Internatoinal Literacy Day 2008 Observed

DHAKA

With Partcipation of local citizen groups, SUPRO  observed International Literacy Day 2008 at Dhaka on 08 September 2008 at in front of National Musium, Shahbugh, Dhaka. Human Chain, Discussion, Cultural Programme and a colourfull rally is organised and raised 07 points demands to observed the day. 

BOGURA

SUPRO Bogura District Committee observed International Literacy Day 2008 through organising Human Chain, Discussion Meeting and Memorandum Sending to District Administration on 08 September 2008.

A Colourful human chain is organised to observe the day on 04 PM at Satmatha, the centre place of district. After organing the Human Chain, a Discussion Meeting on the day is held at Public Library Auditorium where SUPRO District President Prodip Bhattacharya Shankar chaired and SUPRO District Secretary and Naitonal Council Member, K G M Faruqe moderated the discussion.

The speakers told that the state has committed to provide basic necessities like education as constitutional obligation, but the projects that are taken to literate the children and olders has been failded to reach in objectives. As per millenium declaration, welknown as MDGs has set out a target to literate all people within 2015. But the real senerio’s pictured the opposite scence. So, we should increase the budget allocation to take practical actions to increase literacy rate to reach the MDGs within 2015.

Mr. K M A Bari, Head of English Department, Govt. Mojibur Rahman College; Mr. Rezaul Karim Tansen, Central Organing Secretary, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD); Mr. Abdur Rahim, Colamists and President of District Udichi; Khandokar Golam Kader, Vice President, Bogura Theatre; Mr. Al Mahmood, President of District SUJON; Mr. Hafez Ahmed, Leader of Communist Party; Khandokar Abdur Rahim, Ex-President of Bogura Press Club; Mr. Mir Morshed Ali, President of Bogura Blind Welfare Association; Mr. S M Khairul Alam, Interantional Secretary of Non-Government Primary Teachers Association; NGO Activists Mr. Bazlur Rahman, Rafiqul Islam, Biran Das spoke in the discussion meeting.

Mr. Mahfuzul Islam Dulu, prominent language movement leader and president of Oikya Mancha; Dr. Mostofa Alam Nannu, President of Shadhinota Chikissok Council; Mr. Toufiq Hasan Moina, President of Sammilito Sangkritik Jote; Adovocate Polash Khodokar, President Uchchcharan Academy; Women Activists Ferdous Akhter Himi; Shirin Sultana; Sakina Akhter Saki also spoke in the human chain and discussion meeting.

8 points demands also prepared for submitting memorandum to district administration in the following day.

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TANGAIL

 

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International Literacy Day 2008

International Literacy Day 2008

 

Education is the key to Poverty

 

SUPRO observed International Literacy Day at 35 districts and national level through organizing human chain, rally, discussion and cultural program on 8 September 2008. In addition to that some districts submitted memorandum to government through District Commissioner. The national level program held in front of National Museum, Shahbag, Dhaka through organizing human chain with its fellow organizations. Education activists, CSOs, NGOs representative, grassroots people took part in the human chain. SUPRO also organized a cultural event for mass gathering.

 

To observe the day SUPRO came out with its own slogan “Education is the key to poverty.” For the last couple of years, literacy program was not in priority list of government planning, despite having declaration in MDGs to achieve 100% literacy within 2015. According to government statistics, 46.32 % population is still illiterate, which indicates that long way to go by 2015 as there is no clear policy frame to address the issue of 100% literacy. But there are many projects to enhance literacy rate supported by external loans with strong conditionalities, eventually which enhance poverty, inequality and inaccessibility of essential services to the poor and marginalized people. These projects are not adequate according to requirement of mass people.  For this reason, civil society of Bangladesh demanded to government to take initiative to declare literacy and education as fundamental rights guaranteed by constitution.

 

Through the rally and discussion SUPRO placed the following demands:  

 

1.      Education must be considered as fundamental rights in Bangladesh’s constitution

2.      Formulate specific action plan and allocate budget accordingly in order to ensure 100% literacy for all 

3.      Teacher student ratio must be increased for qualitative education. This must be made at 1:40 from existing 1:60.

4.      All sort of irregularities, corruption and ill management must be removed to increase literacy and retaining education for new-literate under the projects of non-formal education

5.      Introduce mid-day meal in primary education to reduce drop-out rate

6.      Role of local government must be increased in primary and mass education

7.      Irregularities must be removed in the stipend program of primary education.

  

Sensitisation Workshop on Debt Cancellation held on Bogura: Speakers Demands Political Commitment to Cancel the Debt of Bangladesh

01 September 2008, Municipality Auditorium, Bogura

The debt servicing expenditure is higher than the expenditure on education and health in Bangladesh. Bangladesh should increase the expenditure on health and education as well as service sector to achieve millennium development goals (MDGs). Poverty is higher than other countries in Asia where about 7 crore people out of 14 crore total population lives in poverty. So the development assistance would be fruitfull if the debt servicing costs remains unchanged in the currenct pace. In this regards, Bangldesh demands full debt cancellation.

The above context has been presented by Kamal Hossin, Coordinator of Focus Sociaty, a non-governmental organisation of Bogura at the sensitisation workshop on debt cancellation held in Bogura, northern district of Bangladesh on 01 September 2008.

Speakers demanded 0.7 percent ODA of developed countries to achieves MDGs as per their commitment. They also aurgued that the government of Bangladesh will have to place the demand to rich countries to cancel its debt burden.  The speakers vowed to be unite the citizen groups TO presurise the demand.

Al Haj Momtaj Uddin, President of Bogura District Awami League; Abdur Rahim Chowdhury, Cultural Activist and Social Worker ; Advocate Al Mahmood, President of SUJON, Bogura; Mohammad Shahid Ullah, Coordinator, SUPRO; Abdur Rahim, Ex-President of Bogura Press Club; Sadekur Rahman Sujon, General Secretary of United Cultural Front; Advocate Polash Khodokar, Director, Uchcharan Academy; Dr. Mostafa Alam Nannu, President of Shadhinota Chikisok Parishad; Abdul Latif Mandol, President of District UP Chairman Association; Sadrul Anam Ranju, Human Rights Activists; Aminul Farid, Councilor of District Municipality and General Secretary of CPB; S M Khairul Islam, District Primary Teacher Association; Mahafuz Ara Miva, Women activists and the political, professional and social activists also spoke at the workshop. 

Poor People Can’t Bear This: Keep the promises, Cancel the Debts of Least Developed Countries of Asia

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25 May 2005, London – Royal National Hotel, Russell Square: Hilary Benn MP, UK Secretary of State for International Development at Africa Day Meeting convened by the AU said, `I was fortunate to have taken part in the discussion, and the decision… European member states have agreed to a deal which will almost double EU development assistance between 2004 and 2010 – an extra $38 billion a year by that year, at least half of which will go to Africa. They have done this by agreeing a new collective target of 0.56% of GNI to be spent on aid, and – most important of all – by undertaking to achieve, for member states which joined before 2002, the long-held UN 0.7% target by 2015. Because it is our moral duty to help change the condition of humankind. Because our self interest – our common interest – in an increasingly inter-dependent world, teaches us that success or failure in one country is a success or failure for us all

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In 2005, under massive public pressure, the G8 promised to lift millions out of poverty.  They promised to double aid to developing countries, to cancel the crippling debts owed by some of the poorest nations, and to give all people access to HIV prevention, care, treatment and support. The G8 Countries also reached at a common concensus on following issues at Grangeles Summit 2005 as humanitarian appeal from global level civil society movement:

 

• Stalemate on climate change as US position barely budges
• G8 nations agree to full debt cancellation for 18 countries, while African countries call for debt relief for all Africa
• EU members pledge to reach a collective aid target of 0.56% of GDP by 2010, and 0.7% by 2015
• The G8 agrees a $50bn (£28.8bn) boost to aid
• A ’signal’ for a new deal on trade
• Universal access to anti-HIV drugs in Africa by 2010.

 

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Since then, the G8 has delivered on some of its promises, and 21 of the world’s poorest countries have had their debts cancelled. As a result, their governments are able to invest in education and health, rather than repaying loans.

Since 2005, $4 billion in debt relief has enabled the Zambian government to introduce free health care in rural areas. So doctors like Martin Mwalukanga, from the Ngwerere Rural Health Centre, can now offer medical care to four million people who previously weren’t able to afford it.

In addition to improved healthcare, millions more children are receiving an education because of debt relief. The Tanzanian and Ugandan governments are among those to have abolished school fees, while teachers in Benin, Burkina Faso and Madagascar are now receiving more training.

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This July the eight richest countries – the G8 – will meet in Japan and talk about global poverty and climate change. SUPRO will be there, campaigning hard, to make sure the G8 takes action now! and makes decisions that will improve the lives of the one billion men, women and children living in poverty.  We want you to campaign with us and Unite your voice:

• The international community including the G-8 must take necessary steps immediately to ensure full Debt cancellation for Bangladesh;
• Debts must be cancelled as a matter of justice: creditors must accept their share of responsibility in creating the current debt crisis, and cancel debts on this basis;
• A “MDG-consistent” frame-work of Debt Sustainability should be applied and cancellation must be available to all that need it;
• The issue of Climate Change and its adverse effect must be taken into account and additional fund should be released to overcome the adversity linking it with MDG process;
• The governments of indebted countries must demonstrate to their citizens that they are spending money well and accountably. But this must not be used as an excuse to impose economic policy conditions or to limit those countries receiving debt cancellation by the donor community;
• Rich countries, institutions and commercial creditors must cancel all illegitimate and un-payable debts being claimed from all poor countries;
• Total Debt stocks must be cancelled, not just Service; debt service cancellation for a limited period is not enough. Debts must be completely written off;
• If debt cancellation is to make a difference to the poorest people in the world, it must release extra funds and not be paid for by taking money out of aid budgets;
• Debt cancellation of any kind must not be conditional.

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This year, the Japanese government has put healthcare on the G8 agenda.  This is a massive opportunity for the G8 to make a real difference to the lives of the world’s poorest people.  By 2010, four million lives could be saved every year if the G8 takes “Action Now!” and fulfils its commitments. At the moment this remains a big if – but you can help push them to act.