Dhaka Ahsania Mission

DAM works in the regional and international arena also in various ways. Its presence and participation in relevant events and programs, particularly in the Asia Pacific region, has been always very prominent and visible. During the year 2005-06, the dimensions of international collaboration have been expanded.

Professional services at international level

In the field of education

In the field of education, there were a number of events where DAM has extended the hand for technical collaboration to various organizations. Following are few examples:

Presentation on “How ICT and Distance Education Methodologies can be used to effect change in Bangladesh and South Asia: Dhaka Ahsania Mission’s Perspective” by DAM President in the Commonwealth of Learning South Asia Consultative Meeting held in Dhaka from 26- September 2005.

Participation of Mr. Kazi Rafiqul Alam as the Asian regional representative in the Editorial Board Meeting of Education for All (EFA) Global Monitoring Report held in the UNESCO, Paris on 11-12 May 2006.

Facilitation of the ISESCO Training Workshop on Islamic Education for Girls and Women Literacy held in Dhaka from 23-28 April 2006 and the Sub-Regional Workshop on Planning NGO Strategy for Adult Education held also in Dhaka from 16-18 May 2006.

Technical support by the Deputy Executive Director as a resource person in the ACCU-APPEAL Joint Planning Meeting of the regional NFE Programs in Asia and the Pacific held in Tokyo, Japan from 10-21 July 2005.

Technical support by the Director, Training and Materials Development as a speaker in the `International Seminar on Community Learning Centres (CLC)’ held in Hangzhou, Sanghai from 27-31 October 2005 and in the ` Regional Expert Group Meeting on Development Challenges for Young People’ held in Bangkok, Thailand from 28-30 March 2006.

Presentation of a research paper by the Director, Research on networking of CLCs in Bangladesh in the `Regional Workshop on Strengthening Linkage for Networking through CLCs’ held from 5-9 September 2005 in Indonesia.

DAM was also invited by the State Resource Centre, West Bengal India to provide technical support in the Workshop on `Monitoring, Supervision and Evaluation of Continuing Education Program’ held in the North Bengal University Shiliguri, Darjeeling, India from 11-16 June 2006.

As part of supporting civil society capacity building initiatives

As part of supporting civil society capacity building initiatives, DAM Chief attended the International Workshop on `Building Bridges-Engaging Civil Society from OIC and other Muslim Countries with the Multilateral Sphere’ held in Malaysia from 16-18 January 2006 as a resource person. He also participated in the Executive Council Meeting of ASPBAE from 17-24 February 2006. Also, the deputy chief of the organization was specially invited in the workshop on `Development of Advanced Planning Monitoring and Evaluation (PME) Guidebook for Development Practitioners’ organized by Association for Stimulating Know-how (ASK) in New Delhi, India from 19-22 September 2005.

For combating trafficking of women and children

For combating trafficking of women and children, DAM has been very active throughout the year 2005-06 in various regional initiatives. As member of the Regional Action Forum, Mr. Ehsanur Rahman has actively participated in the meetings of the Forum held in Bangladesh India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. He contributed significantly in developing the regional protocol, guidebooks and manuals for towards standardizing the care of survivors/victims of trafficking and other forms of violence. He also participated as an expert in the finalizing cross-border project on `Prevention of Cross-Border Trafficking in Woman and Children between Bangladesh and West Bengal’. He attended the Regional Cooperation meeting of ATSEC Country Chapter held in Kolkata, India from 6-12 March 2006.

Also, DAM research director attended the `Consultation Meeting of a Regional Study on Trafficking of Children and Women in Asia’ held in ILO- IPEC Office in Bangkok from 20-22 September 2005 as a resource person and contributed in planning for data analysis and preparation of a report on `Demand Side of Trafficking of Children and Women in Asia’. He was the Team Leader of the regional study and provided professional guidance to the study teams of five countries to conduct field studies and prepare country report of each country on trafficking of children and women.

Opening of DAM offices in India and Pakistan:

As part of extending collaboration and between the practitioners in South Asia and with the aim of undertaking joint programmes, in 2005-06 DAM started the process of opening its country offices in India and in Pakistan. As a first measure the Country Representatives have been posted. Because of the interest of the counterpart development practitioners in both countries, the official formalities for opening offices have progressed well. The offices will start functioning from 2007.

In Africa, DAM provided technical support in the `Regional workshop on Capacity Building of Literacy and Non-Formal Education Facilitators in Africa’ held in Bamako, Mali from 25 July-04 August 2005, where the Director of Training and Materials Division attended as an Asian Expert and shared the Asia-Pacific regional experience as well as DAM’s experience.

Organising Regional Workshops and Training Programmes

A regional training program on prevention of drug abuse was organized from 6-10 February 2006. It was a five-day long training course and participants came from four SAARC countries. Main participants of the training course were the prison officials. The training unit of DAM organized the training in cooperation with UNODC and National Institute of Criminology and Forensic Science.

Organized and conducted a Sub Regional Workshop on Capacity Development on Supervision, Monitoring and Evaluation of National Level NFE Programs (19-24 November 2005) at Ambala Inn Hotel, Dhaka attended by 20 senior education officers from Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Organized at DAM Auditorium a Training Workshop on Planning and Management of Community Learning Centres (9-13 February 2006) for a group of 17 senior officials of MoE of Iraq led by their Director General of Non-formal Education

Organized an international workshop on Planning NGO Advocacy Strategy for Adult Literacy and Learning (16-18 May 2006). 21 Chief Executives/Directors of NGOs of Pakistan, India, Nepal and Bangladesh participated.