More than 100 participants were back with great inspiration and enthusiagm after their return from international workshop titled building telecentre family in Bangladesh was held on 27-29 August, 2006 at RDRS, Rangpur successfully. This event, first of its kind in Bangladesh , was organized by Dhaka-based renowned research organization Development Research Network (D.Net). The inspiring event was also come to a break through with collaboration of BNNRC (Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication) and YPSA (Young Power in Social Action). The event was supported by telecentre.org , Canada and United Nations' Development Program (UNDP).
Rising of the sun
The international workshop in Rangpur brought all the telecentre operators and organizations interested in building telecentres together under a single roof to learn about each other to develop their capacity building through sharing of knowledge-based experiences and cooperation to spark the telecentre movement in Bangladesh.
The event was filled with a 3-day international workshop that included several informative sessions, with open discussions with questions and answers among participants and distinguished speakers, various types of group exercise and fun. A festive mood prevailed in the whole event from the beginning to the end and it was concluded with a fantastic field tour to Babrijhar Pallitathya Kendra (Babrijhar Information Centre), a telecentre initiative by D.Net, located in Nilfamari district.
The speakers and facilitators on this workshop were from D.Net, BNNRC, YPSA, telecentre.org, Grameen Phone, UNDP, Ekota FairTrade Forum. A true multistakeholders participation made the event a unique one. Among the distinguished foreign speakers included Mr. Mark Surman, telecentre.org, Canada, Professor Subbiah Arunachalam, M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, India, Ms. Prianthi Daluwatte, Sarvodaya, Sri Lanka and Dr. Basheerahmad Shadrach, telecentre.org program, India.
The list of participants included ADORE, Agrogoti Sangstha, ASWO, Bangabandhu She4ikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University, BARD, BARI,UNDP-Bangladesh, BILS, BFES Amader Gram ICT4D Project, BRIDGE,CDA, CDPBD, Center for Environmental and Geographic Information Services, COAST Trust, CRP, Digonter Dak, Dhaka Ahsania Mission, Dharitry, Development Wheel, D.Tech, Ekota Fair Trade Forum, ESDO, Grameen Phone, GAT, Ghashful, GoUF, KATALYST, MMC, OMUS, Other Vision Communication, Pallibadhu Kallyan Sangstha, PGUS, PKSF, Proshika, RDRS, RIB, SAARC Agricultural Information Centre (SAIC), SEBA, SETU, Shushilan, SpinoVision Limited, SPS, SUS, TMSS, VAB, Voice of People and many more. At the very dawn
Before the very day of the inaugeration, the event organizers arranged a press conference on August 26 afternoon at Rangpur Chamber of Commerce and Industry Auditorium. It was participated by local correspondents of national dailies and media crew. There, the organizers explained to the media the background of global telecentre movement, participants of the movement in Bangladesh , reasons and purpose of the even briefly to the crowed journalists and camera crews. Later refreshments were served.
Inauguration of the illuminated field
On August 27, 2006, the event was inaugurated at 9 am by introduction of the participants from various organizations, the distinguished guests and speakers and the organizers. Then Special Guest of the inaugural session Mr. Md. Nazrul Islam, Deputy Commissioner of Rangpur district gave his welcoming speech. Then Dr Ananya Raihan, Mr. Mark Surman, Mr. K. A. M. Morshed and Dr. Basheerahmad Shadrach gave their valuable inaugurating remarks. Then the Special Guest, the distinguished foreign and national guests, all participants and the organizers introduced themselves by illuminating candles as the symbol of beginning of building a telecentre family in Bangladesh . Then Mr. Mahmud Hasan, Program Director of D.Net briefed the audience about the whole event.
Creation of sparkling thoughts
Then after a 30-minute tea break Session 1 titled Why Access to Information is Important? began. In the session, Dr. Ananya Raihan introduced his exceptional and very informative presentation titled Access to information and poverty alleviation . And Mr. Bazlur Rahman with his presentation titled ICT Channels for access to information .
The session was moderated by Mr. K. A. M. Morshed. Then the participants were divided into several groups and they sat in several circles to symbolize building telecentre family in Bangladesh . The groups worked on 5 and 2 given questions by the presenters respectively. In fact, from this point through the whole event, the participants started to take part in the whole event eagerly and intuitively to ignite a telecentre family building spirit. Both presentations focused on various key issues including poverty related subjects, types of ICT channels, the prevailing knowledge divide at home and abroad and ways to shorten the divide. As a whole, the session focused on leveraging ICTs to ensure Access to Information for improvement of livelihoods of rural poor and alleviating poverty.
Ray of enlightened field
Then after the lunch break, Session 2 titled Telecentre: How does it work began. Mr. Debobroto Chakrobarty, Program Officer, ICT4D, YPSA with presentation titled Community Multimedia Centre , Mr. Sultanur Reza, Assistant General Manager, FOND, Grameen Phone with presentation titled Community Information Centre: a private sector approach in telecentre , Mr. Forhad Uddin, Senior Research Associate, D.Net with presentation titled Pallitathya Kendra: A Model in Practice , Mr. Badruddoza Swapan, Co-coordinator, IT Manager, Computer Division, Proshika with presentation titled PROSHIKA's Experience with ICT4D , Mr. Nafiz Khan of Dhaka Ahsania Mission, Mr. K. A. M. Morshed, Program Manager, ICT4D, UNDP-Bangladesh with presentation titled Telecentre Sustainability: The need for Multi-stakeholder Partnership? and Ms. Suparna Roy, Research Associate, D.Net with presentation titled Introduction of JEEON IKB, the local language content in Bangla. The key focused issues of the session were sustainability and social acceptance of a telecentre, types of interventions, e-learning, the need for multistakeholders' model of ownership, cyber cafe model, interoperability and synergies of a telecentre. Through this session, the participants learnt a lot about different models of active telecentres in Bangladesh . Then after the tea break, an open discussion began facilitated by Dr. Ananya Raihan.
Looking for the delights
Then a 2-hour break was given to all. In that period, several participants went out to tour the city. Some went for a walk in a friendly manner. And some of them got themselves involved with the organizers through many questions related to building telecentres within a short time.
Enlightened words in the spectrum
Then a talk show was staged moderated by Mr. Mahmud Hasan and interpreted by Mr. AshoK Kumar Paul of D.Net. The guest list included Professor Subbiah Arunachalam, Distinguished Fellow, M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, India, Dr. Meghna Guha Thakurta, Executive Director, Research Initiative, Bangladesh and Mr. T. I. M. Nurul Kabir, Managing Director, SpinoVision Limited. After this inspiring talk show, a wonderful cultural program was performed by Dhoritri Shipli Goshthi ( Dhoritri Performers' Group) from Bagerhat. They presented an enjoyable evening through their Pot music (a style of folk music of Bangladesh based on paintings) focused on D.Net's Pallitathya Kendra. Then all participants went for the dinner at RDRS in a well disciplined manner.
Ploughing the illuminated field
On August 28, 2006, the second day of the event began with Session 3 titled Global Telecentre Experiences . In this session, Mr. Mark Surman, Professor Subbiah Arunachalam, Ms. Prianthi Daluatte and Dr. Basheerahmad Shadrach shared their telecentre experiences as the Helpline on their respective countries with a given emphasis on India and Sri Lanka . In this session, the participants asked those questions on several key issues including probable roles of government and corporations, suitable location of a telecentre, possible challanges that can be confronted and ways to overcome these, importance of social responsibility and community ownership of a telecentre, which was facilitated by Mr. Md. Arifur Rahman of YPSA. The participants learnt a lot from the speakers to visualize the structure of a telecentre that they are going set up in their respective localities.
Sowing of the seeds
Then after a short tea break, Session 4 titled Build Your Telecentre . Mr.Mahmud Hasan, Program Director, D.Net was the facilitator of the session. Guidelines for various types of telecentres, a film on telecentre operation, a telecentre cookbook were presented and formed 10 groups of participants were asked to draw their own model of telecentres and described those to the rest. This session has reflected the creative abilities of the participants filled with lots of fun and sharing moments.
Nurturing the optimistic grains
After the lunch break, Session 5 titled How to Sustain Telecentre: Models in Practice began. It was facilitated by Dr. Basheerahmad Shadrach, Senior Program Officer, IDRC, telecentre.org Program , India . Mr. Shahiduddin Akbar, ICT Consultant, KATALYST shared his experience in telecentre. The session was focused on different types of sustainability models of telecentre and the participants raised questions which were answered by both the presenter and other participants.
Roaming the nourished field
Then after a tea break, Session 6 titled Work plan for next 6 months began.
The session was facilitated by Mr. A.H.M. Bazlur Rahman, CEO of BNNRC and Mr. Mahmud Hasan, Program Director of D.Net. A remarkable work plan was developed in the session where the participants and the speakers from the previous sessions gave their thoughtful inputs. Then began session 8 titled Mission 2011: How to go about it?
In this session, the key theme of Mission 2011 was introduced by Dr. Ananya Raihan, of D.Net and the speakers included Dr. Shamsul Bari, Chaiman, Research Initiative, Bangladesh , Ms. Selina Hossain, renowned novelist and Executive Director, Faria Lara Foundation and Mr. Mark Surman, Managing Director, telecentre.org
This session mainly focused on building national coalition for building telecentre in every village of Bangladesh .
Welcoming the golden crops
Then for more than an hour of free time, Session 8 or the brightened evening session began. The session mainly focused on launching ceremony of The Telecentre Times in both the English and the Bangla versions. It was run by Ms. Fatema Begam Labony, Secretariat of The Telecentre Times in Bangla version who worked hard along with other partners to manage to make her proud luminous presence in this kind of glorious event. In addition, Dr. Ananya Raihan gave a fascinating introductory speech focusing background of both versions. He also urged all participants to contribute creatively in all upcoming issues of The Telecentre Times. Then Dr. Shamsul Bari and Mr. Mark Surman re-launched the English version of The Telecentre Times. Then Ms. Selina Hossain and Dr. Basheerahmad Shadrach launched the Bangla version of The Telecentre Times . Here, Ms. Selina Hossain transferred the Bangla version to a participant as a symbol of dissemination of information. Then the whole audience raised the later version simultaneously as a symbol of a big telecentre family joyfully.
Then Mr. Mahmud Hasan facilitated the certificate distribution ceremony, followed by a photo session of all organizers.
Enigma of enlightened field
Then D.Net presented an inspiring and articulated documentary titled Abolombon , directed by Mr. A. S. M. Ashraf Abir, which has both the Bangla and the English sub-titles. It was basically a practical cookbook on how to build telecentres in Bangladesh . It certainly proved the proverb: seeing is believing. Due to its superb quality, the documentary received a huge applaud by the participants and the distinguished foreign guests.
Nativity in the flourished field
Then before the last dinner on August 28, 2006 SEPDA Lako Sangshkritik Dal (SEPDA Folk Cultural Group) presented an excellent Gambhira stage performance based on ICTs and telecentres. It is mentionable that Gambhira is a style of folk music of Bangladesh originated in greater Rangpur area.
Joyful ride to the field
The event ended with a joyful field visit to a telecentre run by D.Net which is known as Babrijhar Pallitathya Kendra (Babrijhar Rural Livelihood Information Centre) at the most northern district of Nilfamari. The participants rode on several types of rented vehicles cheerfully arranged by the event organizers as if the whole telecentre family was up to began a picnic. The destination was about 71 Kilometers from RDRS venue in Rangpur.
Exotic welcome of Babrijhar
The visitors were received by the local inhabitants wholeheartedly. They had more in mind, but it seemed that the nature was not in favor of them. Although local school girls showered the curious visitors with flower petals and a marvelous mind blowing cultural show.
Vaporized doubts on impressive outcomes
Then the visitors went to see Babrijhar Pallitathya Kendra, nearby school that houses Computer Literacy Centre and frankly questioned the operations of those to the staff and the villagers.
Journey of a new family begins
After returning to Rangpur in the like manner, the event concluded but the main tasks of the new born enthusiastic telecentre family moved on in a festive innovative mood.
Already several national and foreign participants showed their keen interest in building partnership with Development Research Network (D.Net) for its unique Bangla content, training methodologies, and other relevant supports to spark telecentre movement in Bangladesh to alle4viate poverty dramatically and drastically through Pallitathya Model. |
