With reference to the initiatives made by CIRDAP on the establishment of the World Rural Development Day, a letter dated 15 December 2020 was sent to the Director General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to seek its advice for observing the 6th of July as World Rural Development Day. This is to call for global attention and response and to accelerate the actions on rural development to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.
The purpose of the World Rural Development Day is to inform and remind people about their roles and responsibilities for collaborative actions and concerted efforts on rural development as outlined in the SDGs. It is a day to celebrate together to ensure that no one will be left behind, and thus rural development shall be everyone’s duty and responsibility.
On 21st April 2022, the Governing Council of CIRDAP endorsed the initiative to establish the World Rural Development Day on 6th July 2022 in order that the day can be officially recognized worldwide and ask the Secretariat to start the process for the International Day.
As Bangladesh always prioritizes rural development as a key strategy for the overall development of the country where about 63 percent of the people live in rural areas, Bangladesh is considered a role model for many developing countries in the areas of attaining high economic growth, increasing literacy rate and alleviating poverty, etc. The Honorable Prime Minister of the Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, H.E. Ms. Sheikh Hasina and her Cabinet initiated and approved Bangladesh’s National Rural Development Policy (NRDP) in 2001 to develop human resources and bring about positive changes in the standard of living of the people who live in the rural areas of Bangladesh and are dependent on natural resources therein.
On 27 January 2010, she inaugurated the 2nd Ministerial meeting on Rural Development in Asia-Pacific in Dhaka, Bangladesh when she addressed that the Government of Bangladesh has undertaken different initiatives at national and international levels where poverty alleviation has been given the utmost priority in the national strategy called Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS). She also informed that the Government has implemented a massive rural development programme known as “Ekti Bari Ekti Khamar” or One House One Farm with the objectives of optimal and sustainable utilization of land and other resources as well as employment generation in rural areas.
The transition from a least developed country to a developing country and socio-economic development has been accelerated due to the able leadership of the daughter of the Bangabandhu. Bangladesh today is a role model of development in the world and therefore proposing the proposal on the establishment of the World Rural Development Day directly to the UNGA through Bangladesh’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York, U.S.A. as recommended by the FAO.
Country | IRD Models |
---|---|
Bangladesh | > One House One Farm Model, > Comilla Model and; > Improving the Livelihood of Rural people of Lalmai-Mainamati Hill Areas of Cumilla through Integrated Agricultural Farming (BARD Part of My House My Farm project); |
India | Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana– National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY - NRLM) |
IR Iran | Establishment of Participatory Water Management System in Golstan province, Aqqala county, voshmgir district, Peyvand Rural Production Cooperative company, Tazehabad Anbar Alum District |
Malaysia | The 21st Century Village Programme |
Myanmar | Evergreen Village Development Project (EVDP) |
Pakistan | Benazir Income support Programme (BISP) |
Phillipines | Raise the Arcs, the Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Development Sustainability Programme (ARBDSP) |
Sri Lanka | Community Development and Livelihood Improvement Project: A community driven Development Programme |
Thailand | Sufficiency Economy Philosophy (SEP) |