A three-day workshop on ‘Improving food security governance in South and South East Asia through strengthened participation of organisations of marginalised farmers’ regional project was launched here from Sunday.
The five-year term (October 2013 to September 2018) regional project is being implemented in Bangladesh, Nepal, India and Myanmar to improve livelihoods of the marginalised ethnic community people with the assistances of the European Union (EU) and Dan Church Aid (DCA). The Regional Office of the project based at Kathmandu in Nepal has been organising the workshop for 30 officials, experts and executives of DCA, RDRS Bangladesh and Dushtha Shasthya Kendra (DSK) at Begum Rokeya auditorium in the city.RDRS Bangladesh and DSK have been jointly implementing Bangladesh part
of the project activities in Thakurgaon, Panchagarh and Netrokona to improve livelihoods of 50,000 small and marginal farmers’ households belonging to the Garo, Santal, Oraon, Hajong Manipuri ethnic tribes, minority Hindu, extremely poor Muslim and fishing communities.Executive Director of RDRS Bangladesh Dr. Salima Rahman delivered welcome speech while Regional Representative of the DCA based at Kathmandu David Smith formally launched the workshop.Head of Programme of DCA Mani Kumar, its Head of Finance Programme Mr. Mallick, Country Manager for India Jaison Thomas and Country Manager for Bangladesh Hasina Inam, also addressed.Regional Programme Officers of the Resilient Livelihood from DCA Deepak Singh and Surendra Bahadur Thapa, Richard Mahapatra from Centre for Science and Environment, Head of Programme Coordination Monjusree Saha of RDRS Bangladesh, its Agriculture and Environment Coordinator Mamunur Rashid and Programme Coordinator of DSK Mahabbat Ali were present.Regional Project Coordinator of DCA Abdur Rahman presented the project overview and narrated various activities being implemented in Bangladesh, Nepal, India and Myanmar under the regional project.The speakers said the specific objectives of the project are to equip the target groups and networks with critical understanding of food and nutrition governance in these South and South East Asian countries and ability to participate in decision making processes.The objectives also include increasing engagement of the target groups and networks in relevant national, regional and global forums to
protect and promote the indigenous, eco-friendly farm practices and farmer interests.The project activities will also address the loopholes in food and nutrition security policy and practice through conducting collective advocacy by the target groups and networks for better production, procurement and distribution systems, they said. -BSS, Rangpur
