The Swallows’ head office Swallows India Bangladesh is located in Sweden, in Lund.

The Swallows India Bangladesh is a non-governmental organisation (NGO) neither affiliated to any political party nor of any religious denomination. The Swallows India Bangladesh was formed in 1959, and is a member of the International Emmaus Movement.

We support and work with other NGOs in India and Bangladeh, these partners are focused on ecological farming and human development. Sustainable livelihood and Rights based Approach are key strategies within our organization.

In Sweden we run a second hand shop that you can find on the adress Spolegatan 5 in the city Lund (entry through no 7). You can also become a member and support us finacially or work as a volunteer with the second hand shop,  or in the India- or  Bangladesh-group. To come in contact with us you can either call our Director at: +4646 12 93 26 or to our Information Office +4646 12 93 26 or email:

monica.erwer@svalorna.org

eva.hagerstrand@svalorna.org

The Swallows India Bangladesh

The Swallows India Bangladesh is a Swedish NGO, with its head office in the town of Lund in southern Sweden. The Swallows is a non-governmental organization neither affiliated to a political party nor religious denomination. The Swallows was formed in 1959. It is a member of the International Emmaus Movement, which has adopted as its motto: “Serve first those who suffer most, not only to relieve distress, but also to abolish its causes”.

Principles of The Swallows

The Swallows actively work against poverty and social injustice. The Swallows work for sustainable development, which means an improved environment and the preservation of natural resources for future generations. The organization has chosen to work abroad in India and Bangladesh, while at the same time argue for a more humane and sustainable society in Sweden and the North. The Swallows believes that the continuous over-consumption and excessive life-style in the North leads to increased poverty in the South. The Swallows therefore acts according to the principle that it is through dialogue, cooperation and learning from each other that organizations in the North and South can work for change for a better world.

The Swallows India Bangladesh 50´s anniversity

In 2009 The Swallows celebrated its 50’s anniversary and presented two weeks of various activities in Lund, Sweden to promote its work and to give information on Bangladesh and India. For the event The Swallows had invited guests from its partner organisations in Bangladesh and in India to hold lectures on their work in respective country.

The Swallows India Bangladesh cooperation with Bangladeshi organizations

Background

The Swallows started its development work in India in the early 1960’s. Shortly after the Bangladeshi War of Liberation in 1972 The Swallows was asked to come to Bangladesh. The country and its people were suffering from the devastating consequences of the civil war. The Swallows started out with relief activities, but it was soon obvious that there was a need for more long-term and sustainable development programs. On the advice from the newly elected Bangladeshi government, The Swallows directed its attention towards a village named Thanapara, located in Sardah Thana, Rajshahi District. Here, The Swallows initiated a project called The Swallows Thanapara Project. During a period of ten years Swedish volunteers concentrated their efforts at Thanapara village. As the situation in the village improved The Swallows felt an interest to work in other areas. By this time, in the early 1980’s, it was possible to work directly with Bangladeshi NGOs, which was the way The Swallows felt as a natural continuance of its presence in Bangladesh. This cooperation was not only meant to focus on transfer of money, but also on exchange of common interests and values. One of the main tasks for The Swallows work in Sweden is to educate and raise awareness among Swedish people about the actual situation in countries in the South. Through the partnership with Bangladeshi NGOs, The Swallows has a first hand opportunity to collect and share information and experiences, and also practically learn about the actual situation of the disadvantaged groups in Bangladesh and the South Asian region.

Strategy of The Swallows India Bangladesh

During the 37 years that The Swallows has been working in Bangladesh, the organization has developed close partnerships with a number of local NGOs, working for sustainable development in rural Bangladesh. Through the close cooperation with our local partner organizations, The Swallows’ aim is that the situation for the disadvantaged groups, especially the rural women, will improve. We intend to give financial support to Bangladeshi organizations when needed and to inspire them to undertake new initiatives for the future.

Prioritised issues

The Swallows believes that sustainable management and preservation of natural resources is of outmost concern. Bangladesh, being a deltoid country and one of the most densely populated countries in the world, is very vulnerable to environmental implications. The environmental degradation in Bangladesh has worsened drastically in terms of deforestation, loss of soil fertility, pollution, land and water management, water logging of wetlands, depletion of fish resources, reduction of biodiversity and arsenic in the ground water etc. All these issues affect the ecology, life and livelihood of the population, and predominantly the disadvantaged groups in the society.

The partner organizations in Bangladesh share similar views and have also, in order to improve their activities, expressed their needs to establish links and networks with like-minded organizations in other countries, which also actively work for environmental sustainability. Therefore, The Swallows more effectively tries to address the needs of the disadvantaged groups in rural Bangladesh, through the establishment of strong partnerships with like-minded local organizations. We work with local partner organizations with capacity building, gaining and sharing of experiences and the establishing of links and networks between Bangladesh, India and Sweden within the field of environmental sustainability.

Agricultural Rights Programme

From 2010 the Agricultural Rights Programme is starting in collaboration with The Swallows India Bangladesh. Partner organizations taking part in this programme are Association for Sustainable Development (ASD), Bangladesh Resource Center for Indigenous Knowledge (BARCIK), Campaign for Sustainable Development (CSD), Resources for Mobilization for Development (REMOLD), Thanapara Swallows Development Society (TSDS) and Unnayan Dhara (UD).

Association for Sustainable Development in Bangladesh (ASD – Bangladesh)

ASD Bangladesh was formed in 2000 as an initiative to promote sustainable agriculture for small farmers and the organization also has an integrated focus on equality between men and women. ASD had in 2009, its first large-scale projects with The Swallows which was a continuation of the projects they carried out with good results in 2008. The name of the project is “Promoting Gender Equality, Food Security, and Farmers’ Rights through Holistic Agriculture” (GEFSFRHA). The project aimed to contribute to equality between men and women and to work for food security in the region.

Bangladesh Resource Centre for Indigenous Knowledge (BARCIK)

BARCIK, since its inception in 1997 worked with participatory grated research to maintain traditional knowledge in the country.  The organization works in several areas but primarily in agriculture, forestry, water resources and climate change. In 2009 BARCIK worked with a climate change project whose aim was to integrate climate change considerations in the Agricultural Rights Programme and the project was “Strengthening Adaptation Capacity and Strategies to Reduce the Risk of the Vulnerable Communities in Bangladesh”. 

Campaign for Sustainable Development (CSD)

CSD was established in 1994 with the goal of working with various social problems. In 2009, The Swallows supported a project of CSD called “Sustainable Agriculture Development Project”. The project’s goal was to secure food supplies in the target group (small and landless farmers and fishermen) by developing sustainable agriculture and wetland use.  The target group received training in organic farming during the year and many have implemented the methods. Major focus was also on women’s rights in order to strengthen women’s role in the project area.

Resource Mobilization for Development (REMOLD)

REMOLD is working in Noakhali in south-eastern Bangladesh, with women’s rights.  REMOLD’s work is carried out mainly in rural areas with women living in extreme poverty. In 2009, The Swallows supported REMOLD on a continuation of its previous project “Improve the knowledge of legal and constitutional rights of woman and let their Voice be heard”. The project aimed to raise the target population’s, mainly women, knowledge about their rights as citizens in the hope that they will use these. 2009 was the last year The Swallows gave the organization a financial contribution.

Thanapara Swallows Development Society (TSDS)

Thanapara Swallows Development Society was formed in 1972. The Swallows supported in 2009 the final year of a three-year project “Initiative on Organic Agriculture Development”.with the overall goal of creating sustainable agriculture in the project area in Rajshahi. The project aimed to make the peasants learn about different organic farming methods and how they can contribute to a greater degree of self-sufficiency. A major focus of the project is women’s rights and opportunities in agriculture. TSDS was one of the co-organizers of a farmers exchange, which was organized during the year for the Bangladeshi and Indian partner organizations.

Unnayan Dhara (UD)

UD established in February 1992, and the core concern of the development strategy of UD is the struggle for a sustainable development, which includes gender equality, growth of social justices, health services, sustainable and productive natural resource management and environmental protection and regeneration. However, UD received no financial support in 2009. On the other hand, they have participated in the development of the Agricultural Rights Programme and was involved in the steering committee for the programme. 

Climate Change in Bangladesh

One of the partner organizations, BARCIK has during 2009 conducted a project on Climate Change. During the project BARCIK has visited the partner organizations of The Swallows to interview people about their finding on climate change locally.

In the very beginning of December a three days Climate Change-workshop was held as a result of one of BARCIK´s project. During the workshop BARCIK presented its research findings and held training on local adaptation on clime changes for the field staff and project coordinators. The last day also the executives from each organization participated and a climate change action plan was developed with the purpose to make activities within the Agricultural Rights Programme less vulnerable for climate changes and also to have less impact on the matter. 

Cooperations between like-minded organizations in Bangladesh, India and Sweden, within the field of environmental sustainability and natural resource management

Farmers’ exchange visit: Workshop on models of organic farming

The Swallows have partner organizations in both India and Bangladesh and in mid-April the Indian organizations came to Bangladesh to network and participate in a workshop in models of organic farming. The workshop was carried out in five days in Thanapara together with most of the Bangladeshi partner organizations. During the workshop the organizations shared their experiences on models they use in organic farming and a consultant from Proshika was leading the discussions. The consultant also showed the participants new methods and also conducted a field trip together with the participants. All the organizations were happy with the outcome and had gained new skills that they could use when working with their target group.

Climate Change meeting in Copenhagen

In December 2009 the UN conference on Climate Changes was held. The Swallows India Bangladesh staff in Sweden and from Bangladesh participated in the meeting and its side events. One of The Swallows partner organizations, BARCIK, sent a representative to the meeting and together with him. The Swallows arranged meetings and seminars on climate changes in regards to Bangladesh and rural adaptation. 

Networking among the partner organisations and the Bangladeshi and international Civil Society

The partner organizations have developed links with other national and international organizations and are working actively in different international networks. Some examples are given below.
ASD is working with IFOAM (International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movement), Germany for the purpose of promoting organic agriculture by information and experience sharing, training/workshop.
BARCIK is linked with MISEREOR, Germany; ACTION AID, UK; OXFAM GB and UNDP. They are working towards conservation of indigenous knowledge, biodiversity and livelihood rights of the traditional natural resource users in Bangladesh, empowerment of “Untouchables” living in Urban Slums and other project as well through awareness, campaign, advocacy, research.

CSD is involved with GTZ, OXFAM, Bangladesh Bank. Under these networking they are working towards promoting improved cooking stove, raising a strong campaign for preserving the bills (one kind of water body like river, pond) to protect the biodiversity through training, workshop.

UD has been working under International Food Security Network (IFSN) in view to strengthening civil society networking in the international policy dialogue for increased food security through advocacy, workshop, and seminar.

The active involvement by TSDS in a lot of international organisations and activities is another sign of this. Currently, Thanapara is involved in Bangladesh Fair Trade Association and also part of international networks focusing on issues relating to Fair Trade. TSDS is also part of the Emmaus International (EI), an INGO with head office in France, Europe, and branches all over the world. TSDS is part of a network with the Danish Swallows.

Information about Bangladesh to the Swedish general public

One of the objectives of The Swallows India Bangladesh is to disseminate positive and relevant information about Bangladesh to the Swedish general public.
The information is disseminated through articles in Swedish newspapers anc magasines and brochures, open lectures with slide show, visitit to schools, folk high schols and univeristy classes.

Bangladesh is rarely mentioned in the Swedish media, but due to the UN Climate Change Meeting in Copenhagen in the end of 2009 Bangladesh got increased attention due to its vulnerbility to the climate change. Sheik Hasina visited Lund (the town where The Swallows has its office) in connection with the meeting and gave a speech to the public and the students at Lund Universitey.