Youths join interactive discussion marking IPU Assembly
In the run up to the upcoming 136th Assembly of Inter Parliamentary Union (IPU) scheduled to take place in Dhaka, Center for Research and Information (CRI) organised an interactive discussion between youths and policymakers, aiming to place voices of country's largest demography, centring the path towards redressing inequalities, at the assembly.
As many as 200 youths ranging from university students, Joy Bangla Youth Awardees and young entrepreneurs brought in experiences of inequalities facing the society and outlined the road to ensure equal opportunity for all.
Titled as "Let’s Talk on Reducing Inequalities", the entire event, held at the auditorium of Krishibid Institution in Dhaka, was segmented in to five discussion areas namely- economic inequality, social and political inequality, governance and access to services, equality in law and policies.
Cashing on the opportunity to ask questions to the IPU President, Saber Hossain Chowdhury, the participants raised issues like urban poverty, wealth disparity, community volunteerism, skilled labour force, internship opportunities in government bodies, incubation for start-up and education for physically challenged, national youth parliament, infrastructural development, disaster preparedness and many more.
Saber, also a lawmaker, said while there are more young people in the world than ever before, creating unprecedented potential for economic and social progress, this demography constitutes only a handful of 2 percent lawmakers across the globe.
Stressing the need for participation of youths in politics, Saber said unless we have more youths in policy making level, chances are very slim that the thoughts of youths get reflected in national policies... Such policies won’t become youth centric,"
The suggestions regarding equality from this event will be presented at the IPU Assembly, he added.
In reference to Britain's equality act 2010, Barrister Shah Ali Farhad said focus should be laid out to enact such a law in our country to endow our citizens with legal right to lodge complaints after being faced with any form of discrimination-- either from government or non-government institutions--- in everyday life.
Waseqa Ayesha Khan, MP, lawmakers Kazi Nabil Ahmed and Farhad Hossain, and Shahreen Srabon Tilottoma, from Commonwealth Youth Human Rights and Democracy Network, among others, were present as panelists.
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