indigenous issues.

Celebration of World Indigenous Day-2009

ecdo_admin — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 03:22:59 +0000

Last 9^th August, 2009 ECDO celebrated World Indigenous Day in Sylhet with other local indigenous people’s organization. Rally, discussion session and cultural program were organized on the occasion of the day. There were more than one thousand indigenous peoples from different indigenous communities took participate in that whole day program. Besides of these there were present City Mayor, government officials, civil society members, lawyers, journalists, academicians and other local leaders. In the discussion session, indigenous leaders raised to the government to ensure following some of their basic demands;

1. Constitutional recognition of indigenous peoples.
2. To form another special standing committee for indigenous at Sylhet City corporation and at union level where indigenous peoples are living.
3. To ensure primary school for all indigenous community villages.
4. To recruit indigenous community teachers at primary school considering the problem of language barrier for indigenous children.
To ensure mother tongue primary education for indigenous children.
To ensure government scholarship for the poor meritorious indigenous students.
To form a separate plane land indigenous ministry.
To preserve quota at college level and University level (especially for Sylhet region) for indigenous students for a specific period of time.
To provide training & loan facilities for ensuring employment opportunity of indigenous youths and girls.
To provide hostel facilities for the poor indigenous college and university students.
At last to ensure land rights for the indigenous community.

At the end of discussion session the honorable guests were also disclose the journal Annual Review of Ethnic Affairs Vol V, which is being published by ECDO every year on the occasion of world indigenous day since 2005. Mentionable that most of the indigenous leaders appreciated very much our honorable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, for her important message on this day. The program was held very successfully with support from Oxfam GB at M. Saifur Rahaman auditorium, Sylhet, Bangladesh. Most of the local and national dailies covered this news emphasizing very highly.

Consultative meeting held at Union Level

ecdo_admin — Mon, 18 May 2009 09:31:34 +0000

ECDO organized a Consultative Meeting with the Union Parishad to review their action plan progress for the past and coming year. ECDO is taking such initiative to make sure that Indigenous Peoples gain by ensuring equity in the disbursement of Union Parishad (UP) resources approved from the central government. The Union Parishad chairman reviewed the last year’s action plan and listed their achievements for the year, what is still being implemented and assured that those objectives not met will be accomplished in the coming year.

The indigenous people expressed their appreciation to the UP chairman for the work that has been done already and said they were very happy with the progress of the last year. For the coming year the UP chairman committed to building a Temple at Goabari village, Jaintapur upozila, under Sylhet district. Finally, ECDO on behalf of the Indigenous Community requested the UP chairman to ensure that the Social Safety Net Program (SSNP) such as Vulnerable Group Feeding (VGF) and Vulnerable Group Development (VGD) were properly distributed to the community. Mentionable that ECDO arranged like this consultative meeting at 5 Union Parishad in Sylhet Districts Northeastern part of Bangladesh.