Community Visioning Summit: Hearing from the people of Dhaka South

Goldin Global Fellow, Syeda Ashfah Toaha Duti, and local changemakers mobilised the people of Dhaka South to utilise the newly found political consciousness among the locals. Gather, a Chicago-based NGO, has coordinated the Community Visioning Summit summit with her on September 13.  

The summit attempted to listen to the problems of the residents of Old Dhaka who come from all walks of life. Although it was difficult to get the locals to participate, some very interesting issues did come to light by the end. The volunteers even struggled to get a community space as local political groups restrict development intervention. A private educational institute at West Jatrabari – The Tutorial School – allowed the changemakers to hold the summit at their place.

Volunteers dedicated a full week to invite participants by going from street to street to ensure an inclusive summit, extending invitations to everyone from school and college students to hospital staff, vendors, and housewives. A total of 128 people were invited. However, only 13 attendees participated in the summit. 

The summit began with a 'privilege' exercise designed to help participants better understand social dynamics and encourage more collective and inclusive thinking. This was followed by a process rooted in Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD), where participants were asked to identify their community's most pressing problems and explore solutions using the resources they already possess. To facilitate a more effective discussion, Appreciative Inquiry was implemented, which is a technique that encourages positive dialogue by focusing on what's working well in the community. 

One participant voiced a deep concern saying, "Corruption has destroyed our society. Even if we try to do something good it backfires on us." 

He later went on to tell the story of how he was beaten down by thugs just for making a demand for wider roads in Dhaka South.

Another participant, Mohammad Aminul Islam expressed his worry by saying, "I forget things from time to time because of my dementia. I try my best to stay healthy by cycling but the lack of a park for the elderly to walk on deeply saddens me."

A notable outcome of the summit was the willingness of the elderly participants, who made up the majority of the attendees, to engage and share their experiences. Their eagerness to talk highlighted the need for more inclusive community spaces and activities that cater to the elderly. A small group of younger participants, aged between 23 and 29, also contributed to the discussions, alongside a young married couple.

The group also brainstormed potential initiatives to address these challenges. Their ideas ranged from establishing parks for the elderly to walk, launching renewable energy projects, improving waste management systems, and kick-starting school feeding programs as soon as possible.

The summit served as a critical step towards identifying community-driven solutions in Jatrabari, emphasising the importance of harnessing local knowledge and resources to improve the lives of residents.

The writer is a volunteer at the summit and is currently pursuing an undergrad in Health Economics at Dhaka University.