Shushilan at Glance

Shushilan, a Bengali name signifying endeavours for a better future, is a local non‑government development organization set up in 1991. The organization came into being in the face of degradation of socio-ecological resources in the southwest coastal region with specific mission to redress the declining natural resource base, livelihoods and food security of the people. To uphold human rights and gender equity for the socially disadvantaged community with the focus on women is another major concern of Shushilan’s development initiatives. Shushilan is a local agro-ecology and right based NGO working in the southwest coastal region for ensuring livelihood security of the resource poor community through promoting sustainable agricultural firming system and environmental health. Wetland resource management with focus on aquaculture is one of the principal components of Shushilan’s development initiatives in the region.

Fundamental Principles

• Equality of mankind
• Combat poverty
• Safeguarding interest of future generation
• To uphold national interest and help the underprivileged community.

Strategic Directions

• Improve livelihoods of vulnerable communities in Bangladesh with special attention to coast, riverbank, wetlands, and hill tracks
• Improve education & health condition of vulnerable people
• Secure human rights and good governance
• Sustainable environmental resources management in eco-sensitive areas
• Reduce disaster vulnerabilities
• Adaptation and mitigation of adverse impact of climate change
• Develop people’s organization and leadership
• Expand Shushilan as an effective development institution to serve the vulnerable community in Bangladesh.

Cross-cutting Issues

• Gender & Equity
• HIV/AIDS
• Empowerment
• Sustainability

Development Approaches

• Participatory development.
• Collaboration, partnership and networking with national and international development organizations.
• Community based resource management.
• Indigenous knowledge based development.
• Right based.
• Grass root democratization.
• Decentralization.
• Gender mainstreaming.

Policy Framework

• Shushilan’s development endeavors principally focus on poorest of the poor-destitute women, outcastes, indigenous peoples, ethnic minorities and Hard Core Poor (HCP) community. The issue of their development is the first priority. Shushilan works to empower resource poor community at all levels-community, social and national levels.
• Shushilan works for conservation of environmental resource base.
• Shushilan takes up development initiatives within the policy framework of Bangladesh Government.
• Shushilan takes up all development initiatives taking gender perspective into consideration.
• Shushilan takes up development programs taking economic, social, political and cultural equity into consideration.
• Shushilan takes up all development initiatives taking sustainability of development partners into consideration.
• Shushilan works to ensure availability of local resources and government facilities in the interest of the resource poor people.
• Shushilan proceeds from project to program.
• Shushilan implements development programs through networking and development partnership