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Image: IDB

IDB’s commitment to community development through education: Education Aid Distribution to poor children by IDB scholarship graduates in Bangladesh

With this objective in mind, the IDB, has been rather

active in promoting community development programmes.

The IDB launched its Community Development Programme

with a view to promoting a sense of community integration

and socio-economic development of Muslim communities

in non IDB-member countries. The programme is imple-

mented with the full support of Graduates of IDB Scholarship

Programme for Muslim Communities. The objective of such

a programme is to benefit from the graduates’ acquired skills

and involve them in voluntary and charitable services for the

betterment of the lives of the communities to which they

belong The Community Development programme is the IDB’s

main social cohesion endeavor in its non-member countries

such as in Thailand, India, Russia and South Africa. In addi-

tion to the core objective of community development, the

programme aims to promote cultural rapprochement through

serving people of many religions and cultures.

Under this program, the IDB carries out capacity build-

ing activities for its development partners which aim to

provide equipment, assistance and NGO management

workshops to improve performance for IDB partners in

the field. The IDB provides the IDB Graduate Associations

(IGAs) with partial grant to implement Community Service

Projects. Many IGAs and Graduates are running projects

and programmes that have made a major difference in the

quality of life for the poor and needy people belonging to

various religions and cultures.

Under the IDB Community Development Programme, 53

Community Development Workshops have been organized

under NGO management since 2001. The most prominent

CDW was attended by over 500 NGO leaders from around

the world. CDWs were also organized in Africa (4), CIS

(2), India (28) and the rest of Asia excluding India (5).

One good example of IDB’s contribution to commu-

nity development is the voluntary and charitable medical

services provided by the IDB scholarship graduate doctors

to the people of their communities, both Muslims and

Buddhists, who are unable to afford the treatment.

Likewise, the IDB Graduates Association of Kenya has been

committed to serving the needy families with the help of

volunteers under the North Eastern Youth Development

(NEYD) Association formed by the IDB Graduates.

Indeed, living peacefully in harmony with the existing

cultures is an objective that resides at the core of hearts.

However, it is not up to the governments, any single institution,

or NGOs to promote cultural rapprochement single-handedly.

Better, ethical and moral education of our children from the

very beginning, and teamwork and joint efforts are the key to

achieving the noble objectives of cultural rapprochement and

peaceful existence sooner rather than later.

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