annual report · shanti mitra beliefs that peace is taking care of oneself, take care of others and...

Annual Report of Shanti Mitra (January 2017- March 2018)

Annual Report (January 2017- March 2018)

Shanti Mitra Somaj Kolyan Songstha


Annual Report

(January 2017- March 2018)

Published in April, 2018

By


Shanti Neer,

Joynul Abedin Road, Kanchijhuli, Mymensingh

E-mail: [email protected]/[email protected]

Website: www.shantimitra.org

Editor:

Shanti Mitra Team

mailto:[email protected]/[email protected]

http://www.shantimitra.org/


Contents

1. Message of Chairperson

2. Message of Executive Director

3. About us (Mission, Vision and History)

4. Programs/Projects Reports

Peace Education

Peace Worker Development Program

Community Peace Building

Promoting and Protecting Human

Rights of Minorities

Promoting Interreligious Harmony

through dialogue

5. Pictures

6. Thank you

7. Contact us


Message of the President

I’m delighted to know that the

Shanti Mitra Somaj Kollyan

Songstha is going to publish its

annual narrative report (January

2017-March 2018). The annual

report of an organization is like a

mirror. It reflects the whole

activities of the project and

organization. This organization has

started its journey in 2007, mainly

with the college students of

Mymensingh, who took the initiative

to work for building peace in the

society. From that time this

organization is continuing its

activities in Mymensingh area. All

the time the Taize brothers

encouraged and supported to

achieve the goal of it. Its vision is “A

society where everyone is valued

and where everyone is involved

actively in building a peaceful

society through non-violence.” It has

four projects which are running

smoothly by depending on its vision,

mission and objectives. The projects

are Peace Education Project,

Promoting and Protecting Human

Rights of Minorities, Community

Peace Building Project, Promoting

Interreligious Harmony through

Dialogue Project etc. The main

activates are Peace Education,

Community Peacebuilding, Human

Rights of minorities, Building

Interfaith harmony through

dialogue, Peace Publication,

Developing Peace Workers, Training

and Workshops, Justpeace Festival

which are running under the

projects. These kinds of activity are

helping to reduce the violence from

the society. This year we have

celebrated 10 years of its journey by

inviting all the members of the

organization. After passing 10 years

it has achieved much.

I thank to honorable Executive

Director and all the staffs who are

being engage in making of annual

report for their dedication, sacrifice

and kind contributions. I also would

like to thank the Taize brothers who

are supporting this organization

continuously.

Aronno E. Chiran President Executive Committee Shanti Mitro Somaj Kollyan Songshta

Shanti Mitra Executive

Board Members

1. Aronno Chiran (President)

2. Md. Safikur Rahman Khan

(Vice-President)

3. Suborna Poli Drong

(General Secretary)

4. Sakil Ahmed

(Treasurer)

5. Md. Arsad Hossian

(Executive Member)

6. Mukta Rani Bhadra

(Executive Member)

7. Bilon Ruga

(Executive Member)

8. Ashish Ghosh Ovi

(Executive Member)

9. Khusnahr Begum (Executive

Member)

10. Rafiqul Islam

(Executive Member)

11. Farid Ahmed

(Executive Member)


Message of the Executive Director

It’s with great pleasure and

accomplishment that I would like to

announce to you all about the

publishing The Annual Report

(January 2017-March 2018) of

Shanti Mitra Somaj Kolyan

Songstha.

Shanti Mitra established in 2007.

Shanti Mitra means in English is

Friends of Peace. From the

beginning Shanti Mitra works for

Peacebuilding and Conflict

Transformation. Since Shanti Mitra

was established, it has continued

working for peacebuilding and

conflict transformation and has

become a unique organization in

Mymensingh.

Shanti Mitra beliefs that peace is

taking care of oneself, take care of

others and take care of the planet.

And, in our every work we try to put

it into action.

2017 has marked an incredibly

active year for Shanti Mitra. Shanti

Mitra ran 4 projects in 2017. The

names of the project are 1. Peace

Education Project 2. Promoting and

Protecting Human Rights of

Minorities Project 3. Promoting

inter-religious Harmony through

Dialogue Project 4. Community

peace building Project. We have

done all activities successfully,

although there were some

challenges and hindrance.

All these projects have different goal

and objectives, but all projects and

activities of Shanti Mitra focus on

Justice and Peace. We have seen

many positive changes in

individuals and communities

through these projects. I am glad

that we were able to share some of

the stories with you through this

report.

We are very much thankful to all

who supports us in many ways in

2017 for achieving our goals.

Especially we would like to thank

Taize Brothers, Christian Solidarity

International (CSI) Luxemburg,

Resonate Global Mission, Mennonite

Central Committee Bangladesh

(MCC) and other donors who

provided the funds and has the

same vision of Justpeace. Also, I

would like to thank to PCC

(Protibondhi Community Center),

through whom support for two

projects is channeled.

Thanks also to the Shanti Mitra

team who has actively contributed

their skills to the goals and

objectives of Shanti Mitra.

Thank you all and I look forward to

see an amazing year of Shanti Mitra

in 2018.

Suborna Poli Drong

Executive Drector


Team of Shanti Mitra

1. Suborna Poli Drong,

Executive Director

2. Punya Patricia

Ritchil

Program Coordinator

3. Md. Habibullah

Admin and Finance

Officer

4. Md. Asaduzzaman.

Cultural Officer

5. Mahbuba Pervin

Moni

Peace Animator

6. Rowsonara Begum

Office Assistant


About Us

Shanti Mitra Somaj Kolyan Songstha is a local non-profit organization and registred by Social Welfare Ministry

of Bangladesh. Reg no-M-01886. It was founded in April 2007. Shanti Mitra means Friends of Peace and it

works for peace building & conflict transformation through art and dialogue. Shanti Mitra mainly works with

children, young people and women. It also has some activities for the wider community to spread the message

of Justpeace.

Our History

In 2007 some young people, mainly students from colleges in

Mymensingh, decided to do something to build peace. They received

inspiration and support from Taize brothers who are living locally. When

they first started they were all volunteers. They went to poor areas of the

town where different kinds of conflicts in families and in the communities

are prevalent.

They started with children because they believe if children learn peace

building skills the patterns of conflict they experience will not be repeated

in the future. They started peace classes in the schools in those

neighborhoods using creative methods like puppet shows, drama and role

plays. They also talked with the children about their experience of conflict

and how they can handle these non-violently.

The group was from different faiths (Muslims, Hindus and Christian) and

also from different ethnic groups (Bangali, Garo, Hajong etc.) They share a

common vision for peace. They started to work in order to bridge the gap

of trust between different faiths and ethnics groups.

Vision

A society where

everyone is valued and

where everyone is

involved actively in

building a peaceful

society through non-

violence.

Mission

To form young people as justice & peace activists

To support young people in doing practical Peace & Justice activities in the community

To spread peace more widely in the community through creative & artistic mean


Our partners/Donors


PEACE EDUCATION

Peace education project is designed to work with school children to spread

the message of peace. Through this project school children will be able to

dream of a peaceful society and be eager to work to realize it.

Goal: More peaceful society in school community

Objectives: School Children will get primary idea of peace.

Increase positive behavior and attitude. Peaceful environment in the whole school and community

SL

no

Activities Target Achievement

% of

Achievement

1 Arrange monthly

peace classes for class

4 and 5 students

21 21 100%

2 Arrange peace class

preparation for

facilitators

10 10 100%

3 Peace garden at school

ground

3 2 67%

Budget

Annual budget Total: 224769 BDT.

Total Expenditure Total: 224769 BDT.

420

Children have

received

peace classes

2

peace garden

created in two

schools by

children


Dealing with Anger

Prakash (pseudonym) is a student of class 4 of Binpara

School. He regularly attends in peace classes. After getting

Anger management class he shared that before, when his

parents were angry with him or shouted at him, he would

get furious and used to threaten his parents, saying: If you

shout at me I will leave. Sometimes he used to break

things in anger.

He shared that now, when parents shout at him for some

reason, he still gets angry, but stay calm instead of

threatening his parents or breaking things. He shared too

that, he is trying to practice the anger management

strategy. This is how Prokash has changed by receiving

peace class.

Empathy

Sakibul Hassan Niloy, student of class 4. He attends in peace class

regularly. He was telling his story about

what he has been learned from peace

class.

`I like peace class very much and attend the

class regularly. I learned about empathy

from the story of the sobjiwala (vegetable

vendor) in peace class. The sobjiwala was poor, but he helped

others, which inspires me to do the same.’

Sakibul Hassan said.


COMMUNITY PEACE BUILDING

The community peace building project is designed to work towards a more

peaceful Mymensingh community that is accepting of diverse opinions and

belief and actively involved in justpeace issues. Its main focus is such that

true peace involves right relationship with each other, but also right

relationship with the ecosystems that we live within.

Goal: More peaceful mymensingh Community by actively involved in

justpeace issues/More awareness on the relationship between peace and

the environment.

Objectives:

Young people and Mymensingh Community members will have

more positive behavior, be more aware of Justpeace issues and

more involved in working to transform them.

Peace resources will be more available and community building

projects by other organizations in order to share knowledge and

good practice in peace building.

Young people and the broader community will increase their

acceptance of diverse opinions and beliefs, as well as work

together for individual and social change

Young people are doing campaign on taking care of environment in Bihari Camp

50 Young people received peace

building training regularly from

3 different community and were

actively involved in peace

building activities in the

communities

50 Community people from 3

different communities have

received training workshops on

environment and Peace

30 Young people from different faith

attended in 3 days Interfaith

Peace Seminar

3000 (approximately)

people have attended in Justpeace

Festival


Activities of April to March 2017- 2018:

Sl. No

Activities Target Achievement

% of Achievement

1 Arrange Training sessions twice a month for 70

young people

70 50 71.4%

2 Practical work ( e.g. garden projects, clean-up of

community area, etc) once a month

70 50 71.4%

3 Celebration World Environment day 1 1 100%

4 2 trainings about peace and environment for

community members

2 2 100%

5 2 Peace role model books published in Bangla

and English

2 2 100%

6 50 educational posters published 50 50 100%

7 1 Cooperation Games Manual Published 1 1 100%

8 Arrange 3 day Interfaith Youth Peace Seminar 1 1 42.5%

9 3 day Tools for transformation training 1 1 100%

10 Organize a Justpeace Festival 1 1 100%

Budget

Annual Budget Total: 8, 72, 000 BDT.

Expenditure 8, 72, 000 BDT.

``Peace is care of oneself, care of others and care

of environment ‘’


Being helpful to others

Somir is student of class Eight. He is a member of Community peace building project of Bihari Camp. ‘Being a

member of this group I learnt a lot from the session. I know about peace, conflict transformation, anger

management, cooperation, diversity, etc. ‘Cooperation with each other’ session was effective to me.’ said

Somir.

He added ‘Our family is poor. My father works in our own shop. He told to me to help him after coming back

from school. But I did not help him, thinking that it is only his duties not mine. But getting these sessions I felt I

have to help my father in the shop. After back from school, now, I am helping my father and I have a

team/group; those are doing conflict resolution among our group, taking some initiative to do work at our

level. For this change of mine, I want to thank community peace building project.’


PROMOTING AND PROTECTING HUMAN RIGHTS OF

MINORITIES

Promoting and Protecting Human Rights of Minorities (PPHRM) project works to promote and protect the rights of

minorities in Mymensingh Sador, Mymensingh, Bangladesh. The aim of this project is that adolescent girls from minority

communities will get access to education and local people of Mymensingh also will be aware on human rights,

journalists and advocates will play important role to promote the minorities.

Goal: Promotion of education and rights for the minorities.

Objectives:

Minority adolescent girls have access to education facilities

Increase the rights of Minorities girls in the community, society and country

Arrange awareness session with community people, media, and journalist and advocate ensuring the

rights of minorities.

60 girls of Bromhoputra, Ujjal Tara and Mukto bihongo adolescent human rights center


Activities of January to December’17

Sl.

No

Particulars Target Achievement % of

achievement

1 Provide Stipend for Adolescent girls 60 girls 60 100

2 Arrange training workshop on Child rights and

Human rights for adolescent girls (per month 4

work each Centre)

144 workshops 135 91%

3 Arrange day long orientation workshop for the

community people on Human Rights

60 community

people

60 100%

4 Awareness program through creative means

(street drama, mime, cultural program/music

show etc) on human rights for local people

2 2 100%

5 Dialogue session with advocate and community

people on the present situation of human rights of

minorities

1 1 100%

6 Arrange a workshop on rules of Media for journalist

to protecting human rights of minorities each year

1 1 100

Budget

Annual Budget Total: 18, 42,553 BDT.

Expenditure 18,03071 BDT


Story of Pollobi

I’m Pollobi Bin, a member of the Brahmaputra

adolescence Centre of Promoting and Protecting

Human Rights of Minorities (PPHRM) project since

its beginning. This year she passed S.S.C. exam

and got admitted to a college.

``I have learnt many things from the regular

sessions of this project. Before coming here I did

not have any idea about my own rights,

fundamental rights, or human rights but now, I have

some idea about rights. And, now I have the

awareness to protect my own rights and others.’’

said Pollobi.

``In our centre we are 25 members. We have good

understanding and communication among each

other. It is like a network. Through this network we

are working against eve teasing (harassment), early

marriage, to protect rights etc. Before, if someone

fell victim to eve teasing, I could not say nothing. I

thought that I am alone, no one will listen me. I was

afraid that I may get negative feedback from my

society or family. But now it seems wrong, we are a

strong team to work against harmful practices of

society. And this is thanks to Shanti Mitra. For

giving us inspiration, helping us to be confident and

giving us the courage we would like to thank Shanti

Mitra.’’ Pollobi added.

Pollobi (left) with her friend

60

adolescent girls from minorities

communities have received monthly

stipend

60

adolescent girls have received regular

session on Human Rights and Child

Rights

60

community people from minorities

communities have received awareness

workshop on Human Rights

20

journalists have received workshop on

role of media

20

community people and advocate have

attended in dialogue session Human

Rights

1000

(approximately) local people have

attended in creative awareness session


PROMOTING INTERRELIGIOUS

HARMONY THROUGH DIALOUGE

Promoting Inter-religious Harmony through Dialogue (PIHD) works with different religious young people to build harmony, friendship among themselves and with religious leaders in order to build a peaceful community.

Goal: More interfaith harmony will prevail among different religious people

in Mymensingh.

Objectives:

Increase the mutual understanding, mutual respect to other religion people and make friendship among different faith young people.

Make a good link/good relationship and spread the message of peace to build harmony and friendship among different religion institutions and religion leaders

More available interfaith resources in order to share knowledge.

15

young people from different faith

have attended in scriptural

reasoning every month

125

young students attended in

interfaith Harmony Campaign in

Mymensingh

20

Young people from different faith

did Interfaith Journey to different

religious intuitions

30

Young people from different faith

attended in 3 days Interfaith

Peace Seminar

200 (approximately)

people have joined in Interfaith

Harmony week

200 (approximately)

people joined in observation of

Day of peace


Activities of July to March 2017- 2018 (Program/Fiscal year: June-July)

Sl. No Activities Target Achievement

% of Achievement

1 Arrange monthly interfaith dialogue on

scriptures from the holy books (Quran, Gita

and Bible) with 15 young people from

different faith

12 9 75%

2 Arrange 3 Inter-religious Harmony Campaign with young people

3 3 100%

3 Organize an Interfaith song festival and

observe interfaith Harmony week

1 1 100%

4 Observe International Day of peace 1 1 100%

5 Publish some posters, cards and books to raise

awareness on interfaith harmony

20 20 100%

6 Arrange a three day long Interfaith Journey 1 1 100%

Budget

Annual Budget Total: 3, 21150/-BDT.

Expenditure Total: 2, 80,950/- BDT.

Respecting others

This story is about Rafiqul Islam, who regularly attends in Scriptural reasoning. `I used to have many stereotypes

and little respect for other religion. But when I joined in scriptural reasoning my respect for other religion

gradually grew and the stereotypes were reduced.’- said Rafiqul Islam. He added too, `in scriptural reasoning we

discuss on the basses of different scriptures. The scriptures are saying mostly the same thing on a matter/topic.

It surprised me. Before attending scriptural reasoning, I had no idea what the other scriptures are saying to us.

So when I noticed the Scriptures are saying the same thing to all humankind, while we just have different faith

and ritual, then my respect grew for the other religions. Here, I can share something that changed with me. I

cannot eat in the house of someone that has another religion. So, I never have lunch in their home. But in the

scriptural reasoning group, we have discussed a lot of rituals of other religions and as my respect for other

religion has grown, I have taken food from those of another religion.’


Our volunteers/others

Name Position

Kelly Rajlaxmi Daring Peace Worker

Tulsi Hajong Peace Worker

Md. Nazmul Sarker Peace Worker

Ilma Jahan Peace Worker

Bijon Chiran Facilitator

Toufiq Mia Facilitator

Tripti Radha Suthrodhor Facilitator

Tamanna Tara Boishakhi Facilitator

Churchill Mrong Facilitator

Munmun Ghosh Facilitator

Alovi Chiran Facilitator

Pinky Akter Facilitator

Sabiha Khatun Peace Volunteer

Md. Akramul Islam Peace Volunteer

Jakia Sultana Peace Volunteer

Jhorna Akter Peace Volunteer

Subroto Pal Peace Volunteer

Robin Mia Peace Volunteer

Afsana Akter Peace Volunteer

Chinmoy Chiran Peace Volunteer

Linda Daru Peace Volunteer

Jibon Been Peace Volunteer

Md. Mahbub Alam Peace Volunteer


Contact us

Shanti Neer,

Joynul Abedin Road, Kanchijhuli, Mymensingh

E-mail: [email protected]/[email protected]

Website: www.shantimitra.org

Face book page: https://www.facebook.com/Shanti-Mitra-

178453105540380/?ref=bookmarks

Mobile: +88001746097618

mailto:[email protected]/[email protected]

http://www.shantimitra.org/

https://www.facebook.com/Shanti-Mitra-178453105540380/?ref=bookmarks

https://www.facebook.com/Shanti-Mitra-178453105540380/?ref=bookmarks

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