Digital Artifact:Citizen Engagement Project

Welcome

Presented by

Enamul Haque

from Bangladesh

Engaging Citizens: a game changer for Development MOOC participant

March 02, 2016

The Community Citizens, Government of Bangladesh, Policy Makers, International & National

Non- Governmental Organizations (NGO’s) & Philanthropists.

The Target Audience

Project Name:Engaging Citizens to Stop Drug Addiction

Objective: Objective of Citizen Engagement Initiative:

(i) To build awareness among the youth and the community citizens;

(ii) To engage civil society to play an effective role to control the situation;

(iv) To create pressure on law enforcing agency to control illegal drugs business;

The Idea/Problem

Drug addiction of youth is a crucial problem in Bangladesh. Now it

is a growing national concern. There are millions of drug-addicted people in Bangladesh and most of them are young, between the ages of 14 and 30 and they are from all strata of the society. Drug addiction creates health problem, negative effect on brain, behavioral problem and sometimes birth problems. It is a threat to build a strong future generation and ensuring sustainable development goals.

Engaging citizens to solve the problem might be Engaging citizens to solve the problem might be

great solution. The community citizens together can great solution. The community citizens together can

control and/or stop drug addiction involving all strata control and/or stop drug addiction involving all strata

people with policy maker and concern local people with policy maker and concern local

authorities. Community citizens can use social media authorities. Community citizens can use social media

like facebook to build awareness. like facebook to build awareness.

The Idea/Solution

Project Location

Selected 10 communities in Bangladesh

The drug addiction is social problem so the

community citizens can easily come in a common platform to build awareness regarding the negative impact and consequences of drug addiction and create pressure on law enforcing agency to control illegal drug business.

Why Citizen Engagement?

Strategies

The project will be leaded by a community NGO;

There will be a community coordinator who will connect the citizens;

Community citizen will write opinion on a form and facebook as well;

Consolidated recommendations will be sent to local govt. authorities;

There will be monthly coordination meeting among community coordinator, community representative and local govt.

Open seminar and discussion will be held on a regular basis.

Proposed Role of Each Party

Role of NGO To coordinate among citizens and govt. agencies; To make citizen engagement and outcome result available.

Role of Community Citizens• Raise voice and unite their opinion to recommend to local govt.;• To solve the problem engaging together.

Role of Local Govt. Authority• To take effective action to control illegal drug sellers and abusers;• To help community citizens for awareness campaign against drug addiction.

Project PlanMethodology of Implementation

Base line survey to identify to intensity of the problem;Regular awareness program involving community people;Identify the most addicted victims to take measures; Create awareness among youth making poster, festoon

and facebook campaign;Inform regarding illegal sellers to law enforcing agency; Making quarterly survey to monitor the progress.

Project Impact

Direct Benefit: 1. Reduce the % of illegal drug taker;2. Reduce the % of illegal drug seller;

Indirect Benefit:1. Making a well informed community;2. Initiative to making citizen united for social wellbeing;3. Improve humanity to build a strong social structure;4. Finally, this will improve education, health, lifestyle & support the

process of poverty alleviation.

Bottle Neck

Despite of great benefit of the citizen engagement project it is a complex

process to get the highest benefit out of it.

Conclusion

Although the problem is complex in nature but citizens are the prime source of power. Once the citizen are united and engaged to solve a common issue there would be a great outcome. Besides, our 40 years of working experience with community people and expertise will lead us to win the situation. Finally, we expect to build a powerful society eradicating the drug addiction from the target communities.