Case Study 4 CXB
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The Role of Faith in the Humanitarian Response Strengthening Community Participation and Engagement through Religious Leaders in Rohingya Camps in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh This is one of a series of case studies based on UNICEF-supported communication, community engagement and accountability activities as part of the larger humanitarian response to the Rohingya refugee crisis in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, from September 2017 to December 2019. Editing: Rain Barrel Communications – Saudamini Siegrist, Brigitte Stark-Merklein and Robert Cohen Design: Azad/Drik The opinions expressed in this case study are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policies or views of UNICEF. Extracts from this case study may be freely reproduced provided that due acknowledgement is given to the source and to UNICEF. © United Nations Children’s Fund, July 2020 This is one of a series of case studies based on UNICEF-supported communication, community engagement ThUNICEFis is one Ba ngladesof a seriesh of case studies based on UNICEF-supported communication, community engagement andBSL accountOffice Complability exactivities, 1 Minto as R partoad of the larger humanitarian response to the Rohingya refugee crisis in Coandx ’saccount Bazar, abiliBangladesh,ty activities from as Septemberpart of the larger 2017 tohumani Decembertarian 2response019. to the Rohingya refugee crisis in CoDhakax’s B 10azar00,, BBangladesh,angladesh from September 2017 to December 2019. Author: Dr. Hakan Ergül 2 INFORMATION AND FEEDBACK CENTRES Editing: Rain Barrel Communications – Saudamini Siegrist, Brigitte Stark-Merklein and Robert Cohen Design:Editing: RainAzad/Drik Barrel Communications – Saudamini Siegrist, Brigitte Stark-Merklein and Robert Cohen Design: Azad/Drik The opinions expressed in this case study are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policies orThe vie opinionsws of UNICEF expressed. Extracts in this from case this study case are st udythose ma ofy thebe freely author reproduced and do not pr necessarilyovided that reflect due the policies acor knvieowwsledgement of UNICEF is. Extracts given to fromthe source this case and st toudy UNICE may F.be freely reproduced provided that due acknowledgement is given to the source and to UNICEF. © United Nations Children’s Fund, July 2020 © United Nations Children’s Fund, July 2020 UNICEF Bangladesh BSLUNICEF Office Ba ngladesComplexh, 1 Minto Road DhakaBSL Of 10fice00 Compl, Bangladeshex, 1 Minto Road Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh 2 INFORMATION AND FEEDBACK CENTRES 2 INFORMATION AND FEEDBACK CENTRES The Role of Faith in the Humanitarian Response Strengthening Community Participation and Engagement through Religious Leaders in Rohingya Camps in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh Strengthening Community Participation and Engagement through Religious Leaders in Rohingya Camps in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh 1 Acknowledgements The stories, lessons learned and UNICEF Bangladesh team, recommendations included in this case study including surge support: exemplify the efforts of many people and partners who have worked, and continue to Abdelkader Musse, Edouard Beigbeder, Jean work, tirelessly to ensure quality, scale and Metenier, Naqib Safi, Sara Bordas Eddy, Shairose effectiveness of the crisis response. UNICEF Mawji, Sheema Sengupta, Tomoo Hozumi,Viviane Bangladesh is especially thankful for the Van Steirteghem. generous contributions of our donors, who made the success of the interventions described in this Section chiefs, Cox’s Bazar team leads and staff case study possible. of health, nutrition, WASH, child protection, education, CAP and SPEAR sections as well as Donors: gender and field services. UNICEF wishes to express its sincere gratitude to C4D team: Aarunima Bhatnagar, Farid Alam, the Governments of Canada, Germany (through Mohammad Alamgir, Mamunul Haque, Mousumi KFW Development Bank), Japan, the United Tripura, Neha Kapil, Yasmin Khan. Kingdom, the United States of America (US Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration), as well as the European Union for their generous contributions to this critical response. Partners: BRAC: Asif Saleh, Moutushi Kabir, Abdus Salam, Shah Alam, Shamim Iftekhar Islamic Foundation: Shamim Mohammad Afzal, Jalal Ahmed, Fahmida Begum. With special thanks to the CwC Working Group and the Information Hub Sub-Working Group members for their support to the information hubs programme activities in the camps and host communities. 2 THE ROLE OF FAITH IN THE HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE Contents Acknowledgements 2 Abbreviations 4 Introduction 5 Background 5 The context in Cox’s Bazar 8 Collaboration with Islamic Foundation Bangladesh 9 Religious leaders as change agents 9 Keeping away disease outbreaks 10 Engaging communities through religious leaders 10 Lessons learned and way forward 12 Endnotes 13 Strengthening Community Participation and Engagement through Religious Leaders in Rohingya Camps in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh 3 Abbreviations AAP Accountability to Affected Populations BITA Bangladesh Institute of Theatre Arts BRAC Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee CAP Communication, Advocacy and Partnerships C4D Communication for Development CCP Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs CwC Communication with Communities DRR Disaster Risk Reduction FBO Faith-based Organization IEC International Education Centre IFB Islamic Foundation Bangladesh ISCG Inter Sector Coordination Group MoU Memorandum of Understanding NGO Non-governmental Organization SPEAR Social Policy, Evaluation, Analytics and Research UNICEF United Nations Children’s Fund WASH Water, Sanitation and Hygiene 4 THE ROLE OF FAITH IN THE HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE Introduction The onset of the Rohingya refugee crisis in hazardous journey and helped them overcome August 2017 irrevocably changed the present and daunting challenges on their way to Bangladesh, the future of hundreds of thousands of children, where they sought refuge, was a strong sense women and men from the Rohingya community of preserving their identity, and protecting their and introduced the entire Cox’s Bazar district, children and surviving family members from one of the poorest areas in Bangladesh, to an further harm. unprecedented crisis and a new social reality. The situation was so dire that a month later, on The majority of Rohingya refugees are Sunni/ 20 September 2017, UNICEF activated a Level Hanafi Muslims, for whom Islam is an integral 3 emergency response1 – the highest level of part of their cultural identity and social life. alarm.2 Together with the Government and other Religious leaders (such as an imam, hafeza3, humanitarian partners, UNICEF immediately muezzin4, molvi5) are highly respected in the responded to provide life-saving assistance and Rohingya community and, together with Islamic protection to the newly arrived Rohingya children institutions, they have a powerful influence and their families, also taking a lead role in on individual and collective perceptions and health; nutrition; water, sanitation and hygiene behaviours.6 Research conducted by UNICEF and (WASH); child protection; and education – areas the Institute of Development Studies7 provides that are fundamental to the survival, protection convincing evidence confirming that religion and wellbeing of the refugee community. is one of the most influential factors in the UNICEF also played a strong supporting role Rohingya community’s wellbeing, contributing in communication for development (C4D) to protection, health and education, as well as interventions as well as community engagement to social cohesion and peaceful coexistence and accountability to the affected population. in a humanitarian context. The Humanitarian Policy Group’s field research conducted in 2018 Background and 20198 further highlights that the Rohingya community places high value on religion and The Rohingya community experienced decades religious practices as a key aspect of their identity of military crackdowns, extreme violence and and dignity. Therefore, to uphold the dignity of protracted discrimination in their native Myanmar. individuals and of the community as a whole, In August 2017, entire villages were forcibly and to positively impact the wellbeing of those displaced, fleeing their homes to escape attacks, affected by the emergency, the humanitarian sexual violence and targeted atrocities. They left response must take into consideration the role of their homes and jobs and, in many cases, were religion in the life of the Rohingya community. separated from family members. Many lost their lives. What sustained them throughout their Strengthening Community Participation and Engagement through Religious Leaders in Rohingya Camps in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh 5 The difficulties that Rohingya refugees face in the camps is exacerbated by gender imbalance and by their adherence to traditional cultural norms, as well as the circulation of misinformation and rumours. For example, efforts to vaccinate against diphtheria were compromised because many believed that children would die if vaccinated or would be reborn as a non-Muslim. According to a widely held belief, miscarriage is thought to be caused by jinn (spirits), and jinn are also thought to cause diseases such as polio or epilepsy, or harass women and girls when they use latrines. Another prevailing belief in the community is that girls in their teens are better suited to have children, and that during menstruation women and girls should not step out of their shelters (as part of purdah, the practice of female seclusion).9 Such beliefs and