Moreover ASK has been contributing to the development of street children by providing support of education, food, clothing, shelter and medical treatment through its six Drop In Centers (DIC) in Dhaka City. In the year 2002, 1,106 children were registered in six DICs of the applicant organization. The assistance to children has been part of ASK's work in favor of disenfranchised and underprivileged groups of citizens, which include children, women, religious and ethnic minorities, and socially marginalized segments of society.
The discussion in the training section will make it more clear that ASK is actually a human rights organization.
Activities
Training Program
ASK aims to create an awareness of legal and human rights as a step towards justice. Strategies have been identified to increase people's awareness to rights related issues. In order to create sustainable and broad band social changes it is very important to reach out to the rural areas. For this purpose ASK initiated its Gender and Social Justice program in 1996. The Gender and Social Justice unit (GSJ) works in close collaboration with the Popular Theatre unit (PT) and Training unit (TU). The three units work with six partner NGOs in six thanas.
ASK has a training unit comprising skilled trainers, mostly lawyers. After assessing the needs of the organization or group to be trained, the unit plans the training. Modules have been prepared for courses on family laws, constitutional rights and human rights. These modules are reviewed and modified, and refresher courses conducted after six months. Refresher courses become a means for follow-up and review of training impact. ASK uses training methodologies to create public awareness of rights, sensitize local elected representatives, government officials and community leaders towards a just system for dispute resolution and to sensitize collective groups, i.e. community based organizations about their rights. The Training unit provides necessary training for the local theatre activists of the PT unit, participants of the Gender and Social Justice Program, and to other organizations upon request.
Training Unit
Knowledge catalyzes social mobilization. What empowers people is sensitization to a Rights Approach. The trainees were seen to be stimulated by the courses, and to intervene when they witnessed a violation of rights. The courses offered by the Unit provide knowledge and also help to conscientize. The Unit has prepared several modules on topics listed below.
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Family Laws (Muslim, Hindu and Christian): Family laws or personal laws are derived from religious precepts. The 3-day course outline contains discussions and other relevant exercises on family laws related to marriage, divorce, dower, marriage registration, maintenance, polygamy, guardianship and custody of children. Special attention is given to the concept and methodology for successful application of family law in mediating marital disputes.
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Women’s Rights and Violence against Women: In this course, discussion revolves around gender relations and women’s rights under CEDAW and the Constitution. It critiques women’s discriminatory position in personal laws, and the contradictions between legal and constitutional rights. Case studies of violence and state responses to combat violence were analyzed in the discussions.
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Human Rights and Constitutional Rights: Main purpose of this course was to sensitize trainees to the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), and fundamental rights guaranteed in the Constitution. International conventions e.g. convention against torture, convention on the rights of the child, convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women etc. which protect rights to equality, freedom from violence are discussed in detail.
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Para-Legal Training: A three-day training program is organized for Manabadhikar Songrokhon Parishad (MSP), Manabadhikar Nattya Parishad (MNP) and Manabadhikar Nari Samaj (MNS) members on various issues. Selected trainees are then nominated for participation in a six day training on para-legal matters which include orientation to family laws (Muslim, Hindu, Christian), human rights, constitutional rights, gender equity, mediation, women’s rights, legal aid and violence, violence against women, formal and informal systems of justice, etc.
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Package Course on Gender Equity, Family laws and Mediation: This course analyses links between the three issues through discussion. It is hoped that the knowledge gained by theatre activists will be used to perform issue-based theatre in the unions and villages. As there are fewer female members than male members in MSP and MNP, the bulk of participants in these courses are men.
Other training courses by Training Unit
On Law:
- 3 day course on Dowry Prohibition Act - 1980: Some relevant sections of the Penal Code - 1960.
- 3 day course on Family Court: Family Court Ordinance - 1985.
- 3 day Training on Skill Building on Legal Issues and Mediation
- 3 day Training on Land Law
- 3 day Training on Women's Land Rights
- 3 day Training on Village Court
- 3 day Training on Capacity Building of Union Parishad specially for women UP members
On Mediation:
- Training on Mediation Skill-3 days Course
- TOT on Mediation Skill-6 days Course
On Gender:
- 3 day course on Conceptual Clarity on Gender
- 6 day course on TOT on Gender
On Advocacy:
- 3 day course on Training on Advocacy Skill
Special Courses:
- 3 day course on Training on Child Rights (CRC, Laws relating to Children)
- 6 day course on Basic Course on Legal Aid for BRAC staff
- 3 day course on Training on HR, Legal Issues and Role of a Union Parishad for UP Chairman and members
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3 day course on Training on Gender and Advocacy for Women UP members Participants in Training Courses
The Training Unit has offered its courses to
- Clients who attend ASK’s legal clinics in Dhaka.
- BRAC staff working with the BRAC-ASK Outreach Legal Aid Program.
- Participants in Gender and Social Justice program including community leaders, MSP and MNS.
- Local volunteers who participate in Popular Theatre Unit programs including MNP.
- Members of relevant organizations who request specific training courses.
Moreover ASK Training Unit can design and conduct any course on Law, Mediation, Gender and Advocacy issues if required. Similarly, Popular Theatre Unit can design and conduct courses on Theatre. These are available on a fees-for-service basis.
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Popular Theatre Unit: Popular Theatre unit trains local theatre activists to perform issue-based drama so as to sensitize the local population about law and to orient them to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Unit hopes to change people’s perceptions on women’s rights. Theatre is a dynamic method to convey information to a wider audience, particularly non-literates. Popular Theatre unit trains and mobilizes local theatre personnel to perform plays on social and political problems and to provoke discussions on human rights. A theatre team member facilitates analyses by the audience on cause, effect and possible solution to a social problem. Formerly known as Union Level Theatre Teams, these have been amalgamated into Manobadhikar Natya Parishad (MNP). Members of MNP are given orientation courses on laws, human rights and gender equality. MNP is responsible for performing issue based dramas in the area and transmitting their skills to others who are interested in becoming members of MNP or forming their own MNP. Union MNPs have federated into a thana level MNP.
Activities of MNP members
Nature of Activity No.
Workshops for training in issue based drama 24 24
Training of Trainers 3
Orientation on Laws and Human rights for Theatre activists 6
Workshop for local club members 5
Working meetings with PNGOs 2
Training on legal rights given by trainers 49
Observation of Shalish 67
Intervention to prevent Human Rights Violations 73
Observance of National and International days of significance 150
MNP drama festivals 4
Discussion on Law and Human Rights in schools 112
Performance of issue based dramas 521
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Training of Trainers (TOT) on Popular Theatre: In order to enhance sustainability and continuity of the program, it is important to train members of the popular theatre group who have been involved with the group for at least one-year and have displayed creativity and some leadership qualities. In each course 25 persons were trained at a residential training program. As a result, a group was formed to independently train more theatre activists in the area. This is a fees-for-service program that is also offered to outside agencies and organizations.
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Workshop on Issue based Drama Production: Workshops help the group to identify the nature of conflicts and analyze the causes of conflict in the family. In doing so, the theatre workers become well aware of the social, economic and political power dynamics portrayed in the story and are able to stage the drama and face questions relating to law and human rights.
Other training courses by Popular Theatre Unit include
- Foundation Course for Partner NGO Staff
- Skill Building Training on Communication and Facilitation for PNGO Staff
- Workshop on Popular Theatre for local club members
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Gender and Social Justice Unit: Gender and Social Justice program unit in collaboration with the Training and Popular Theatre units works to develop leadership qualities of six local women-led NGOs in six thanas and to encourage them to use a rights based agenda, paying special attention to women’s rights. The unit also helps to build capacities of Community based Organizations (CBOs) including the local elite, professionals, women, shalishkars (mediators), MNP, MSP, MNS, etc. which play the role of local activist human rights organizations.
Legal Camps
MSP members have been arranging legal camps in their own region where lawyers gather and provide free legal advice. This initiative was taken by the MSP members and has proved very responsive and successful. The legal camps have been successful in attracting lawyers and local people to disseminate free legal advices. The mere presence of lawyers in the localities enhances the process of implementing shalish verdicts such as delivering maintenance money or resolving petty disputes. This gives the local people a chance to meet with the lawyers and have a better understanding of the legal systems. The lawyers also enjoy participating in such Legal Camps as it enhances their personal connections and visibility in the area.
Child Rights Unit (CRU)
The CRU offers health, educational support and legal protection to working children, by registering them for different educational activities in seven drop-in-centers (DIC) in Dhaka.
Objectives: It aims to increase education levels of working children between the ages of 9 to 15 years, facilitate their social and emotional well-being and develop an awareness of their rights. Through this interaction working children acquire a confidence to defend their rights.
Strategies: Working children registered at the Drop-in-Centers are first introduced to new, tested methodologies for rapid learning. The education program for working children is especially designed for those who work irregular hours.
Health services are provided through the Dhaka Community Hospital or other medical facilities; while the cost of prescribed medicines or surgery is borne by ASK. All children who visit DIC’s are given a noontime meal. Educators' forums are held periodically to promote quality education.
Legal protection is often a far cry for working children, who are exposed to exploitation at work, sexual abuse and violence, and are deprived of their rights to basic needs. Their complaints are referred to the Legal Aid Unit for settlement or further investigation by the Investigation Unit.
Liaison with the employers, parents, guardians and educators is a crucial component of CRU’s advocacy. Meetings are arranged with employers and with mothers to raise their awareness of child rights.
More about DIC’s: The Drop-in-Centre (DIC) offers a unique service for children whose life-style not only brutalizes them, but also deprives them of entry into formally established institutions. The DIC offers a flexible hours learning between 9 am to 5 p.m., five days a week. This system of non-formal education, literally, jokhon tokhon shikha or ‘any-time school’ has proved to be appropriate for working children. It is a place where children can rest, play, learn; where they can express their feelings, and receive emotional counseling and legal attention.
In 2002, there were six DICs in the working-sites of Goran, Bashabo, Shantibagh, Mohammadpur, and Mirpur. They served a mixed occupational group of rag pickers, domestic helpers, tempo workers, hawkers, loaders, etc. Recently, Ekota an NGO in old Dhaka, offered its premises for the seventh DIC by ASK. At two DIC's, legal clinics are held once a week, where the children and their mothers can consult with ASK lawyers on any legal problems.
In the following table we can see the Working Children’s Participation in DIC Activities During 2002
ASK has developed a three-phased plan for education of working children viz.
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Basic Education: Basic Education consists of skills in literacy and numeracy. The educators receive training in these skills from Gono Shahajjo Shangshta (GSS). GSS method is adapted from the modern theories and techniques of learning. ASK has arranged flexible hours for the convenience and voluntary choice of the working child. The literacy learning centers at each drop in centre are known as Jokhon Tokhon School (Any time school). For the literate or semi-literate child, ASK provides libraries in each centre, a choice of films on special days and periodical workshops on general subjects.
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Continued Education: It is provided both to educators and children. Libraries and locally made learning games are provided for children to access learning. Music, art and drama classes are also included as an outlet for creativity. Eminent educators and subject specialists are invited each week to share their knowledge with ASK educators. Refresher training in module design and material development is planned for educators on weekly resource sessions.
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General Education: It is an important subject at ASK's Child Right Unit. Syllabi of 12 topics have been designed in the belief that all children have a right to knowledge as well as to survival skills. We believe workshops on these units can be held in any non-formal setting. Some of the methods elaborated here are flexible enough to be utilized in formal settings as well. Facilitator learner ratio is recommended not to exceed 1:25. In crowded classes, the management could use the assistance of team teachers. The classroom or teaching area should allow for mobility if possible. It would be difficult to conduct group exercises on fixed benches and desks usually found in government primary schools. Fixtures need to be light and mobile. Workshops at ASK are held mostly on carpeted floors or under trees in good weather.
Advocacy for Reforms
ASK raises its voice for reforms through different units. The activities of these units are given below.
Documentation Unit’s activities:
- Monitoring media reports for incidents of human rights abuses and referring relevant cases to the Legal Aid or other units for rapid action.
- Compiling newspaper clippings on subjects related to human rights, governance and citizens’ rights and tabulating and compiling statistics on human rights abuses.
- Maintaining a library, including cataloging/classification of materials and accumulating computerized data.
- Purchasing and cataloging videotapes produced by ASK and other organizations on human rights issues.
Communication Unit
Media campaign is an integral part of the strategy to raise public awareness. ASK uses print media and publishes its own publications to draw attention to violations of legal and constitutional rights. Publications from the unit generate discussion on loopholes in the law and possibilities for legislative changes. Communication unit is committed to disseminating information to educate the wider public through mass media. It produces a
Quarterly bulletin and leaflets on law and human rights in simple language; its press release and articles are published in the national dailies regarding issues of laws and human rights violations. Materials developed by this unit are used by the Popular Theatre, Gender and Social Justice and Training Units and the local community organizations they dialogue with in six thanas.
Activities:
- Published quarterly Bulletin, pamphlets and books on issues of human rights, women’s rights and laws.
- Facilitated publication of research materials and provided necessary documents for advocacy.
Research Unit’s Activities:
- Examine how laws and policies affect lives and options for citizens.
- Analyze the consequences of the application or neglect of specific laws, policies and programs.
- Research into specific areas for law reform, and
- Prepare reports for advocacy with public representatives and policy planners to mobilize public opinion around critical issues for law and policy reform.
- Assess the effectiveness of different Units by examining their reports.
Advocacy Unit
Changes in policies or laws in the formal sense can be brought about through legislation enacted by Parliament or through judicial directions. ASK uses both methods. Petitions for public interest litigations are prepared on the basis of information provided by the Documentation and Investigation Units, case experience of the Legal and Outreach Units, and the analyses provided by research done by both the Research and Advocacy Units. In 2002, the Unit worked on the following public interest litigations, preparing petitions, filing writs in the name of ASK alone or with other organizations such as BLAST. High Court directions were sought through Public Interest Litigations in the following matters:
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Right to shelter: against illegal and forcible evictions Amtoli basti (15,000 residents) WP no 658/2002 HC issued stay order till disposal of case against eviction. Kallyanpur bosti (100,000 residents) WP 1471/2002 HC directed the filing of a new petition addending possible rehabilitation scheme. Jheelpar Bosti WP No. 4334/2002 HC Rule issued on the respondents to explain why HC guidelines for resettlement before eviction were not followed.
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Freedom from Torture, illegal detention and arrest: Against arrest of citizens by BDR and prayer for compensation on behalf of the victims. WP 3621/2002. HC declared such incidents of torture and arrest illegal.
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Rights of the Child: Jononirapotta Case No 241/2002 against trial of two minor children in the same case with adults. Trial Court Order for children to be produced in Court, and transferred to the Tongi Correction Centre and to frame separate charges against them. on analyses of PIL strategies and interventions.
Strengths
After analyzing the whole organization I found the following positive attributes of ASK—
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Experience: The working environment and culture is quit different. So, organizations working with people needs to know about it clearly. ASK’s needs to know how to access information regarding women problem as it is a very sensitive issue in Bangladesh. Any wrong step could jeopardize its whole operation in the rural areas. So, ASK’s experience is an advantage in this case.
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Wide network: As we have seen in the introduction that ASK has a vast national and international network, which helps them to protect human rights in Bangladesh. Especially the international network makes their works more meaningful. Because of this international network their researches are more valuable than other local organizations working in the same area.
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Founding & Executive Members: ASK’s founding members are all well reputed citizens in the society. Most of them are established lawyers, which helps them give advice to the poor women and children. For example – the general secretary of ASK Nihad Kabir received her BA (Hons) degree in Law from Cambridge University in 1988. Nihad kabir was called to the Bar by Gray's Inn, London in 1989. She completed her LLM also from Cambridge University in 1991. She is an Advocate of the High Court Division of the Supreme Court. She was also Legal Counsel to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) of Bangladesh. So, these members make ASK a strong human rights organization.
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Special consultative status with UNECOSOC: The special consultative status gives ASK an international recognition of its work, which is always helpful for a human rights organization.
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Donations: Recently ASK has been getting foreign aids, which is necessary to operate so many programs. It has a finance department, which looks after all the financial transactions. This helps them to maintain the transparency.
Weaknesses
Small staff: ASK has only 133 workers which is not adequate at all. It needs to employ more workers if it wants to expand its operation. The current situation in Bangladesh demands more attention so it should expand.
No legal Aid clinics outside Dhaka: ASK’s legal aid clinics are all situated in Dhaka. However, situation in the rural areas are worse than Dhaka. Most of the women in villages are treated unfairly in day to day life. So, without spreading its operation all over the country ASK can not address the problems.
Slow progress: The progress of ASK has been very slow. It is growing steadily but the problems are growing even faster.
Fewer girls in DIC: If we look at the numbers of participants in the DIC, it would be clear that the numbers of girls are far too low whereas, girls have fewer opportunities than boys. So, ASK’s DIC concept will be never be a success if it can not encourage more girls to participate in the programs.
Strengthening ASK
Establishing more Legal Aid clinics
ASK must establish legal aid clinics. Otherwise it would never be able to serve the rural people of Bangladesh, which is the major issue.
Child Rights Units (CRU)
ASK can strengthen itself by expanding the activities of CRU, which would help them to contribute more to the street children. This can be done by raising child rights issues in the public arena, by arranging workshops and street theatres, etc. for interaction with working children. By seeing them at close quarters as hard-working, responsible members of society, support can be built up to protect these children from exploitation and abuse. ASK can campaign for laws that address the issue of child rights and to motivate the public against prevailing notions that ignore inequality and discrimination against poor, working children.
Drop-in-Centers (DIC)
As we have seen in earlier discussion that ASK has only 7 DICs in Dhaka. But, it needs to have more DICs all over country if its wants to make an impact on the overall situation in Bangladesh. So, they should make some arrangements with the private schools so that they give space for DIC after regular school hours. This would help ASK to establish its own teaching style all over the country.
Contribution of the citizens
Most children are creative. Children at DICs are encouraged to make paper machine products, cards, calendars, etc. Citizens can help by buying the children's creative products. The sale proceeds from these cards goes to the child artist. This would help in raising the child’s self-esteem, as well as giving the child some pocket money.
We can be a sponsor. In best-case scenarios, keen students need to find financial support to study in regular schools. Sponsors may support children in private or residential institutions, with funds going towards fees, tuition, books and other necessities.
Some Other Suggestions
- Arrange awareness raising meetings with parents and employers to investigate the causes of child marriage and mode of prevention.
- Improve the unit’s liaison with employers.
- Generate income through selling teaching material and facilitating trainings and workshops.
- Campaign to encourage sponsorship for working children.
- Interact with government program for under privileged children.
- Dissemination of quality education in the media through Teachers Forum and TOTs.
- Lobby with employers of domestic child workers for better treatment.
- Hold workshops and group counseling for adolescent sex workers.
Conclusion
After looking at all the sides it can be said that ASK is doing an acceptable job in upholding the human rights of the people in Bangladesh. It is mainly a legal aid center so it is very important that the legal system is very transparent. But, as we all know that Bangladesh’s legal system is in a very bad situation. So, as long as our legal system does not change, ASK’s operations would not bring much change in the human rights situation in Bangladesh.
