The Development Studies Programme (DSP) mourned the untimely death of Ms. Nasrin Huq, Country Director, Action-Aid, Bangladesh. Ms. Huq was invited as a guest speaker in MDS course on Right Based Approach to Development on April 13, 2006 to discuss her experience in applying right-based approach in Bangladesh. She spent two hours in a very lively interactive session with MDS students. We pay tribute to her memory.
Right Based Approach to Development also invited Mr. Mosharraf Hossain, Country Director, Action on Disability and Development (ADD) to share ADD's experience of applying right based approach on April 06, 2006. This interactive session exposed MDS students to learn from practioners who use theory in practice. The title of his presentation was "Right Based Approach and Disablity Movement in Bangladesh". The presentation was followed by a short documentary film on Right based approach to development named "Wheel and Water".
As a part of DSP's regular Saturday hours, the program hosted Mr. David Bergman who spoke on corporate social responsibility on Saturday, April 01, 2006. MDS students and faculty members attended the session. The title of his presentation was "Increasing Worker Safety and Corporate Accountability: From Bhopal to Bangladesh"
A project presentation series was hosted by the DEV 503: Global Dimensions of Development course. As a part of their course requirements, students enrolled in this course presented their projects in three sessions on April 8 and 15, 2006. The presentation topics and included Private Capital Flow: From Developed to Developing Countries; Globalization & Labor Standards and; Globalization Environment.
The students of NGOs and Social Entrepreneurship visited three social enterprises in Dhaka on April 08 and 15, 2006. They went to visit a disability focused organization in Mirpur section 5, a waste management program in a slum and a waste composting plant in operation on April 8, 2006. On April 15, 2006, they visited the office of Waste Concern and discussed related issues with Mr. A H Md Maqsood Sinha and Mr. Iftekhar Enayetullah, the two social entrepreneurs in waste management sector of Bangladesh.
In the second phase of development of BRAC University Social Entrepreneurship Forum, BUSEF, a three-member trainer team from TOG, Turkey visited BRAC University, Dhaka, from the 29 March to 3 April 2006. The team spent time with young volunteers of BRAC University Social Entrepreneurship Forum, for extensive training sessions and lecture-discussions on volunteerism and social entrepreneurship. The two-day training program included interactive exercises, games followed by thought-provoking discussion sessions on various issues that need to be addressed by the society today. The importance of team building, collaboration, competition, leadership and tolerance were given utmost significance in all the exercises conducted by the Turkish team. The training along with the friendly and inspiring attitude of the Turkish members team was able to inspire BUSEF members to have confidence to make a difference in both their inner selves and their surrounding environments. In the first phase, a four-member BUSEF team including three students and a lecturer visited Turkey in November 200 to participate in workshops and study tours of social entrepreneurship projects run by Turkish students. The Ashoka Foundation, USA, funded both the phases.