In 1996 Rupantar pioneered in reviving Pot song in Bangladesh and expanded Pot song platform to Europe and East Asia.
Restoring folk culture forms and methods: Rupantar revived over 10 folk forms and transformed those in development messages reaching over 1.5 million people annually. These formed includes folk songs, Pot Songs, Gamvira, theatre performances and more.
In 2019 Rupantar have been awarded global pluralism award. The jury of global pluralism was impressed by Rupantar’s creative approach of using cultural performances to address on social issues and awarded Rupantar with global pluralism award. Pluralism to Rupantar means to protect, promote, respect, recognize, accommodate and value the inevitable human differences in order to foster belonging. Upholding pluralism involves multiple aspects including political empowerment for marginalized people, in the political sphere and rejuvenating social cohesion at the grassroots level.
Rupantar is dedicated to unlocking human potential, empowering people, strengthening democratic practice, promoting cultural diversity and protecting the environment. By cultural diversity, Rupantar understands multi-faceted belief, faith and opinion.
32 women organizations named Nari Bikash Kendra (NBK) in 32 union parishads have been functioning as active agencies for the most marginalize and disadvantaged women. These union parishads are in Rampal and Mongla sub-districts under Bagerhat district and Batiaghata and Dacope sub-districts of Khulna district with assistance of Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation (SDC). Among these women 26% are mainstreamed in local level structures in local level decision making processes especially in service delivery area. Women candidacy for all seats in local government institutions in general member’s seats increased significantly. 15% of total populations are involved in direct supportive roles to NBK and 66% of the total population indirectly addressed by women organizations.The women leaders gained confidence in handling violence against women and child marriage through cases through local arbitration processes and influencing referral mechanism to legal aid committee.
Through post-disaster emergency response initiatives in Southwestern coastal zones of Bangladesh, Rupantar provided support to 330,000 people from 60,000 households. Over 5 million people were given awareness education and training on disaster preparedness and mitigation.
Climate change adaptation and bio-diversity conservation over 300,000 people in southwestern Bangladesh weregiven awareness and knowledge on adaptation to climate change. 700 community-based organizations (CBOs) have been trained on small-scale water resources management.n
Rupantar raised awareness on human rights, violence against women, and child rights issues to 325,000 people in 49 districts including in the areas of trafficking-in-persons (TIP).
Rupantar started community learning program (CLP) with partnership with Nepali radio stations in collaboration of AMARC Asia- Pacific.
Rupantar has trained 10,000, 15,000 and 500 elected local government officials, community leaders and local government institutions in service delivery, promotion of good governance and democracy respectively.
Peace club formally registered
With the announcement of registration of three (3) peace clubs in Rajshahi Rupantar’s Peace and Tolerance program have started its new year 2023. The clubs were registered with the youth development department of government of Bangladesh (GoB). Registration of clubs is a significant step towards institutionalization for sustainable community driven preventing violence extremism (PVE) initiatives. This registration will enable peace clubs to receive continuous structural support and recognition as a community-based institution to initiate PVE actions.
Peace club members from KCC received IVD award 2022
International Volunteer Day (IVD) Bangladesh Award 2022 event took place for ‘Post-Covid Response Support and Volunteering Actions for Solidarity’ on Tuesday 6 December 2022. Nipa (23) and Alvi (17) presidents of peace clubs from Khulna city corporation (KCC) have received the awards. The award was held to recognize the extraordinary contributions of volunteers and show appreciation to them on the occasion of marking IVD 2022. The event was organized jointly by Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives, Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, UNV Bangladesh, UNFPA, Good Neighbor Bangladesh, WaterAid Bangladesh and UNDP Bangladesh.