Event Report on National level Experience Sharing - Towards Achieving UN Sustainable Development Goals: Role of Faith Based Actors During Covid-19 ...
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Event Report on
National level Experience Sharing
Towards Achieving UN Sustainable Development Goals: Role of Faith Based
Actors During Covid-19 Crisis
March 21, 2021,
Dhaka, Bangladesh
BACKGROUND OF THE EVENT:
Faith based organizations (FBOs) are unique as they represent their faith community and are well
respected and accepted within and outside their communities. FBOs engage in communities by adhering
to the moral imperative to provide assistance to all people in need regardless of faith, upholding
international humanitarian standards and principles. Historically, faith-based groups have played
significant role in delivery of humanitarian and development services to communities as they are the first
responders in making communities sustainable. Faith-based organisations not only play a crucial role in
sustainable development but uniquely reinforce resilience of local communities for peace building,
recovery and social justice.
Faith based organisations and the faith leaders play a crucial role among the community members since
contemporary social practices of sub-continent are rooted in local culture and traditions in the
communities. FBOs as well as leaders build relationships with people across age groups, professions,
and neighborhoods. Faith leaders can also help their communities respond to COVID-19 with practices
appropriate to their organization’s mission or faith tradition. Practices such as prayer, inspirational
reading and safe community service can build confidence and create a sense of calm for the community
members.
On 2nd March 2021 senior leaders of Islamic Relief Bangladesh, World Vision Bangladesh and Cordaid had
a virtual meeting to explore a possible joint collaboration organizing a half day national level learning
session on the role of Faith Based Actors during covid 19 crisis in Bangladesh. They all agreed that World
Vision Bangladesh, Islamic Relief Bangladesh, Act Alliance and Cordaid will jointly organize a National Level
learning and Experience Sharing Event on 21 March to share, learn and highlight the contribution of faith
Actors in achieving UNSDG specially during Covid-19 crisis. The broader objective of the initiative was to
provide greater impetus and highly illustrate the voices of faith communities and effectively engage in
national and regional discourses such as APFSD, MCDRR etc. It was decided that the learning event would
also feed into the upcoming Asia Pacific Forum for Sustainable Development (APFSD) which was scheduled
to be held on 21 March 2021. All organisations agreed to assign respective staff to arrange the event lead
by Islamic Relief Bangladesh office.
KEY OBJECTIVES OF THE EVENT:
The key objectives of the event were set as following:
• To share and highlight the contribution of faith-based actors towards achieving Sustainable
Development Goals in Bangladesh during Covid 19.• To learn and to promote the work of Faith based actors through building greater cohesion and
collaboration within the faith actors as well as with other stakeholders.
• To feed the learnings and experience of the national event into Asia Pacific Forum for Sustainable
Development (APFSD) and People’s forum.
GUESTS OF THE EVENT:
The event was arranged in a distinguished convention centre of Dhaka City. Resident representative of
United Nations Ms. Mia Seppo graced the event as the chief guest. Dr. Debopriya Bhattacharya, renowned
macroeconomist and public policy specialist attended the event as the special guest. Dr. Abdus Salam
director of Islamic Foundation also graced the event as a special guest. Total 65 participants from different
organisations attended the event.
INAUGURAL SESSION:
At 10 in the morning after completion of registration the event was launched with the opening remarks
by Akmal Shareef, Country Director, Islamic Relief Bangladesh and convenor of Asia Pacific Faith Coalition
of sustainable Development. He welcomed all the guests and said this is for the first time in the history of
Bangladesh that we have gathered together sharing our learnings and experiences. He says,” Faith- based
organisations often say that when no one is there, we are with the community and thus Faith based
organisations are contributing to the society.” He adds, “Faith plays a very healing feeling for resilience
and faith actors are unique as they are well respected and accepted within and outside their communities.
Last year Faith based organisations have invested over USD 4 billion to respond to crisis and recovery.”
He reiterated that faith leaders help their communities responding covid 19. He stresses saying about
faith actors, “they not only played a crucial role among the community members but also have built
relationship with people across age groups, professions and neighborhoods.” He mentioned that covid 19
pandemic is the worst ever pandemic the world has witnessed. Despite this crisis Islamic relief as well as
other Faith based organisations have played a crucial role mobilising resources to encounter the situation.
JOINT PRESENTATION:
After the inaugural speech there was a joint presentation of three orgainastions where respective
organisations showcased their activities and accomplishments during covid pandemic in Bangladesh.
Islamic Relief’s presentation was done by Sharmin Ruba, External Relations and Communications
Manager. She welcomed all to her session and echoed the same regarding Covid 19 as it has severely
impacted every single aspect of lives. She mentioned that covid-19 pandemic has a very extreme impact
on lives and livelihood and public health in Bangladesh, threatening some of the remarkable gains madein the decades of progress towards development and social cohesion. She portrayed her organisation’s contribution in strengthening the health sector of Bangladesh, ensuring food security of the vulnerable communities and last but not the least- engaging religious leaders for hygiene practices. She says, “this was a joint collaborative advocacy programme with UN Woman.” She also added that in Bangladesh, a significant number of rural people do not have access to radio, television or newspapers, in contrast to urban areas. Religious leaders made people aware about COVID 19 and to maintain the hygiene to protect themselves against this pandemic. Many Imams reached through mosque megaphone sharing life- saving information in the battle against COVID-19. They disseminated key public health messages. She explained that imams were directly engaged in 3 of our projects where Islamic Relief has developed contents. Afterwards, the contents were validated by imams and faith actors and then those messages were disseminated to the community through mobile phone messages, cable TV network, mosque sermons and miking etc. After her presentation Bulli Hagidok Director, Integrated Thematic Solutions and Mrinmoy Mohajan, National Coordinator, Governance and Inclusion, Cordaid presented respective organisations’ activities during COVID 19. Remarks from Chief Guest: After the joint presentation Chief guest UN Resident Coordinator Mia Seppo was called to reflect on the joint presentation. She appraised about the faith- based organisation as well as faith actors of their tremendous contribution building a resilient and inclusive society. She said,”Faith actors had very important role to play in during covid 19 pandemic. Sustainable Developmental goal is everybody’s agenda. It is a right based agenda for fair, inclusive and tolerant society. We are now in a unique situation where faith leaders can bring hope and can provide direction and bring us back to the foundational principles of peace and tolerance.”
Remarks from Special Guest: Dr. Debopriya Bhattacharya, renowned macroeconomist and public policy specialist said,” it seems that faith- based organisations have big role to play in the recovery process from this pandemic impact. We have seen gender violence, we have seen child abuse-so on all these cases faith- based organisations have big role to play because they are the one who enjoy the trust, they are close to the people and also have the necessary information to address these kinds of challenges.” He says the importance of Faith based organisations’s role in delivering the SDG precisely mentioned in clause 10- minimising inequalities in the society. Panel Discussion/ Thematic Session: All the discussants Dr. Abdus Salam, Director of Islamic Foundation, Chandan H.Gomes, Senior director of World Vision Bangladesh and Juliate Keya Malakar, Executive Director of CCDB emphasized on green, resilient and inclusive society to fight against the impact of covid 19. They showed the example of young people in Ukraine and other countries extend their support tackling Covid- 19 pandemic apart from Govt and NGOs. Discussion continued with more emphasis on enhancing future development and ensure that new trajectory is more resilient than the one we were on prior to pandemic. They agreed that integrated SDG solutions should be applied as we are all facing enormous challenges in key areas and global human development indexes comprising education, health and living standards. Lockdowns have increased gender- based violence at large. People are facing acute food insecurity. We are all focusing on balancing economic, social and environmental progress to help countries build more inclusive and sustainable societies that are better equipped to deal with crisis like Covid-19. The thematic session was moderated by Shaked Nabi, Country Representative, Cordaid. He said we create and blend different ways to navigate the complexity and to take bold actions against emergencies. He stressed on mutual support and co-operation to highlight the support of faith based organisations to foster resilience, alleviate extreme poverty and meet developmental expenses. Shakeb Nabi said,” interfaith based organisations should work together creating a synergy for the society. We are bound by three key arching principles Justice, peace and empathy and these makes us keener to work with the vulnerable and marginalized community. We should emphasize SDG goal 16 and 17 where it is mentioned about peace building and partnership.”
Concluding Speech: Suresh Bartlett, national director of World Vision thanked everyone for participating the event. He says, “Faith plays a critical role in terms of the development we do, the humanitarian emergencies that we carry out as well. They are the actors who work in the ground in those communities and that is why there is no way we can sustain the work we do unless we partner up and continue our work holding hands.”
Annex
1. Schedule of the event:
9:30 – 9:45 am Registration
10:00 – 10:15 am Inaugural Speech
Akmal Shareef, Country Director, Islamic Relief and Convenor of Aisa Pacific Faith Coalition
of Sustainable Development
10.15 - 10:30 am Presentation on Role of Faith actors during Covid-19 towards achieving sustainable
Development Goals (Joint presentation by Islamic Relief Bangladesh, World Vision
International and Cordaid Bangladesh)
10.30 - 10:45 am Remarks by Chief Guest, Ms. Mia Seppo, Resident Coordinator, UN Nations
10:45- 11.00 am Remarks by Special Guest Dr.Debapriya Bhattacharya, Distinguished Fellow, Centre for
Policy Dialogue (CPD)
11:00 – 11.15 am Tea Break
11:15 – 12:15 pm Thematic discussion
Juliate Keya Malakar, Executive Director, CCDB
Dr. Muhammad Abdus Salam, Director, Islamic Foundation
Chandan Z Gomes, Sr. Director, Program Operation and Ministry Impact, WV Bangladesh
Moderated by: Shakeb Nabi, Country Representative, Cordaid
12:15 pm - 12:30 pm Q&A
12:30 - 12:45 pm Way Forward and Concluding Remarks by
Suresh Bartlett, Executive Director, World Vision Bangladesh
12:45 – 1:45 pm Lunch
2. Video Link:
https://wetransfer.com/downloads/cbf62a285fd691bd18a684bba5e7b42c20210511095429/cb51b22
9f41a998db1b9e8bfd3842ae020210511095459/cd3e52You can also read
