Centre for Peace and Justice, Brac University (CPJ) organised a Research Design Workshop on October 13, 2021 for the project ‘Strengthening Social Cohesion and Resilience in Cox’s Bazar by Engaging Rohingya Refugee and Host Community’. The purpose of the event was to validate the strategies and methodology of the research before starting field activities of this 12-month project, funded by UNICEF.
The workshop was inaugurated by Dr. Shahidul Islam, Research Fellow of CPJ. Dr. Shahidul and CPJ Research Associate, Azizul Hoque facilitated the sessions of the workshop.
Before moving on to the main discussion, Rashadul Hasan, Project Manager of CPJ and Shakawat Hossain, Project Coordinator of CPJ, facilitated the introductory and ice-breaking sessions with the guidance of Shahariar Sadat, Director, Academic and Legal Empowerment, CPJ.
Gracious presence of UNICEF representatives, C4D partners (ACLAB, SHED, & BITA), CPJ colleagues and individual researchers made the half-day-long event successful.
Dr. Shahidul described the outline, background and objectives of the research along with the concurrent situation of the camp and adjoining host communities.
He said, ‘The main objective is to identify the key drivers of social cohesion, resilience and protective factors of Forcibly Displaced Myanmar Nationals (FDMN) and host community. However, due to unavailability of the approval from the authorities concerned, CPJ will start research activities in the host community. Once the approval process is completed, data collection in the FDMN community will be starting’.
Azizul Hoque explained to the audience about the modality of Trust Network and how it works.
He said, ‘This network has been utilised for last two years successfully. During the time of strict movement restriction amid Covid-19 fear, CPJ innovated the Trust Network model to reach the community people. Through this innovation, CPJ reached 4000 people within the camp who shared empirical information with our researchers’.
Individual researchers, C4D partner staff and colleagues of CPJ contributed to develop the methodology and questionnaire of the research with their valuable inputs in a breakout session. Representative from UNICEF counterpart also provided necessary inputs to the design workshop.
Sohana Naznin Anu, Graphic Design Specialist, also the OiC of C4D Officer said, “UNICEF itself is a child focused organisation and works for every child. Under this project we are going to work for the adolescent on social cohesion”.
Shahariar Sadat in his vote of thanks mentioned, ‘The findings of this research will be very useful for the partners and benefices themselves while dealing with social cohesion issue in the community. Thank you for taking part in this event to make it meaningful’.
Alic Rangsa and ASM Jamal Uddin from Bangladesh Institute of Theatre Arts (BITA), Quazi Md Sirajun Salekin from Society for Health Extension and Development (SHED), Rashidul Hasan & Shakhawat Ameen from Alliance for Cooperation and Legal Aid Bangladesh (ACLAB), Md. Saiful Islam from Danish Refugee Council and CPJ colleagues took part in the event among others.