Society for Bangladesh Climate Justice

Minutes of e-meeting, 7 April 2010

The Agenda

The first e-meeting of the Society for Bangladesh Climate Justice (SBCJ) was conducted in the month of March 2010. The agenda was sent out to the EC members on 19 March with a request to respond by 25 March, which was extended twice to 8 April/10.

The agenda included 3 items with brief background, context and elaborations:

1. Launching a Community University Research Alliance (CURA) on Climate Change and Adaptation in Bangladesh.
2. Invite Dr. Harun Rashid to join as Advisor (with immediate task to help prepare a CURA proposal)
3. Formation of Task Force to Draft Concept Paper on Climate Refugees (particularly focusing on Bangladesh)

The responses were in “yes”/”no” form with comments. In all 8 EC members (Iqbal Bhuiyan, Tareq Islam, Abdul Matin, K. Rabbani, H. Jahangir, Kawsar Hossain, Nazrul Islam, and M. Zaman) responded; non-responses include M. Islam, K. Banu and Rafiq Islam. Advisor R. Alam provided comments and inputs.

Responses – Summary

1. All EC members who responded (plus the Advisor) voted “yes” to the proposal for a CURA Project. The proposal is carried unanimously.

Comments: Three members (A. Matin, K. Rabbani, and H. Jahangir) noted that more experts/institutions from Bangladesh should be included in the proposal. One member (H. Jahangir) requested to circulate the CURA proposal to EC members. Director-Networking Dr. Matin suggested (as per the Constitution) to include one EC Member in the CURA Team.

2. The proposal to invite Dr. Harun Rashid as Advisor received “yes” from all and was indeed welcomes by the EC members. So, it is carried too.

Comments: Advisor Alam noted the academic profile and expertise of Dr. Rashid in carrying out the tasks in collaboration, coordination and networking with universities in Canada and Bangladesh as well as civil society members and NGOs in both countries.

3. The proposal to form a Task Force to Draft Concept Paper Climate Refugee received 7 votes out of 8 EC members (H. Jahangir voted “no” for the “time being” due to lack of “whole hearted” support to global warming by the Canadian Government). The proposal is carried by a majority vote.

Comments: Advisor Alam observed that “climate refugee” topic needs further discussion. Director-Research Tareq Islam noted that the issue should be “flushed out” more and further discussion is needed among EC members. Director-Program suggested that the ED should head the Task Force. Director-Networking Dr. Matin advised that experts in the Task Force should be from South Asian and Southeast Asian countries and background of the experts should be further discussed in EC meeting.

Comments by ED

The ED wishes to thank the members for their responses and votes in support of the three items of business. A particular note of thank is extended to Advisor Rabi Alam for his valued opinion and comments. The EC members are requested to note the following:

• I will soon advise Dr. Rashid of the decision on CURA Project and give him a “go ahead” on this. Additional comments on the CURA made by our EC members will be communicated to him. Rest assured that SBCJ will have inputs in the development process of the Project. Also, the draft proposal will be circulated for comments.
• I will send a letter of invitation to Dr. Rashid to join SBCJ as “Advisor” with immediate effect.
• The purpose of the Concept Paper to be prepared by the Task Force is to set the arguments and the case in favour of “climate refugees.” We must “arm” ourselves first by considering the academic, policy and the “politics” of the Canadian and other Western countries as well of UN/other international agencies on the refugee issues and develop the basis/rationale for claiming climate refugee as a separate “category.” I would like your further feedback on the potential members/experts who would like to volunteer their time to work on such an important project. The formation of the Task Force itself will take a fairly long time.

Finally, one of our EC members (H. Jahangir) raised an issue regarding the e-meeting. The e-meeting has worked well in this case. This can be combined with video/skype in the future. We will also meet formally as EC in Vancouver as and when possible. The world is moving on the internet (including the move for “digital” Bangladesh) – we better use the technology when we need.

Again, thanks you for your time. Goodnight. Keep well.

Mohammad Zaman

07 April 2010