The World We Want - UNV | VOLUNTEERS

The World We WantBangladeshi Youth Voices

on a post-2015 World

"I want to live in a world without corruption and poverty. In a world where everybody's opinion will be taken

into account and people are not revengeful. With the help of all people we want to build a green, sustainable world."

(Zakia, participant of Youth Consultation in Chittagong)

Youth Consultations 2013 in BangladeshUnited Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme in Bangladesh

Zaika, Participant of the youth consultation in Chitagong shares her vision for a post-2015 world (UNV/ Merel Fuchs, 2013).

About UNVThe United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme is the UN organization that promotes volunteerism to support peace

and development worldwide. Volunteerism can transform the pace and nature of development and it benefits both society

at large and the individual volunteer. The UN Youth Volunteers programme is an initiative of UNV that aims to facilitate the

engagement of youth in global peace and sustainable development through volunteerism, bringing the voice of youth into the

development discourse and helping young people to realize their full social, economic and human potential. The programme

is based on UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's Five-Year Action Agenda related to youth development, which he

announced on 25 January 2012. His initiative seeks to empower the largest generation of young people the world has ever

known to realize their full potential and to gain a strong sense of civic engagement to bring about transformational change

in their community. In most cultures volunteerism is deeply embedded in long-established, ancient traditions of sharing and

support within the communities. In this context, UN Volunteers take part in various forms of volunteerism and play a role in

development and peace together with co-workers, host agencies and local communities.

UN Volunteers in Bangladesh support various UN agencies in their projects and contribute to development through

volunteerism

Acknowledgements

Contents

Executive Summary ... 6Introduction ... 8Principles for a post-2015 world ...10Visions for a post-2015 world ...11What do these topics tell us? ...22The way forward ...23A call to action ...24Appendix ...26Contact details ...29References ...29

Creating a world of equality ...14Ensuring gender equality ...15Living in a poverty-free world ..16Improving access to education and employment ...17Upholding Human Rights ...18Living in a healthy society ...19Enforcing the rights of children ...20 Creating political stability ...21Mitigating climate change and strengthening environmental sustainabiity ...22Strengthening global connectivity & peace ...23

Cover Photo: Two participants in the Jessore's youth consultation discuss what they believe to be important for the next

development agenda (UNV/ Merel Fuchs, 2013).

There were a great number of people who made this project possible. Thanks for your trust and effort to make this work!!

In particular, we want to thank all participants of the youth consultations for your motivation and honesty in the consultations. Watching the lively discussions and your dedication is really encouraging and reflects the potential of Bangladeshi youth. We also want to thank Masum Billah from Jege Otho Foundation, Subir Das from YPSA, Tanzuma Islam Miti from JAAGO and Merel Fuchs and Shun Hatano from UNV for all their time and effort invested in this project

Executive Summary

"The World We Want- Bangladeshi Youth Voices on a post-2015 World" is the result of three youth

consultations held in Jessore, Chittagong and Dhaka between August and October 2013 to understand young

people's vision of a post-MDG world and ensure that their voices are heard on the national and global level.

84 youth representatives from 30 youth-led organizations and institutions joined the conversation and shared

their views on local and global issues of importance. This report summarizes the discussions and findings of

the consultations and highlights important principles and ideas that young people have to improve the world

they live in

UNITED NATIONS VOLUNTEERS PROGRAMME IN BANGLADESH : BANGLADESHI YOUTH VOICES ON A POST-2015 WORLD | 7

Right: Participants of the youth consultation in Dhaka discuss their vision for a post-2015 world and present their ideas and solutions (UNV/ Shun Hatano, 2013).

What are the key priorities of Bangladeshi youth?

1. Creating a world of equality

2. Ensuring gender equality

3. Living in a poverty-free world

4. Improving access to education and employment

5. Upholding Human Rights

6. Living in a healty society

7. Enforcing the rights of children

8. Creating political stability

9. Mitigating climate change and strengthening

environmental sustainability

10. Strengthening global connectivity & peace

What actions are needed?

• Listen to the priorities and recommendations of Bangladeshi youth as you develop your own position on

post-2015.

• Recognize the creativity and expertise of youth on different development issues as a valid and equal

position.

• Push for a post-2015 development framework that takes youth voices into account and create spaces for

young people to discuss and share ideas on the

post-2015 agenda.

• See youth as partners and include them in

decision-making processes.

Introduction

"The World We Want - Bangladeshi Youth Voices on a post-2015 World“ is the result of three youth consultations held in Jessore, Chittagong and Dhaka between August and October 2013 to understand young people's vision of a post-MDG world and ensure that their voices are heard on the national and global level.

Background of the post-2015 consultations in Bangladesh

The debate on the post-2015 development framework

is one of the most important conversations globally. The

decisions taken by heads of states in 2015 will strongly

influence the development of countries throughout the

world. Governments and donors will support initiatives in

reference to the new development framework, and policies

might change to align with the new goals. That is why we

cannot miss the chance to discuss and debate the next

development agenda.

The aim of the UN is to ensure that the next development

framework is people-driven - that it is not a restricted group

who decide about our future, but active citizens from all

over the world.

In Bangladesh, the post-2015 national consultation

process provided the opportunity for the country to reflect

and draw on experiences with the MDG framework. To

carry out inclusive consultations, a platform was created

through which people were able to contribute to the

formulation of the new global development goals, and

ensure their relevance to Bangladesh. The results of

these consultations were published by the government of

Bangladesh and the UN.

This publication presents the positions and ideas of young

people towards the post-2015 development process

and gives insight into the views of over 80 young people

representing different initiatives, organizations and

movements in Bangladesh

What you can learn from this report

This report is a summary of the findings from three youth

consultations in Jessore, Dhaka and Chittagong, which

looked at (1) essensial principles for the vision of a post-

2015 world, (2) the most important issues and their root

causes which need to be addressed and (3) possible

solutions and a way forward. You can also find out more

about the design and structure of the youth consultations

(Appendix 1) and about the young people who participated

in the consultation (Appendix 2)

Links with the My World survey results 2013

Additionally, this report links the qualitative results of

the consultations with quantitative data collected in April

and May 2013 through the My World survey. The My

World survey asks individuals which six out of sixteen

possible issues would make the most difference in their

lives. In Bangladesh, the UNV office together with the UN

Resident Coordinator's Office reached out to 4,200 young

people to hear their voices. You can read more about the

implementation of the My World survey and the results in

Appendix 3

Discussing the results of youth consultation

To keep the momentum created by shared ideas and

discussions, these findings will be used to inform national and

international dialogues on the post-2015 framework. Results

should also lead to further in-depth discussions with young

people in Bangladesh. We encourage you to share this report

with colleagues, partners and friends, and to use these results

as a basis for your own discussions


Right: A participant in Jessore reviews the results of the group work (UNV/ Merel Fuchs, 2013).

Principles for a post-2015 worldStrengthening youth voices

The report shows that young Bangladeshi citizens are

capable of being partners in global discussions and it

challenges the perception of youth being uninformed. Many

young people in Bangladesh have creative ideas and a

lot of motivation to dedicate their energy to development.

This report shows that young people have a depth of

understanding about holistic development approaches and

how to connect the dots, leading to incredible ideas.

This report contributes to showing that far from just being

beneficiaries, young people have many ideas about how to

form and participate in the planning and implementation of

the next development framework

What is important to youth in post-2015?

Equality in all its facets was overwhelmingly highlighted as

the most important principle in the youth consultations. Youths

in Jessore, Chittagong and Dhaka emphasized the need for

a fair and just world, in which people are not discriminated

against based on gender, sexual orientation, colour, caste,

class or abilities. The importance of equality for all is closely

related to principles of respect for diversity and fairness.

With these guiding principles in mind, the participants

identified challenges and problems on a national as well as

global level. Apart from discussions on gender discrimination

and the need for a safe world for women and children, youth

in Jessore coined the term 'climate discrimination' to describe

the unequal effects of global warming - where countries like

Bangladesh face more negative effects than the biggest

“contributors”, and yet lack a level playing field in the climate

change debate.

Connected to the importance of ensuring a more

environmental friendly and green world, the participants

emphasized the need for sustainable solutions. In

regards to access to quality education and employability

and a "proper" use of human resources, sustainability was

emphasized. Many youths suggested to not only focus on

quantitative data, but to ensure that qualitative indicators

are included in the next development framework.

Students in Chittagong discussed how the use of innovative

techniques and ICT can bridge the gap between an informed

minority and a majority of people with lack of information

Visions for a post-2015 world

Through the discussions of participants, Through the discussions of participants, a picture

emerged of the world they want to live in. The vision presented here summarizes individual's

vision and group discussions collected in three youth conversations:

"We see a world that values equality in all its facets, strives for sustainable solutions

and active participation of all groups of society in decision-making processes. A world

that is free of poverty and hunger and where everyone feels safe. A world, in which

everyone has equal access to quality education, employment and information. A world

in which human resources are valued and will bring the development of all to the fore.

Nobody would be excluded or discriminated against because of gender, sexuality, colour,

class, religion or caste. The protection of the environment and sustainable development

would be as important as economic growth. Through decentralization, improved access

to information and the promotion of leadership skills, political instability would not exist.

Globally people would be connected and values such as togetherness emphasized."

Top, left: Participants in the Dhaka consultation discuss how to improve leadership and strengthen good governance (UNV/ Shun

Hatano, 2013). Right: In Jessore, youths prepare their presentations (UNV/ Merel Fuchs, 2013). Bottom, left: Participants in the Dhaka

consultation present solutions for the creation of a child friendly world (UNV/ Shun Hatano, 2013). Right: result of a group work in

Jessore (UNV/ Merel Fuchs, 2013).

Young people identify some of the challenges facing Bangladesh in achieving sustainable development (UNV/ Shun Hatano, 2013).

The United Nations Youth and Student Association in Bangladesh (UNYSAB)

encourages young people to actively participate and get involved in global

discussions. Motivated students from various universities inform other young

people about the United Nations and the Millennium Development Goals.

UNYSAB is currently holding youth dialogues in eight districts to collect and

listen to the voices of youth.

In January 2014, 60 young people participated in two of these consultations

organized in Rangpur and Kurigrum. The results of these consultations are

very similar to those from the UNV consultations in Jessore, Chittagong and

Dhaka. The importance of health for development was explicitly discussed in

Rangpur and has been included in this publication.

Youth engaged in post-2015

1. Creating a world of equalityOne of the most important topics in the youth consultations

was the creation of a world in which people are equal and

have equal access to education, health, employment and

political participation. The MDGs, which have in some

ways succeeded in reducing extreme poverty, did not

address the challenge of growing inequalities which can

be witnessed in Asia as a whole, where the Gini-coefficient

increased from 0.39 in the mid-1990s to 0.46 in the late

2000s3.

In Bangladesh, inequality is a major issue. The participants

of the youth consultation highlighted: “When defining equal

rights, we mean equal rights between women and men,

between religious groups, races, rich and poor, people with

different abilities. Everybody's rights should be ensured at

a national and global level!”

Inequality was important in all three youth consultations:

while in Jessore, the youth focused on global inequalities

and coined the term 'climate inequality', the young

people in Chittagong and Dhaka focused more on social

disparities.

All agreed that systematic change is needed to create an

enabling environment for everyone

What are the challenges?

・'Superiority complex' which is caused by misinterpretations of religion or lack of education/knowledge

・Social stigma ・Stereotypes ・Patriarchal structures and heteronormativity

・Bias ・Lack of awareness/ access to information ・Domestic violence

Voices of youth

"I want to live in a world, where there is no inequality between class, caste, colour, sexual orientation or gender

identity" (Dhaka)

"I want to live in a world where everyone comes up from being narrow-minded and everyone will be treated

equally" (Chittagong)

What are possible solutions?

・Ensure that diversity and respect are part of the curriculum

・Ensure proper moral education ・Ensure equal participation in the workforce ・Work actively against superstitions・Condemn domestic violence ・Index violence against women・Improve access to resources for all ・Ensure equal wages・Provide vocational training specifically for women

・Provide access to justice for everyone・On a very personal level: be open minded and don't judge

2. Ensuring gender equalityGender equality was one of the most discussed issues during

the consultations. The patriarchal social structure is visible in

many ways, for example, only 39% of university students and

fewer than 16% of the paid workforce is female4.

This is a result of very rigid gender roles, in which women

are often disenfranchised of their rights. This also means that

boys often find it difficult to oppose these structures, as there

are only a few role models who show how different gender

roles can work.

In Dhaka the youth emphasized that when talking about

gender equality, we should also keep in mind that the rights of

sexual minorities should be strengthened

Voices of youth

"I want to live in a beautiful, poverty-free country, with equal rights for men and women" (Jessore)

"I want to live in a world where people are not judged based on their gender or sexuality. A world where

everyone is equal and has the freedom to love" (Dhaka)


Participants working on the consequences of gender discrimination present their results in Chittagong (UNV / Merel Fuchs, 2013).

Voices of youth"I want to live in a world where sanitation is available in slum areas, where all children are privileged and old

people are happy about the political situation and their life" (Dhaka)

"I want to live in a poverty-free world, a hunger-free world, where people can live in justice." (Dhaka)

"I want to live in a hunger-free world, where there is no space for corruption" (Jessore)

3. Living in a poverty-free worldEven though Bangladesh has made great progress in reducing

extreme poverty, it is still considered a least-developed country,

and many people live in poverty.

The youth in all three consultations highlighted the importance

of addressing poverty by not only looking at an increase of

income, but also addressing issues such as corruption, inequity

and access to basic rights. The in-depth knowledge of the

participants became obvious when they started interlinking

different problems. For them it is obvious that to address poverty,

many different strategies have to be used


・No suitable loan opportunities・Corruption hinders development・Basic rights are not equally provided in the country (discrimination along social cleavages, e.g. gender)・Overpopulation ・Lack of good governance ・Lack of education/skills・Political instability ・Lack of decent employment opportunities ・Not enough financial capital (unequal distribution of capital) ・Unequal distribution of resources・Lacking leadership skills


・Raise awareness about basic rights・Strengthen Law enforcement・Change culture of leadership・ Increase education and job opportunities

4. Improving access to education & employmentIn Bangladesh, where only a small percentage of

the workforce are considered skilled, education and

employment opportunities are a high priority for young

people. As witnessed around the world, youth in

Bangladesh are highly vulnerable to unemployment and

have difficulties entering the job market.

Thus, many youths discussed the issue of access to quality

education and employment during the consultations.

These priorities match the results of the My World survey

conducted in 2013 with 4200 young Bangladeshi citizens,

who also chose education and employment as the two

most important development priorities

Voices of youth"I want to live in a world where every child gets the opportunity of better education and there in no drop-out

rate" (Dhaka)

"I don't believe in an unequal world. Why this world? Why do some children go to school in a BMW and at the

same time some children sell flowers on the street? I believe that all children should go to the same school.

I believe that there should be the same education for all" (Dhaka)


・Poverty・Corruption ・Lack of awareness and information ・Absence of proper flow of information (access to information)

・Lack of accountability and transparency ・Quality of education differs between rural and urban areas, and between schools (socioeconomic background)

・Drop-out rate rather high due to, for example, early marriage

・Mismatch between supply and demand on the labour market


・Guarantee access to quality education for all ・Allocate resources to education and skills development・Ensure security for workers/ employees ・Ensure free flow of skilled workers・Ensure that demand meets supply of the labour force

・Ensure quality of technical education ・Address social problems such as early marriage


Youths in Jessore jointly discuss what they find important

for the next development agenda (UNV / Merel Fuchs, 2013).

On 10th December 1948 the United Nations General

Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human

Rights in the “recognition of the inherent dignity and of

the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the

human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and

peace in the world“. However, basic human rights are still

not available to all. Child labour, human trafficking, and

freedom of thought are important issues that have to be

addressed in the next development framework. In Rangpur,

youths emphasized the need to ensure human rights at

local, national and international levels so that people – no

matter where they are – are protected by human rights

6. Living in a healthy societyBangladesh is one of few countries in the world that

achieved two MDGs related to health, namely the reduction

of maternal and under-5-mortality. However, limited access

to basic health care facilities and quality treatment still

makes child birth risky and can have negative affect on the

first five years of a child's life. Participants of UNYSAB’s

consultation specifically discussed health as an important

development priority. Also the results of the My World

survey showed how important health is for young people.

Health includes many different topics such as access to

safe water, nutritious food and medical services. When

looking at these three areas it becomes clear that gender

discrimination strongly influences accessibility. This again

shows the complexity of development and emphasizes the

need to focus on equality as an important topic in the next

development framework. In the end, a healthy society is

one of the cornerstones of sustainable development


・Lack of awareness on health issues (e.g. hygiene, necessary vaccines)

・No regular check-ups for pregnant women and newborns

・Limited access to safe drinking water ・Lack of health care centers in rural areas

・Monitoring of health system is not strong

・Lack of qualified medical staff

Voices of youth

"I want to live in a world in which people are healthy" (Dhaka)

"I want to live in a world where child birth is safe for the mother and the child" (Rangpur)


・Spread knowledge about basic health issues

・Increase the number of health care centres

・Ensure access to health care facilities and qualified medical staff

・Establish free primary healthcare service

・Improve access to safe drinking water and nutrition

・Ensure doctors from developing countries have access to ongoing trainings and skill developments

・Enforce stronger monitoring system

5. Upholding Human Rights


Voices of youth

"By ensuring basic rights, we will be able to create a poverty-free world without hunger" (Jessore)

Participants present their visions for a post-2015 world with their group members in Dhaka (UNV / Shun Hatano, 2013).

The Bangladeshi society is comprised of a large group of

children and adolescents. Children, being dependent on

their parents, are often in a social position in which they

cannot choose their destiny.

In the consultations, two main problems were discussed:

Firstly, violence against children and early marriage is a

very real problem of Bangladeshi society. Over 66 percent

of young girls were married before the age of 18 in 20113.

Secondly, even though the government has greatly

improved access to education, the high drop-out rate

remains a problem. Often children are enrolled in schools,

but then cannot attend classes, as parents depend on their

children's income. In the discussions, the interrelatedness

of different social problems became obvious: poverty and

the social position of young people in society often hinder

children and young people to access their rights


・Improve access to education・Increase social bonding・Index violence against children & early marriage ・ Hold perpetrators accountable for their actions ・Offer trainings to teachers on child related issues・Ensure that teachers use standardized curriculum (e.g. adolescent health chapters are often not addressed by teachers as these topics are taboo)

7. Enforcing the rights of children

Voices of youth"I want to live in a world where every child gets the opportunity for better education and there is no drop-out

rate" (Dhaka)

"I want to live in a world where everyone will have a better life, free of poverty and violence; where a girl will feel

safe in her community."


・Child marriage ・Child abuse・No real adolescent health care system ・Child labour・ Access to education in rural areas (high drop-out rate) ・Poverty ・ Trafficking of women and children ・Laws are not enforced

The creation of a stable political situation was of high

importance to the youth – not only on a national, but also

on a global level. Two key challenges were identified as the

main obstacles to political stability, namely lack of important

leadership skills and a missing global conciousness. Youth

envisioned a world in which countries not only look at the

national consequences, but also at the global implications

of their actions.

In regards to leadership, youth felt that there is a missing

consciousness of the leading elite for the needs of the

majority; the abuse of power and corruption created

political instability and an atmosphere in which violence,

corruption and trafficking could bloom

8. Creating political stability

Voices of youth“If we have good politics, we can build a corruption-free and terrorist-free country” (Jessore)

“I want to live in a world without wars, a world without air or water pollution” (Jessore)


・Create platforms to share information ・Increase access to information for citizens・Change concept of what a good leader is (value change)・Establ ish t ra in ing centres and encourage leadership trainings


・Lack of good governance ・ No awareness・Lack of inspiring leadership・Lack of global solidarity・Corruption・Misinterpretation of leadership・Lack of leadership content in curricula & training facilities・No awareness of consequences of action ・Gap between leaders and people due to lack of transparency and information sharing


Group work in Dhaka (UNV / Shun Hatano, 2013)


・Increase reforestation efforts to reduce effects of climate change

・Raise awareness about environmental protection and the effect of climate change

・Strengthen the lobby of least-developed countries in global climate discussions

・Strengthen cooperation between countries・Decentralize industry and treatment facilities

・Change policies and ensure law enforcement

・Improve sanitation and drainage・Ban nuclear weapons・Ensure infrastructure development of rural areas

9. Mitigating climate change & strengthening environmental sustainability Bangladesh is known to be one of the most vulnerable

countries in the world to climate change and natural

disasters. Floods, cyclones and earthquakes pose a

realistic threat to the lives of many people. The youths

discussed local implications of climate change while

also addressing challenges on a global level. In Jessore,

participants coined the term “climate discrimination” as a

global phenomenon in which countries like Bangladesh

suffer more from climate change than the biggest

contributors. A majority of the participants believed that this

topic has to be addressed in order to ensure a liveable and

fertile country.

One important point was the need to identify sustainable

solutions. "Not only for today, but also for tomorrow” was

one of the slogans used by youth to highlight the need for

cooperation and action in the creation of a green world

Voices of youth"I want to live in a world where I will be able to breath fresh air, a green world" (Dhaka)

"I want to live in a world where forests are conserved, where environmental sustainability and climate equity are

a reality." (Chittagong)


・Desertification・Increased temperature・Increase of natural disasters ・Changing rain patterns and river flows ・Lack of agricultural land ・Lack of sanitation leads to increase of water-borne diseases such as cholera, typhoid etc.

・Unplanned urbanization (especially capital-centred urbanization)

・Lack of facilities for treating industrial waste

・Growing population ・Consumer culture - waste is not seen as a problem

・Lack of law implementation

10. Global connectivityAnother important area that is closely connected to

leadership was the discussion around global connectivity

and the creation of unity in the world. Youth in Jessore

stressed the fact that they felt cultural discrimination

affected countries such as Bangladesh and the dominance

of “Western” values and beliefs did not allow for diversity.

This of course also has to do with power-relations and the

domination of powerful, huge states over small countries

such as Bangladesh. It also shows the deeply embedded

fear of the youth that they are not being taken seriously and

are being omitted from global decision-making processes.

This reflects the urban-rural divide on a global level, where

Bangladesh is seen as a country at the margins of power

and decision-making bodies. In Dhaka, the participants

stressed that youth, making up such a large percentage

of the world's population, must be considered as partners

in development and politics. Youth have experienced

discrimination based on their age and now demand true

participation

Voices of youth“More than half of the world's population is youth. We demand youth ownership to make this world a better

place.” (Dhaka)


・Strengthen respect for diversity on a national and global level

・Encourage true exchange of ideas and values

・Develop policies and structures which enable young people to organize and participate in global discussion

・Create possibilities for networking among youth・Create exchange platforms


・No respect between countries・Lack of trust, equity and discrimination ・Lack of information and resources ・Power-relations between nations can lead to discrimination (misuse of power)

・Prejudices against the unknown・Dominance of Western culture・Ignoring national culture in order to fit in


Participants in the Jessore consultation (UNV/ Merel Fuchs, 2013).A lively discussion took place after the group presentation in Dhaka (UNV/ Shun Hatano, 2013).

What does the discussions tell us?

Youth prioritize & share views on development topics

The topics identified by the youth cover a wide range of

development issues and reflect the high interconnectivity

of social problems. These need to be addressed jointly

to create a level playing field among social groups within

countries, as well as between nations.

It is worth noting that while only 84 youth participated in the

qualitative discussion on post-2015, the areas of discussion

reflected those identified as key priorities by the 4,200 youth

who participated in the My World survey in Bangladesh (see

Appendix 1).

It is also interesting to note that the priorities from Bangladesh

are very similar to the findings of youth consultations held

in other countries, where equality, employability, education,

climate change, poverty and governance were also identified.

This shows that while the world's youth are very diverse

and far from homogeneous, they prioritize similar areas

and share similar views on important development topics.

Youth have innovative ideas to begin solving some of these

problems. For example, they believe that modern technology

should play a key role in addressing some of the issues and

can be a tool to engage young people in global or national

policy discussions

Left page, left: participant explains why it's important to

include youth in global governance (UNV / Shun Hatano, 2013)

Right: In Jessore, youth show how development is negatively

affected by political instability (UNV / Merel Fuchs, 2013).

Right page, left: youth show how togetherness strengthens

community development (UNV / Merel Fuchs, 2013) Right: Sifat

presents reasons and consequences of high drop-out rates and

proposes different solutions (UNV / Shun Hatano, 2013).

The way forwardIn a nutshell, there are six common themes among the solutions of each of the very different issues:

・Sensitize - raise awareness and improve access to information to strengthen gender equality, access to

education and employment, climate change, global connectivity

・ Empower people – systematic change that enables people to participate in decision-making processes

・ Social transformation – a lot of the problems are linked to social beliefs, prejudices and manifested

inequalities: social transformation is key in creating sustainable change

・Use of ICT - use technology and promote innovation to address issues in a complex manner

・Collaborate – create platforms to exchange ideas and work together

・Create a level playing field - on the national as well as international level people have to value diversity and

respect differences

“Some people believe that pregnant women should eat only very little, so that the baby does not get too big. These kind

of ideas are wrong, but deeply rooted into our culture. We need to change them!” (Jessore)


A callto action!!

Bangladesh youth have a far more nuanced and in-depth understanding of

development than often believed.

Youth often do not have the opportunity to share their views and demand the

development of platforms in which they can express their ideas.

Youth in Bangladesh have creative and innovative ideas on how to address

crucial development issues.

Everyone can contribute to development - so get active and start volunteering for your community!

Many youth in Bangladesh are organized and part of youth organizations working for the

social good → prejudices against youth have to be opposed.

Participatory and inclusive approaches must be prioritized in order to collect the

voices of those who are often disenfranchised.

The new development framework must emphasize equality – between genders, age

groups, religious groups and countries.

A lot of the problems are interlinked and need to be addressed simultaneously.

Young people must be partners in the design and implementation of the new

development framework.

Decision-makers therefore need to recognize the importance of including youth

voices into the new development agenda.

What can decision-makers do?

・ Consider the priorities and recommendations of Bangladesh's youth while developing their country's position

on the post-2015 development agenda.

・ Recognize the creativity and expertise of youth on different development issues as a valid

and equal position.

・ Push for a post-2015 development framework that includes youth voices and creates

spaces for young people to discuss and share ideas on the post-2015 agenda.

・See youth as partners and include them in decision-making processes.

What will Bangladesh's youth do?

We will disseminate the information collected and present the results to the members of the Bangladesh

delegation to the UN General Assembly Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals, as well as

through the global networks of UNV and the UN. In Bangladesh, youth organizations will use this report to

inform the public about youth priorities in the post-2015 process and advocate on the issues identified in the

consultations with support of UNV.

As the UNV office in Bangladesh, we will continue to focus on youth development and support the inclusion of

youth in political discussions and processes.


Participants in the Dhaka consultation emphasize the need for change (UNV/ Shun Hatano, 2013).

Appendix 1 : Design & structure of the consultationsDesign and Structure of the youth consultations in Bangladesh

UNV jointly organized the youth consultations on post-2015 with three national youth organizations, namely JAAGO

Foundation (Dhaka), Jege Otho Foundation (Jessore) and Youth Power in Social Action (Chittagong). Each organization

selected one representative to facilitate the consultations and together with the Youth Network Development Officer of UNV,

the consultation schedule was designed (based on the toolkit "Youth Consultations for a Post-2015 Framework" developed by

Restless Development, War Child, ybi and CSD Youth Working Group).

The three one-day consultation workshops were held in Jessore, Chittagong and Dhaka between August and October

2013 and were a safe space, in which participants could express their views and visions. It also includes the results of half-

day discusstions with youths in Rangpur and Kurigrum that were organized in a similar way by the UN Youth and Students

Association in Bangladesh (UNYSAB). All of the consultations were held in Bangla. After each consultation, the facilitation

team wrote a report detailing discussions from the workshop including (i) principles and visions for a post-2015 world, (ii)

discussions on important issues that need to be addressed in the next development framework, (iii) solutions to these

development issues. After collecting all the results, the team analysed the results and coded the responses of youth in order

to prioritize the results of the youth consultations

Our aim is to disseminate this report nationally as well as internationally, targeting the UN Agencies, the UN High Level Panel

on post-2015, civil society, including the Beyond Post-2015 campaign and of course also all other interested stakeholders

working with youth in Bangladesh

Appendix 2 : Participants in the consultationsWho we reached

Throughout these consultations, UNV tried to reach out to young Bangladeshi, who had not been included in previous

national consultations on post-2015. In three consultations youth representatives from different religious groups, ethnicities,

geographical locations, economic backgrounds and with different sexual preferences came together to discuss and share

their vision for post-2015.

In total 84 young people joined the consultations (24 in Dhaka, 28 in Chittagong and 32 in Jessore). 33% identified

themselves as female and some participants were engaged in organizations working for rights of sexual minorities.

Most of the participants were 18 or older (below 30), only 6% of the participants were between 11 and 17 years old

List of participating organizations

Chittagong Youth Consultation:Asian University for Women, Chittagong University, University of Information Technology & Sciences, Southern University Bangladesh, Young Power in Social Action

Jessore Youth Consultation:Dalit Khulna, Dhanpota Youth Club, Govt. MM College, Jege Otho Foundation, JDF Jessore, PATSHALA, Matreevasha Public Library, Raghunathpur Youth Center, Secehasebi Jubo Songgathon, Shatadal Peoples Center, Shurjamkhi Shishu Shangna, Shekon, Shopno Roth

Dhaka Youth Consultation:Action Aid Activista Bangladesh, Bandhu Social Welfare Society, Bangladesh Youth Movement for Climate, Boys of Bangladesh, Child Parliament, Democracy Watch, Durbin, JAAGO Foundation, Jege Otho Foundation, RMMRU, North South University, N.Y.L.F, One Degree Initiative Foundation, Prothom Surjo Foundation, UNYSAB, Young Power in Social Action


Youth representatives share their dreams for a post-2015 world in Jessore(UNV/ Merel Fuchs, 2013), Chittagong and Dhaka(UNV/ Shun Hatano, 2013)

Appendix 3 : My World survey

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90% A good education

Better job opportunities

Better healthcare

An honest and responsivegovernment

Freedom from discrimination andpersecution

Protection against crime andviolence

Equality between men and women

Affordable and nutritious food

Better Transport and roads

Support for people who cannotwork

Access to clean water andsanitation

Political freedoms

Action taken on climate change

Phone and internet access

Protecting forests, rivers andoceans

Reliable energy at home

My World in Bangladesh

Together with many different UN agencies and local as

well as international NGOs, the United Nations Volunteers

(UNV) programme and the UN Resident Coordinator’s

Office administered the My World survey in Bangladesh

in May 2013. In order to reach out to more young people

in the country, the My World survey was translated into

Bangla by three online volunteers. Given the limitations

in reaching out to young people across the country, the

translated survey was promoted online as well as printed

and disseminated amongst organisations (NGOs, UN, etc.)

working with youth. Volunteers as well as employees of our

partners administered the survey and focused on asking

young people between the ages of 15 and 35 to name

their six development priorities. Following the return of the

completed surveys, a team of nearly 40 online volunteers

supported UNV with data entry and analysis. By the end of

June 2013, 4,200 surveys were completed and returned to

UNV

← By the end of June 2013, 4,200

surveys were completed and returned

to UNV.

What young people decided

The young people who participated

in the survey often had similar

priorities. The graph shows the

percentage of participants selecting

their most important options. A

good education and better job

opportunities were the top two

mos t impor tan t deve lopment

pr ior i t ies for young people in

Bangladesh. These were followed

by better healthcare, an honest and

responsive government, freedom

from discrimination and persecution

and protection against crime and

violence. It is apparent that the

first three priorities chosen by the

young participants in Bangladesh

speak to their personal well-being

and development, while the other

priorit ies are socially inclined,

underlining the importance of good

governance and active participation

in their futures

UNV Contact DetailsFor general information about UNV please contact:

United Nations Volunteers programme in BangaldeshIDB Bhaban, 14th Floor, Sher-e-Bangla Nagar,Agargaon, Dhaka 1207, BangladeshTelephone: +(880-2) 8150088, 8118600-6Fax: +(880-2)8113196Email: [email protected]://www.unvolunteers.org

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UNVBangladeshPublished by UNV BangladeshWritten by Merel FuchsDesigned by Shun HatanoTranslated by Bushra Tabassum, Ishtiaque AlamEdited by (English) David ScottEdited by (Bangla) Tania Haque, Samanjar Chowdhury, Mostafezur Rahaman

References


1. Restless Development in collaboration with the DFID, CSO Youth Working Group, War Child and the Princes Youth

Business International: Toolkit for Youth Consultations for a Post-2015 Framework; Online available http://www.

restlessdevelopment.org/file/post-mdg-youth-consultation-toolkit-pdf.

2. Restless Development in collaboration with the DFID, CSO Youth Working Group, War Child and the Princes Youth

Buisiness International: Youth Voices on a Post-2015 World; Online available http://www.youthpost2015.org/wordpress/

report/youthvoices.pdf.

3. United Nations in Bangladesh(2013) :Report on the post-2015 development agenda for Bangladesh.

4. Bangladesh Bureau of Educational Information and Stastics & Internation Labor Organization: Labor force survey 2010

5. United Nations Population Fund UNFPA (2012), Marrying Too Young; Online available http://www.unfpa.org/webdav/site/

global/shared/documents/publications/2012/MarryingTooYoung.pdf.

Top: participants prepare their presentations in Jessore (UNV/ Merel Fuchs, 2013).Bottom: youths discuss with their group members in Dhaka (UNV/ Shun Hatano, 2013).

The World We WantBangladeshi Youth Voices

on a post-2015 World

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The World We Want - UNV | VOLUNTEERS