Honorable education minister Mr. Nurul Islam Nahid is awarding certificate and a bouquet to a participant of the Peace Camp
“The societal progress should be made on knowledge-base and for that purpose we have to have a quality education system that would ensure a higher skill to compete in future”, said Mr. Nurul Islam Nahid, the Education Minister of Bangladesh Government. Mr. Nahid made such speech in a program on “Experiences Sharing of Peace Camp 2008 and Certificate Giving Ceremony”, held on 4 August 2009 organized by Bangladesh Nari Progati Sangha (BNPS) in Dhaka. The program aimed at sharing the experiences of the students participated in the Peace Camp 2008 in Naples, Italy organized by the Universal Forum of Cultures Foundation, Barcelona; also handing over the Certificates to the students awarded by the organization. It was attended by Dr. Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, Honourable State Minister for Women and Children Affairs and reputed fashion designer Bibi Russell, a member of the Universal Forum of Cultures Foundation as the Special Guests.
Student audiences are enjoying the program
A large number of students from different schools in Dhaka, respective teachers and guardians correspondence to the students, a group of teachers from some Netrakona schools and representatives of other civil society organizations participated in the event.
The students shared their various experiences they gathered in the Peace Camp 2008. Their speeches and experiences included the problems with a new place/country, excitements, nature of interactions with others, topic discussions, engagements in cultural activities etc. They also discussed on the issues of poverty, pollution, migration/immigration, globalization, HIV/AIDS that allowed them to be conscious with the problems. Shahida Sharmin, participated in the Peace Camp, said that she ‘felt very happy’ to represent her native country to others. “Choto boyoshe boro datitto” (major responsibility at little age), she added. Fatima Tahmin enjoyed her interactions with others while Mehedi Hasan Shuvo cannot forget his journey to an island crossing sea. The Camp offered Kaberi to be familiar with exotic music instruments; she also played Bengali music there while Ismat, another participant said that he learnt many issues from his trip.
The participants highly appreciated BNPS for its initiatives saying that such would help developing the students’ creativity; also introducing a positive Bangladesh to other nationals. They suggested BNPS to work more towards such activity so that the younger students could develop their confidence along with the formal studies. Rokeya Kabir, Executive Director of BNPS, agreed to the suggestions and said that BNPS is working for educational reform to make it secular and gender responsive. “We dream for such a ‘Sonar Bangla’ that would not allow any discrimination, communalism in education”, she added.
