To streamline the roles of Youth with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and synchronize the new knowledge in the fight against corruption, Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) organized three two-day long anti-corruption Youth Camps in July and August 2018. Highlighting the theme Transparency and accountability towards achieving Sustainable development goals: Invincible Youth will resist corruption’, about 700 Youths from TIB inspired anti-corruption volunteers Youth Engagement and support (YES) members and YES friends of 34 CCCs along with students from different educational institutions participated in the camps. The three camps were held at Bangladesh Academy for Rural Development, BARD Cumilla, on 10-11 July, at BRAC Learning Centre Rangpur on 23-24 July Rangpur and at CSS AVA center Khulna on 07-08 August 2018 in Bangladesh.
Diversified set of programs and sessions were designed to educate the young force and facilitate space for group-based engagement in designing new action plans following four broad thematic areas 1. learning and sharing experiences 2. Motivational speeches 3. Skill development and developing action plan and 4. Games and entertainment. Dr. Iftekharuzzaman, Executive Director of TIB, discussed the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and its relevancy with anti-corruption social movement in each camp which was the guiding discussion throughout the camp. In addition, number of inspirational talks on ethics education, human rights, UPR, women rights, uses of Information and Communication Technologies in resisting corruption by prominent personalities, human rights activists and young entrepreneurs’. At the same time, youths got opportunity to contribute and share ideas, observation in regards to resist corruption. Besides, different games and competitions (Quiz, Extempore Speech and Open book exam) were organized to strengthen issue based knowledge. Following the 70th anniversary of Universal Declaration on Human Rights, one of the sessions in the camp was screenings of the Swiss movie Sonita jointly supported by Embassy of Switzerland in Bangladesh and United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Reflections by the participants
Iqbal Sani, a student of University of Chittagong and a participant at Cumilla camp said, ‘I feel very lucky to participate here. This opportunity allowed me to get introduced to many other young mates who have been fighting actively against corruption. In the camp, we learnt a lot of new things and also applied the gathered knowledge to develop new action plans using new techniques and tools considering SDGs.’
Sompa Rani Dev, YES member of CCC, Gaibandha and participant at Rangpur Youth Camp expressed wishes to get opportunity next time also. She said ` this type of camp is very effective one to strengthen and mobilize youths. It built up a good relationship with youths of different regions of the country’. She thanked TIB and hoped that experience gathered in this camp would contribute a lot to her personal as well as civic life and would strengthen her fighting against corruption.
A citizen need to know the developmental infrastructures to optimize the utilization of government facilities Tertiary level students who are waiting to start professional life are best choice to instill the development issues and therefore start a process to create community support generation. Tertiary level students have good acceptances both in society and administrative level that could help to make a bridge between these two. Students just need motivation, appropriate guideline and knowledge on working for mass poor population. This knowledge will help to practice professional ethics and attitude to work for community.
Students’ capacity development project should initiated to establish equitable social management in Bangladesh.