Farming Future Bangladesh Youth Engagement

Concept Note
Youth for Science: Evidence, Urgency and Action

Introduction

Youth constitute one-third of Bangladesh’s 160 million people. Bangladesh is advancing to achieve the
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. The 2030 Agenda identifies youth as one of the
vulnerable groups which at the same time have the potential to arise as the driving force of any development
approach. There is no alternative to making sure that youth, the most creative and enterprising among the
people, participate at local, national and international levels in the achievement. (National Youth Policy)

The SDGs recognize the need of providing a nurturing environment to the youth by ensuring quality
education, training and decent profession. With a rapidly growing population, youth will play a critical
role in the development of Bangladesh. Achieving these agenda will require the knowledge, innovation and
enthusiasm of the dynamic youth force with their proper leadership role in social development. It is
necessary to have strong and effective engagement among young people.

Rational

Farming Future Bangladesh (FFB) believes that the voices and actions of youth need to be reflected in
public understanding of science and innovation. FFB aims to support university-based academia and youth
representatives for awareness building on sustainable food security and developing their leadership role in
order for youth to be engaged in socio economic development by ensuring evidence-based information and
promoting equal access to scientific innovation.

FFB is a comprehensive communications initiative to help improve awareness about modern agricultural
innovations including crop biotechnology in Bangladesh. Based in Dhaka, it operates under the auspices
of Cornell Alliance for Science of Cornell University, USA with support from the Bill and Melinda Gates
Foundation.

FFB is aimed to share evidence-based information about social, economic and environmental benefits of
modern agricultural innovations including using biotechnology to breed improved crops, especially those
that can boost the nutritional content of staple foods, such as rice enriched with vitamins and minerals. FFB
is based on the premise that agricultural innovations are an important tool to help Bangladesh feed its 160
million people and give farmers and consumers access to safer, healthier and nutritious food.

Objectives

Broader objectives:

• Youth engagement and empowerment by knowledge sharing and capacity building for evidence-
based information sharing and understanding of modern innovation for better life.

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Specific objectives:

• Building a strategic alliance to advocate and support various campaign and innovative initiatives in
universities to raise awareness and generate public opinion on science, agriculture, nutrition and
food security.
• Leadership building and mobilization ensuring active and widest possible participation of the youth
community.
• Partnership or supporting development of science outreach youth groups/science clubs from the
respected universities and institutes.

Expected outcomes:

• Dynamic, active and sustainable network of university-based youth groups in concerned

universities are established.
• Empowered youth community of science advocates are actively engaged in awareness and
leadership building activities.
• Active participation and engagement of newly formed and existing youth group/science
club/extracurricular platform members to promote science and innovation.
• Skill development and engagement of youth group members in youth campaign activities.

Responsibility of FFB:

• Providing technical and logistical support for networking, partnership and youth group/science club
formation.
• Curating youth engagement and support related resources and tools for awareness building on
science and innovation.
• Supporting campaigns, events and providing logistical support on activities agreed by concerned
universities and FFB.
• Creating and maintaining a platform for youth to discuss and share knowledge and idea of science
and innovation.

Responsibilities of Universities/Youth Groups/Science Clubs:

• Establish strong working relationships with students to facilitate formation of youth groups.
• Mentor and mobilize students with a vision to be active members of youth groups/science club.
• To supervise activities and discussions, and where appropriate to participate and to carry out these
tasks in a way to promote science, innovation and public understanding of scientific issues.
• Guide and supervise youth group members to plan, design and coordinate campaigns, events and
capacity building activities of groups.
• Monitor and evaluate group activities, finalize annual work plan of the group and supervise group
activities as required.

Campaign activity implementation:

• Youth groups and groups members will be responsible to implement planned activities with prior
approval from group advisors, concerned university authority and FFB. Members will get technical
and logistical support from FFB for effective implementation of their activities.

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Activity expenses & timeline

Youth advisors and group members will develop youth group’s annual voluntary work plan with
appropriate timeline. FFB highly encourages and expects co-funding for the planned activities from
participating groups for sustainability and encouragement of voluntary commitment. FFB will cover travel,
food and other costs related to the group activities with approval of group advisors.

Youth group membership value addition:

Youth engagement and participation can provide significant benefits to young people, some of these
include:

• Increased self-esteem
• Knowledge sharing and capacity building on science and innovation
• Broadened and strengthened social networks
• Personal growth and identity development for professional life
• Increased critical thinking
• Enhanced leadership skills
• Elevated exposure and connectivity with like mined people and institutes
• Recognition and Certificate from Farming Future Bangladesh and Cornell Alliance for Science
for active engagement in group activities.
• Internship opportunity in Farming Future Bangladesh.

Way Forward

Farming Future Bangladesh is seeking long-term commitment, partnership and investment from all relevant
public and private universities, research institutes and sectoral experts to successfully implement the youth
campaign activities for active engagement, capacity building and strengthen leadership of the future
generation of Bangladesh. Therefore, it is highly recommended that the ways-forward presented below are
considered to be discussed and adopted:

• Strengthening partnership between the government institutes, public universities, private

universities, NGOs/business communities and development partners – through some agreed
declaration and/or letter of understanding;

• The government and concerned university authorities should be able to demonstrate its important
role in taking the lead on most needed interventions; and

• Youth education, engagement and empowerment for science, innovation and research should be
placed in the heart of the national development process.

For more information contact:

Farming Future Bangladesh

Plot: 1361, Avenue: 10, Mirpur DOHS, Dhaka-1216.
Email: info@farmingfuturebd.com
Mobile: +880172 909 0825