Good News
Bangladeshi wins AGFUND award
This year Mr. Biony Krishna Mallick, ED Rights Jessore wins the prestigious Arab Gulf Programme for United Nations Development Organisations (AGFUND) award (Third category) for his initiative and efforts to implement the project “ Community mobilisation to combat trafficking (CMCT), in Bangladesh. This prize is allocated for projects founded, sponsored or implemented by individuals in the field of “Individual-led initiatives for combating human trafficking in the poor communities”.
In a ceremony April 21, 2008, Prince Turkey Bin Talal on behalf of President of AGFUND was present as Chief Guest and given the prize among the winners. Mrs. Mercedes Menafra de batly, Former First Lady of Uruguay, Mr. Victoria Piceato, Foreign Secretary of Argentina, Diplomates and journalists were also present the occasion.
AGFUND International Prize is an annual prize awarded by the Arab Gulf Programme for United Nations Development Organizations (AGFUND), having as its president HRH Prince Talal Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, to honor the pioneering development projects in the developing countries. The Prize is consisted of a financial reward of US$ 300, 000 (three hundred thousand dollars) in addition to trophies and certificates of recognition. It aims at encouraging continuity in implementing pioneering development projects and stimulating the efforts of those who are capable of contributing to developmental and humanitarian action in the developing countries. This reflects the keenness and continued endeavors of AGFUND to support the efforts targeting the alleviation of human suffering and pain.
In 1992 Mr. Binoy Krishna Mallick and a number of dedicated human rights activists have founded Rights Jessore (RJ) as a national human rights organization to prevent human rights violations and ensure protection against exploitation and social injustice. Rights Jessore is mainly operating in eight south-western districts of Bangladesh. In order to implement its activities, especially the women and child trafficking and rights based initiatives, Rights Jessore maintains liaison and working relation with a number of different networks and forums.
Since 2005, RJ has been implementing Community Mobilization to Combat Trafficking (CMCT) a project aiming at community mobilization and social awareness building activities in collaboration with ten local partner NGOs based in Satkhira, Jessore and Jhenaidah districts.
The involvement of community people in anti-trafficking activities is the main innovativeness of the project because most of the community people were not aware and mobilized before the project commencement. Based on its belief that human trafficking is a great threat to the development and that traffickers are a strong syndicate, RJ has been able to strengthen capacity on anti-trafficking issue through direct involvement of Community People and formation of Counter Trafficking Women Forum (CTWF) and Anti Trafficking Network to empower women at grassroots level and raising their awareness against human trafficking through their direct involvement in the organization and conducting of all anti-trafficking activities.
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