Advocacy on people’s rights, access to basic services & Gender
Dhaka Citizens’ Advocacy Collaboration against Polluting Environment (Dhaka CALLING)
The project is being implemented in Dhaka North and South City Corporation areas with funding from USAID and FCDO and technical assistance from Counterpart International. DSK is acting as the lead of the project. Associates are BARCIK, CUP and inSights. The main problem is environmental solid waste management. In this case, reduce, reuse and recycle of waste i.e. 3R principles in line with GO policy and procedures need to be strengthened. This is a two-year project, and in the first year, the project was successful in attracting the attention of the policy-makers. There are three objectives of this project, namely, community mobilization, collaborative relationship strengthening and solving at least two community level problems through advocacy initiatives. In the by-gone period, community-level mobilizations were held in four respective slums, a National level on-line project inception meeting, and a round table discussion took place where Ministry and senior government staff along with Media and CSOs were present. Apart from that, a TV talk show was organized where the Minister of the local government, Mr Tajul Islam and senior officials of the Ministry and Directorates were present. Leading CSO and community representatives also participated. Besides the above, a meeting of the project took place with Parliamentary Sanding Committee on MoEF&CC, seeking standing committee’s support and intervention in mainstreaming the dismal solid waste management status in Dhaka. Mr. Saber Hossain Chowdhury MP, Chair of the committee, was the Chief Guest, and two other MPs attended. The four identified CBOs and the three federations are being supported to prepare an effective solid waste management model in four slums. In this process, they are supported by relevant government agencies.