Welcome to Democracywatch

Democracywatch is Pioneer in Election Monitoring, Youth and Local Governance in Bangladesh

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Over all objective: To create a broad based constituency where the public institutions uphold democratic and human rights of the citizens.
Democracywatch will undertake two-dimensional approach to achieve this goal. Eager participation of the candidates, supporters and other voters can make the electoral process successful, as they have significant role to uphold social harmony. Participation of first time voters, women, indigenous community, religeous minority and the voters of disaster prone area’s in electoral process is not meaningful. The project will focus on ensuring their meaningful engagement in electoral system. They will be empowered with relevant information and education in one hand and the potential candidates and their supporter groups will be sensitized and aware to establish a democratic electoral process. Apart from this, the project will contribute in increasing responsiveness of the UP represntatives so that service delivery (i.e. Vulnarable Group Development (VGD), Basic Block Grant (BBG) and other service delivery of UPs) is ensured at grassroots level. However, the overarching focus of this intervention will target for enabling a violence free safe zone where free and fair election and a pro-people service delivery mechanism established.

Result/Outputs	Objectives	Process
1. Public institutions such as the Election Commission and service delivery bodies are more effective and democratic.	1. Strengthened capacity of the civil society members combating corruption in service delivery and ensuring watchdog role to reduce election related violence;	1269 citizen group members will receive training of which 423 members will get extensive orientation and monitor service delivery bodies. A number of 2257 monitoring visits will be carried out which will hold the service providers accountable. This will eventually improve the quality of services. A number of 376 quarterly meetings will be organized by the citizen groups which will specify and prioritize advocacy issues for upazilla level. Thus issues would be shared through 376 finding sharing meetings with service providers at union level. Total 11280 participants of service deliveries bodies, CG members and present and potential candidates will be involved in the process.
2. 47 civil society groups/ members effectively engaged in electoral governance;
3. A skilled and experienced group of people capable to monitor all elections		Total 64 (32 upazilla and 32 district levels) CAPTA meetings will take place that will determine constraints and policy issues. Through 32 (16 at upazilla and 16 at district level) sharing meetings with upazilla and district levels service providers, election commission officer, anti-corruption concern person, present and potential candidate and others networks will be organized. CAPTA members of upazilla and district level will share their views with concerned departments.
4. Local community is more involved in safeguarding their votes and achieves an intimidation free election.	2. Increased awareness of the community people for fostering democracy to harness electoral arrangement to reduce election related violence;	According to 4 types of module and guideline- 4230 study circle (including 84600 participants) sessions, 4230 court yard meetings (including 63450 participants), 48 cultural shows (including 9600 participates), 423 (including 84600 community people) documentary shows will increase the awareness and empower community people for fostering free and fair democratic electoral process. Besides 88000 sets of information dissemination toolkits will be distributed among community people. Democracy Resource Centre will continuously provide information to the people.
5. National media objectively upholds the incidents of electoral violence with an emphasis to women, indigenous people and deprived community. (Result 5 is also contribute to achieve this objectives)	3. Strengthened linkage with media, Election Working Group (EWG) and concerned government department to sensitize the free-fair election and ensure good governance at local level.	EWG, NNCJ, NGOs/COBs will be directly involved through the project activities including sharing meeting and national level advocacy. Total 60 journalists will receive training (four training in four districts) who will be sensitized on effective report writing on human rights, electoral process and service delivery. Trained journalists will be engaged in investigative reporting of election violence, intimidation and manipulations which will be published in media. Media watch reports will also be prepared and published in national newspapers which help building public consensus about free and fair election process.
6. The policy implementers and policy makers are sensitized to run/adopt necessary policy to establish good governance and reduce electoral corruption		A sharing meeting in each upazilla with candidates, law enforcement agencies and community people will be held with 1000 participants at upazilla level. Through the sharing meetings local administration will get citizen's views and take necessary measures to redress any problems. In addition, people will know about electoral promises of different candidates and get the opportunity to make an informed choice. Two national level advocacy meetings will take place with compiled upazilla and union level findings for building consensus about policy reform agendas. Through mapping of organizations and networks involved in advocacy the project will develop national coordination in electoral advocacy which will help achieving reform recommendations.