Voices for Interactive Choice and Empowerment (VOICE)

VOICE is a right based research and advocacy organisation working mainly on the issues of human rights - right to information and communication justice, privacy rights and data protection, digital rights and hygiene, freedom of expression, countering hate speech and misinformation, civic space protection, as well as around the issues of aid and development effectiveness, economic justice, food and agriculture, environment and climate change, public health, youth leadership programme, etc, both in Bangladesh and on a global scale.

By building a broader constituency of alternative voices to the mainstream development discourse through research and public education, VOICE takes a stand against unjust and undemocratic practices. VOICE’s mission is to build a pluralist society drawing on the interactions, choices and power of indigenous cultures and resources. It strategically works through networking and partnership for a new development paradigm establishing a micro-macro linkage in order to generate increased support for policy influencing. It works with a team of activists on research and action and believes in promoting the capacity, knowledge and empowerment of people.

It has been doing research and advocacy activities in collaboration with Privacy International-UK, Global Partner Associates-UK (funded by Foreign and Commonwealth Organization), Open Net Initiative (ONI)-Canada (funded by IDRC), Bank Information Centre- USA, EURODAD-Belgium, and Asia Pacific Research Network and Reality of Aid Network, Jubilee South Asia Pacific Movement on Debt and Development, Alternatives, ActionAid, Chritian Aid, Internews, ICNL, Engage Media, etc.

VOICE is a member many national and international networks including Association for Progressive Communications (APC), Communication Rights in the Information Society (CRIS), World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC), NGO Forum on ADB, Beyond 2015 network, Civil Society Partnership for Development Effectiveness (CPDE) etc,. VOICE has been playing important role in monitoring and review the progress of SDGs.

VOICE has been actively engaged with the OECD’s Working Party on Aid Effectiveness representing civil society being the part of Better Aid Coordination Group (BACG). It’s been engaged with Beyond 2015 Campaign representing in the executive board promoting and contributing towards post-2015 framework. It’s engaged with UN WSIS process and later in the UN Internet Governance Forum (IGF) process while it provides and contributes to concerned government agencies and also builds networks to take forward the issues collectively.

VOICE is also member of a number of national networks in Bangladesh - such as founding member of Campaign for Good Governance (SUPRO), Governance Advocacy Forum, Governance Coalition, Citizen’s Campaign on Right to Information, Right to Information Forum (RTI Forum), Bangladesh Water Integrity Network (BAWIN) etc. It is also the secretariat of Right to Food Movement and International Campaign on Climate Refugees’ Rights (ICCR) and Aid Accountability Group. VOICE represents as a member of the Regulatory Authority on Community Radio, Ministry of Information, Government of Bangladesh. VOICE is registered as a Trust under Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs and also with the NGO Affairs Bureau, Prime Minister’s Office, Bangladesh.