ECBinter-active Bangladesh Blog

Amy Hilleboe, Senior Technical Advisor for DRR, CRS   29 February 2012 11:34 AM

Great event. The participation among participants was consistently thoughtful and interesting. People freely exchanged ideas and contributed to all interactive sessions.

Thanks to everyone for a successful ECBinter-active Event.

I loved the sarees!!

Amy Hilleboe, Senior Technical Advisor for DRR, CRS

Wilfred Sikukula   29 February 2012 11:28 AM

The ECBinter-active event has met and exceeded my expectations by and large. This event enabled agencies to interact in a manner that does not prevail often outside such events. The value of exchanging ideas as humanitarian actors is that such exchange opens up opportunities to meet effort in planning, implementation and response. It also opens vast potential for collaboration among agencies.

This event allowed agencies to directly engage and understand government's role in disaster management and the coordinator role that it plays. There should be more events structured in like manner as and when chances is available so as to ensure our level of preparedness and response is enhanced.

Bangladesh requires nothing less than a coordinated effort to adequately address the needs of the vulnerable people.

Wilfred Sikukula, World Vision

Reuben Marandy, Divisional Director, World Vision Bangladesh   29 February 2012 11:21 AM

ECBinter-active event was a wonderful event for learning and sharing. It enables all humanitarian working group to come together anda share their learning, thoughts and ideas. To me this event was just a fantastic and I have learned the following:

Importance of working in a coordinated way; Understanding each others, looking at big picture. know all the key players in Bangladesh.

NIRAPAD has done excellent job in organizing such a big event and it proves their ability to take a big responsibility.

Reuben Marandy, Divisional Director, World Vision Bangladesh

Md. Ruhul Amin, Freelance Consultant on Disaster Management   29 February 2012 11:13 AM

It is amazing that the event was organized so smoothly although it a big one. Diversification of methodologies for conducting sessions kept the participants busy and in a learning mode. The involvement of national and international level resource person has widened the vision of the participants including me. Thanks to the organizers, facilitators and friends

Md. Ruhul Amin, Freelance Consultant on Disaster Management

Nayyar Iqbal   29 February 2012 11:07 AM

I feel as a region we have so much in common that there is no reason for us to be not developing together. This conviction in me gets reinforced after I come to this beautiful country and see the similarities of our region. As the name suggest, it is one of the few conferences or forums where we have the opportunity of interaction. So, interaction has been the best method of learning by questioning and querying. That way I have learnt a lot throughout the session which was very participatory and interactive.

I would like to congratulate the organizers of the ECB event who have learnt lessons from Bolivia and Indonesia, and they are bringing it to our country, Bangladesh. And we are learning from it. I think it is one of the few good examples where you sit down and learn by listening and querying. So, I see that way it is very positive.

ECB has a unique feature. It is not a consortium as such. We have no compulsion to be in it. We do it out of collaboration. Collaboration, as we have learnt this morning, is more of giving and also receiving. That way, our country director in his opening remark has stated we are not part of ECB that we give, we are part of the ECB that we receive. So, the role definition is very democratic, and this participation in the ECB is voluntary and does not have a donor requirement as such. So, we are doing it for the good cause of collaboration and coordination. The ECB has taken a couple of good initiatives now going on in the country.

The speakers including the government officials have shared the Bangladesh experience that how the country was battered by the disasters and cyclones, and how it took a long to the communities, civil society and the NGOs. Thus, the country provides a very good example of collaboration at all levels. We the international NGOs, the government, the UN and other bilateral agencies all are doing work in a collaborative approach for the good of the people who are prone to disasters.

What I learnt is that the first session was very interactive. I participated in the second session on the National Staff Capacity Building initiative by the CBHA. There is a lot of learning and the thematic comprehensiveness of the program struck me. I shared that in my feedback that it is a nine-month training course on national staff capacity building; but we need to do this more often within our own organizations and maximize the benefits from the CBHA. We will utilize the resources available from the CBHA not only for collaboration but also for the benefit of our national staff.

ECBinter-active was an over-whelming success beyond my expectations. No wonder Bangladesh is leader in so many global initiatives. The level of participation from Government of Bangladesh (GOB) counterparts was impressive. I pledge to keep the flame alive and will support in any way I could, to not only take the ECB objectives further for the remaining time of the project but to work with partner INGOs to sustain the good work and achievements.

Nayyar Iqbal, Assistant Country Director, Save the Children Bangladesh

Sanjana Islam, Humanitarian Programme Officer, Oxfam   29 February 2012 11:00 AM

The ECBinter-active was a great learning journey. It was inspirational to meet colleagues from different countries and organizations, exchange ideas and opinions, network, and engage in constructive debates.

Sanjana Islam, Humanitarian Programme Officer, Oxfam

M. A. Wahed, Emergency Response and Preparedness Coordinator, CARE   29 February 2012 10:53 AM

It was really really very interactive learning sessions. I learned a lot became a facilitator of the session Joint Needs Assessments.

It was a very well organized event. A great support proved by all the member of the team.

Congratulations!

MA Wahed,Emergency Response and Preparedness Coordinator, CARE

Puji Pujiono, Project Manager, Comprehensive Disaster Management Programme, Bangladesh   29 February 2012 10:06 AM

The word "interactive" conjures active search of two parties or more. The sessions have been appropriately interesting and insightful. One food for thought from the GO-NGO Coordination was: "How NGOs promote the coordination among themselves to make it easier for the government to coordinate them?" There is no answer to this, but the ECB definitely is one good manifestation of the efforts to come to that end. Congratulations.

Puji Pujiono, Project Manager, Comprehensive Disaster Management Programme, Bangladesh

N. P. Sumnaweera / Independant Consultant   29 February 2012 10:06 AM

ECBinter-active, the Dhaka event was a very refreshing one for me. After a lengthy carrier in disaster and emergency related activities in Sri Lanka and elsewhere, this was an opportunity to re-learn many things related to disaster related activities.

I wish all the best for the organizers specifically, Harun ans Saleha for their kind assistance extended to me in this endeavor.

NP Sumnaweera, Independant Consultant

Gareth Price-Jones, CD Oxfam in Bangladesh   29 February 2012 9:56 AM

Great session on needs assessment - lots of fun and great to get in the shoes of the beneficiaries!

Gareth Price-Jones, CD Oxfam in Bangladesh

MD. ATIQ UZ ZAMAN, Deputy Team Leader, DRM, PROSHAR, PCI Bangladesh   29 February 2012 9:54 AM

The ECBinter-active learning workshop is a good platform to learn recent progress of disaster sector in Bangladesh as well as the region.

This events gives us a good platform for sharing with our colleagues in different disaster professional people in Bangladesh as well as in the region.

Also is a good initiative for collaboration with GO, NGO, DONOR and UN.

It is a really a well organized and well thought out program. I wish these initiatives would continue in future for strengthening the collaboration initiative in Bangladesh.

Thanks

MD. ATIQ UZ ZAMAN, Deputy Team Leader, DRM, PROSHAR, PCI Bangladesh

Dominic Gomes   29 February 2012 9:52 AM

The ECBinter-active learning during 28-29 Feb 2012 would be very helpful for me in designing capacity building training of staff and community based organizations under my organization World Vision Bangladesh.

Dominic Gomes, World Vision Bangladesh

Kaiser Rejve   29 February 2012 9:36 AM

Main beauty of this 2 days ECBinter-active is generous participation from diverse range of disaster professionals in country and foreign delegates, most importantly top level Govt people. Their enthusiasm around ECB issues such as accountability, Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), humanitarian advocacy remarkable. I enjoyed session very much. Organizer need to identify concrete recommendations/findings that we can take forward in rest of ECB period.

Kaiser Rejve, Oxfam

Syed Matiul Ahsan   29 February 2012 8:02 AM

It's indeed a great event to share the good experiences practiced in the field. INGO can roll out the learning to their own programs too. Such event encouraged to make better linkage between GO-NGO too.

Syed Matiul Ahsan, Save the Children

Syeda Tania Islam, Program Officer, NIRAPAD   29 February 2012 7:54 AM

ECBinter-active is a great opportunity to learn the effectiveness of collaboration for humanitarian development. I think, people who are joining the event may utilize what they learn in their life also.

As a member of event management team i am feeling well that we successfully organized the event. Til now, everything is going well.

Syeda Tania Islam, Program Officer, NIRAPAD

Hassan Noor Saadi   29 February 2012 7:44 AM

It has been a very productive workshop in a way that it highlights some of the key emerging trends and issues in the humanitarian world. It also has been a great experience with regards to knowing how humanitarian work is organized in Bangladesh and what efforts have been made under ECB project. It is wonderful to see that a lot has been achieved through ECB initiative and it has helped in changing the organizational as well as individual mindsets.

Lastly, I wold like to commend the organizing committee for their hard work. It is very well organized workshop where everything is in order and no chaotic situation has arisen (so often a hallmark of a big conference). Wonderful people all around and great to makes friends with.

Hassan Noor Saadi, Save the Children

Farhana Sharmin   29 February 2012 7:42 AM

A really interactive event. Have opportunity to cross visit the learning. For non-ECB organization's participant, it is giving a good orientation about ECB and its activities.

But now it is important to identify the mechanism of engagement of non-ECB organizations who are working mainly on preparedness issues.

Farhana Sharmin, Practical Action Bangladesh

Barbara Jackson   29 February 2012 7:35 AM

I have been to Bangladesh many times. The thing I like in Bangladesh is the energy of the people, the enthusiasm of collaboration and working together, which has been the continuation of the ECB project. Considering the potential for replication and multiplication of the impact and learning, I think it is colossal.

As we near the closure of the Bangladesh ECBinter-active Event, I want to emphasize some highlights of my personal reflections of having been able to participate in the event:

• the clear sense of momentum and energy around coordination and collaborative efforts
• the lively interest from non-ECB agency representatives and ECB agency staff to learn from one another's experiences as well as to share their own
• the willingness of participants to share both challenges and successes
• the links between areas of focus undertaken by the Bangladesh ECB Consortium --- capacity building as linked with assessments as linked with advocacy --- We need to look at how to build upon these great synergies!

In brief loads of energy, commitment and interest with genuine desire to move it forwards. It has been a great experience to be able to participate.

Barbara Jackson, CARE ECB Principal

Wahida Bashar Ahmed   29 February 2012 7:20 AM

ECBinter-active event was a good opportunity for the Humanitarian practitioners to meet and share their own and their organisations experiences. On the other hand it can become a strong platform of practitioners for sharing, learning and coordination both nationally and internationally. But ECB should include academicians and Govermnemt officers as participants in such an event which is missing in this conference.

ECB should organised every year similar kind of events. I would like to thank ECB for organising this event.

It is the first time that a consortium has organized such a big event involving the participation of the old and the new people. It seems there is much we can learn from the new different things, such as a new vision that is emerging. This, however, should not be a one-shot game to take place every five-six years. It should be organized rather every year to share the lessons drawn from the new interventions.

I would like to share the lessons I have captured from the advocacy and the capacity building sessions.

What interested me in the advocacy session was learning the scope of policy influencing by involving people at different tiers from the grassroots to the policymaking level, which actually changed my notion that advocacy is an issue to address at the higher level. I enjoyed learning how the process involved the community people at grassroots level, how the government responded at the local level, and how the NGOs intervened at the top level.

The experience of working in a consortium is very little in Bangladesh. ECB is the first to have started this here in 2010 and creates a realization that we hardly analyze the humanitarian work done by different people in different locations. So, we can do the analysis of how we should move forward in case of a holistic approach to emergency response.  One good point of working in a consortium is that we work in a consultative way.  It provides opportunities of building a consensus on the opinions we hold and share from different local and international organizations to make changes in the lives of the people we work for. 

This workshop has generated a lot of learning over the last two days, which does not mean that we have take 100% from the event. We may rather opt for what aligns with our respective goals and strategies. One capacity building training course has been organized while the second one will be in April, which, I think, can contribute a lot to the capacity building in my organization. I am trying to find ways how we can incorporate the good learning into our organization.

Wahida Bashar Ahmed, ActionAid

Rumana afroje rakhi   29 February 2012 6:50 AM

It's a great opportunity of young generation. If every university organize a number of workshop on disaster, climate change, the students would be aware about these matters......AND i think ECB project can help the students to learning to solute every natural disaster........And also thanks ECB seminar.

Rumana afroje rakhi

Palash Mondal   29 February 2012 5:41 AM

My expectation was that it will provide platform for cross learning opportunity. And by attending I find my expectation literally come true. I've ample scope to take the learning to my current role, and I'll use the learning.

Palash Mondal, CARE

Chowdhury Al- Naheyan   28 February 2012 12:42 PM

As a young learner, it will be a great opportunity to learn & share that kind of program.

Chowdhury Al-Naheyan

Zahir Raihan   28 February 2012 11:56 AM

Its a great opportunity to be a part of this ECB seminar. Here I have learn how the NGO's are working together.

But my concern about the Institution like university are taking part directly with this conference. My advice to promote more people from the uni and the students who are the potential bureaucrat and you are thinking them as a barrier of the project implementations.

Zahir Raihan, Director, Mirpur Garments Ltd, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Nahid Rezwana, Assistant Professor, Geography and Environment, Dhaka University   28 February 2012 11:37 AM

The conference - Day 1 is very interesting, well arranged, in time and very interactive.

My own opinions were focused in different sessions as group works or by writing on the blue, yellow cards. These opinions are hanged on the board which is very fruitful. It helps to know the opinions of all the participants.

Lessons I have learnt : How NGOs and INGOs are working together for disaster management in Bangladesh.

Good concept has been achieved about ECB and the training 'CBHA' for the disaster planners and managers of the NGOs. But my advice is to make this training open for all the researchers working in disaster management in Bangladesh.

Nahid Rezwana, Assistant Professor, Geography and Environment, Dhaka University

Syed Shahnawaz Ali   28 February 2012 11:37 AM

I see this as a wonderful opportunity to reinforce the power of coordination in the humanitarian sector. I take forward the passion and commitment to work in collaboration. The most significant factor in this journey is to internalise importance of accountability towards communities in our efforts. We all need to do our bit towards social justice and leave our people with joyful and prosperous future.

Syed Shahnawaz Ali, Programme Manager Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), Islamic Relief Worldwide, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Vikrant Mahajan   28 February 2012 11:23 AM

It's been a great day for me. I learned a lot about the Humanitarian collaborations in Bangladesh, the agencies involved, the people, the issues involved. My best take away for the day is community approach to collaborative advocacy especially during disasters and what the government of Bangladesh is planning to achieve in next few years.

Tomorrow, I'm looking forward to hear from other country experiences. I'll take the learnings with me to India to integrate in collaborative works and strategies. With thanks and best wishes for the ECB and the organisers.

Vikrant Mahajan, Sphere India

Md. Abdur Rahman, Project Coordinator-DRR,DCA   28 February 2012 11:22 AM

I have learnt alot from the ECB interactive session especially how the Alia affected community people organized for their rights and entitlements, ECB capacity building program as well as climate change and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) technical issues.

Md. Abdur Rahman, Project Coordinator - DRR, DCA

Mohammad Obaidur Rahman   28 February 2012 11:16 AM

This is exciting experience and learning. Real way of learning and development.

Learning materials, presentations and participation was rich which covered GOB, INGOs and relevant civil society people.

Really appreciated initiative.

Mohammad Obaidur Rahman, Country Director, Muslim Aid

Shamsher Ali   28 February 2012 11:14 AM

We should give emphasis to increase social capital of vulnerable or poor peoples to reduce risk.

Shamsher Ali, Manager-Land Rights, ActionAid Bangladesh

mostak hussain   28 February 2012 11:11 AM

Learning is that we have to educate our youths for future efforts that will bring bigger results reducing carbon emission.

Mostak Hussain, Director Emergency - Save the Children

Munirul Islam   28 February 2012 10:32 AM

Great going!

Though I see a lot of consortium falling flat on their faces due to lack of sense of cooperation, but ECB has certainly generated enough amount of energy and hope in terms of building capacity to fight climate change and disaster better. I hope it will go a long way.

All the best. Please keep up the good work.

Munirul Isla, mPower Social Enterprises

Shakeb Nabi   28 February 2012 10:09 AM

I think this is a great opportunity for actors from the humanitarian sector to learn from each other. First and foremost would like to thank ECB for bringing all the players together and further enriching it with international participants. The methodology and the tools used has been very very interactive. I think ECB should go for a formal forum where there is a larger level of collaboration between different key players on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Emergency Response.

The opening session was very enriching wherein different individuals from different walk of life related with DRR and Response responded to very critical queries by the participants.

We are very keen on having a formal arrangement between NARRI and ECB in Bangladesh.

The ECB project is one of the successful pilot programs on capacity building in Bangladesh. ECB has done quite an appreciable work as far as advocacy and IEC material development are concerned. What I am saying is we will use their materials rather than inventing them again and going for advocacy alone. We are looking forward to a formal kind of arrangement with the ECB wherein ECB helps in capacity building of our staff, and we implement the program in the field.

Shakeb Nabi, Manager Consortium: DRR ECHO Project, National Alliance for Risk Reduction and Response Initiatives (NARRI)

Wahyu Widayanto   28 February 2012 9:55 AM

This is a good event as involving many stake holders to share on their experienced on the humanitarian response for better improvement in future...

Wahyu Widayanto, ECB Indonesia Field Facilitator

M. Kamran Jacob, Education in Emergency Country Focal Point, Save the Children, Bangladesh Program   28 February 2012 9:54 AM

ECBinter-active event is a wonderful opportunity to learn coordinated and collaborated effort of different leading INGOS in Bangladesh. The project has demonstrated amazing success in advocacy, capacity building and coordination for humanitarian response and preparedness as well. I have personnally benefited from this event for providing my lead role in Education Cluster Bangladesh.

M. Kamran Jacob, Education in Emergency Country Focal Point, Save the Children, Bangladesh Program

Razeeb Mahmood Tutul   28 February 2012 9:48 AM

Program design is good. Visibility perhaps is one of the strongest part of the entire program. Training Participants feedback is also very encouraging. Thanks

Razeeb Mahmood Tutul, HelpAge International (Bangladesh)

John Meyer   28 February 2012 9:44 AM

ECB is a valuable project for coordination of organizations and efficient use of resources. The Interactive session is a useful way to exchange information on successes and future activities.

John Meyer, Save the Children

Sarah Shaukat   28 February 2012 8:58 AM

To be honest I really didn't know what ECB was about even though Save the Children is part of it. But, spending almost half a day here and participating in the interactive sessions since morning I can safely say now I know what ECB is all about.

Being in Bangladesh and amongst the Bangladeshis and people of other nationalities is quite a learning experience for me. I am very happy to have made the decision of participating in this year's ECB session in Bangladesh.

Sarah Shaukat, Save the Children

Md.Rafiqul Alam   28 February 2012 5:47 AM

This is an encouraging workshop to see that most of the key disaster players in Bangladesh are in a face to face dialogue for effective co-ordination in coming years in Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Climate Change Adaptation (CCA).

Md.Rafiqul Alam, Executive Director, Dwip Unnoyon Sangshtha and Co-chair ADAB, Bangladesh

Kazi Shahidur Rahman   28 February 2012 5:38 AM

ECBinter-active is a huge challenging event. 7 organizations managing this and we NIRAPAD is coordinating. I am pleased that everybody provided lots of support to us. Event is running well.

Kazi Shahidur Rahman, CEO, NIRAPAd

Md. Harun or Rashid, Manager-ECB Bangladesh Consortuim   28 February 2012 5:32 AM

Many thanks to all for giving a good start to the event.

Md. Harun or Rashid, Manager-ECB Bangladesh Consortium

Malka Older   28 February 2012 5:03 AM

It's great to see the commitment to effective emergency response and to collaboration in the room here today. So many people have showed up from Bangladesh and around the world, and the discussion has shown the keen interest in improving how we work together to support people affected by disasters.

Malka Older, Specialist, Disaster Risk Reduction and Emergency Preparedness, Save the Children

Shamim Ahmed Choudhury   28 February 2012 4:59 AM

The ECBinter-active event - just finished morning session with a great enthusiasm with many interesting questions. Thinks next session will be able to put many challenges upfront and get their answers. Its a great event indeed!

Shamim Ahmed Choudhury, Program Officer, Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO)