The “Step to Humanity Association,” an international charity established under the British Columbia Societies Act of Canada, have expressed interest in undertaking projects for education, health, and skill development in 19 coastal districts of Bangladesh. This interest was discussed in a meeting with representatives of the Bangladesh North American Journalists Network at their temporary office in Central Alberta, Canada on January 20, 2023. The “Step to Humanity Association” will be working in collaboration with the Bangladesh North American Journalists Network on a strategic plan for education, health, sanitation, and employment skills training in the entire coastal region and among residents of the 19 districts in Bangladesh.
The meeting was attended by Delwar Jahid, a Canada-based expatriate writer, researcher, and journalist, who is also the President of Bangladesh North American Journalists’ Network, Moazzem Hossain, an agriculturist and General Secretary of Step to Humanity Association, Dr. Ashraful Alam, an agriculturist, and Moshiur Rahman. The meeting discussed the significant potential of the ocean economy in Bangladesh and how to address the adverse effects of climate change in the country.
Agriculturist Moazzem Hossain mentioned that Step to Humanity Association has already started collecting field-level data in collaboration with Bangladesh North American Journalists Network’s “Coastal 19” group to achieve the goal of developing the ocean economy in Bangladesh, alleviating poverty, addressing illiteracy, improving access to medical facilities, and connecting with stakeholders in the 19 sub-coastal districts. He also highlighted that the association has completed several experimental projects at the international level, including assistance to Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, sewing training for youth skills and self-reliance, distribution of sewing machines and goats to the needy, distribution of tube wells for clean water in Nigeria and Bangladesh, free cataract operation camps for the poor in Bangladesh, and distribution of relief to flood victims in Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan, among other services.
Dr. Ashraful Alam, an agriculturist who was awarded the university’s highest honor, the President’s Award, in 2008 for his research on marine fish at Okinawa University, Japan, emphasized the global focus on developing the maritime economy in Bangladesh to mitigate the escalating violence of the climate crisis.
Delwar Jahid, a brave freedom fighter, highlighted that Bangladesh is a “hotspot” of the climate crisis, and all coastal residents of the 19 districts are living in an increasingly hostile environment. He stressed that these vulnerable populations, living on the most fragile, crisis-prone coasts, are disproportionately deprived of education, health, sanitation, and employment opportunities. He emphasized the need to prioritize the maritime economy sector and institutionalize efforts to identify and address these issues in order to advance Bangladesh toward becoming a developed country.
The press release received in Dhaka today shared the outcomes of the meeting and the collaborative efforts between Step to Humanity Association and the Bangladesh North American Journalists Network towards education, health, and skill development in the coastal regions of Bangladesh.