December was an important and exciting month for us, and we are glad to present our work in three languages for your perusal. From Global Forum of Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent visits to Ghana and Cameroon in Africa to GFoD at the UN Forum of BusinessHuman Rights and Forum on Minority Issue, we cover…
This paper will focus on the experience of a select group of rural poor in Bangladesh, who, with the assistance of Nagorik Uddyog (a human rights NGO), have sought justice in the non-formal justice system.
The World Bank Group (2006) deems gender equality ‘smart economics’ in its GenderAction Plan 2007-2010. However, questions are increasingly being raised about just how muchthe empowerment strategies set down in World Bank and International Monetary Fund endorsed Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs) are actually improving the quality of life of women in less developed countries….
The report focuses on the activities of Nagorik Uddyog (NU), a non-governmental organization in Bangladesh whose approach offers a model that appears to have a substantial and sustainable impact on justice delivery. It is hoped that the lessons learned from NU’s experience will help guide future work in this area in Bangladesh and elsewhere. The…
Discrimination based on work and descent (DWD) is terminology used to address various forms of discrimination including caste, work and birth based discrimination. While DWD is often identified with caste based discrimination and limited to Indian sub continent, it is a global phenomenon with various communities around the world has faced with similar kind of…
Shalish is a traditional village-level adjudicating mechanism through which judgment is given on diverse issues, ranging from marital discord to property distribution to access to common property resources. In the context of rural Bangladesh, shalish has a great legitimacy. Thislegitimacy stems from, a) failure of the state in providing low-cost and easily accessible legal institutions,…
Around 3.5 lakhIndigenous Peoples (IPs) of plain land in the northern districts (16 districtsunder Rajahsahi and Rangpur Divisions) of Bangladesh are subject to various types of violence because of their indigenous identity, of which eviction from land is the most common phenomenon. Dispossession of traditional land and natural resources is a common problem for the…
Dalits and other minority communities across the country continue to experience social exclusion, caste2 discrimination and practices linked to untouchability. There have been no systematic efforts made to identify and implement measures for the inclusion and equaltreatment of Dalits in society. According to sociologist Samuel Koenig, a class which has a strictly hereditary basis is…
In 1997 and 1998 Lisa Young Larance pursued a Fulbright funded research project in rural Bangladesh. During her stay in Bangladesh Nagorik Uddyog provided technical assistance for her work. Her current research, a collaboration with Rubena Malik, ―Creating Community in a United States City: Bangladeshi Women Share Their Immigrant Experiences”, attempts to demystify the immigration…
The Dalit are one of the most marginalized groups in Bangladesh and are often subject to discriminatory treatment. Historically, they have been oppressed by dominant groups in mainstream society. The majority of Dalits are very poor, underprivileged, and possess limitedjob opportunities. Moreover, they are politically underrepresented and many are forced to live in inhumane conditions….
