Shaping Our Future Together: Bangladesh Chapter

This year, the United Nations is marking its 75th anniversary, when the world is experiencing unprecedented challenges from the pandemic-COVID19. The United Nations has been working hand in hand with Bangladesh from the time of its independence. Now in difficult times of pandemic, UN stands beside the country and wants to know how the people of Bangladesh see the future of the country in a post COVD era. How Bangladesh can emerge stronger and better equipped to work together? How are they getting ready to adopt with ‘new normal’? What are the challenges they see for the next 25 year and how can we work together to overcome the challenges? Most importantly, what role the UN should play?

To find the answers and to further engage the people of Bangladesh into supporting the UN in our work alongside the Government of Bangladesh, we have launched a digital campaign, #UN75, for shaping our future together.



To get a picture of what young people think about UN and its relevance, and what are their expectations from the UN in this fast-changing and uncertain context. In the process we will also give voices to the youth, including those in the most marginalized communities who do not normally get heard by decisionmakers.



Though the campaign will target the mass people of Bangladesh, it will put young people at the top of the agenda, to make sure their voices are heard.



 

Campaign Activities:

• Facing the challenges of COVID, the campaign has been launched digitally using existing digital platforms of UN in Bangladesh and other UN agencies. A launching promo (AV) is in making progress in country context to introduce the campaign with a call to action “Join #UN75”
• A digital art competition on ‘Bangladesh after Pandemic’ has been launched to encourage young people to think creatively and share their ideas on digital canvas. Top 3 will be awarded and the artworks.
• A theme song can set campaign tone and also underscore the messages and gain support from the crowd. That’s why one of the activities will be to develop a campaign theme song with music video followed by an online LIVE concert bringing the popular singers. Through the e-concert, messages will be disseminated to hundreds and thousands of audiences, who need to sign-up before the concert, with a survey-form on what Bangladesh they want to see after COVID19 saga.
• To make the conversation more inclusive we have engaged the university students through an online debate competition will be arranged on UN’s role- before and after COVID19. This will help to develop succinct and effective arguments, which ultimately will gain support from mass people.

Though activities are mainly being carried out online, the diversity of target groups and of the online tools will ensure an appropriate dissemination and scale of the campaign, that is being built on the previous UN communication activities and will be a solid base for further engagement activities. 

The campaign is running in coordination with all UN Agencies and collaboration with youth led organisations, educational institutions, media and traditional development partners.The yearlong campaign will mobilize supposedly at least a million of youths in Bangladesh, who will join the conversation on #UN75 and #Beyond2020.