Remarks

Remarks by Chargé d’Affaires, a.i. Judith A. Chammas at Divisional Imam Training Academy

Chittagong

March 14, 2006

Mr. Mohammad Abul Khair, Director, Dhaka Imam Training Academy; Mr. Mohiuddin Nurul Absar, Deputy Director, and Senior Officials of Chittagong Imam Training Academy; Mr. Gene George, USAID Mission Director; Respected Imams; Colleagues from the U.S. Embassy, USAID and The Asia Foundation -   Assalam-u-Alaikum and Good Afternoon.

I am very pleased to be here today and to have the opportunity of meeting you all and learning more about the important work you are doing.

I know that the Imam Training Academies of Bangladesh are playing a key role in enhancing the knowledge and skills of imams around the country, and that this makes an important contribution to the development of their communities.  

I am pleased that the United States Government through USAID is supporting a two-year program to highlight to religious leaders the principles of development and democratic governance, and to promote greater citizen participation in decisions that affect their lives. 

This program is centered on an Imam Orientation Program that aims to strengthen the capacity of religious leaders to improve public understanding, commitment, and participation in national development efforts.  As most of you know, this is carried out through exposing them to the work of USAID partners during the course of the  Imam Training Academy’s 45-day Imam Training Program and its refresher training courses.
  
Last year, 2,214 imams, including 300 here in Chittagong, completed the three-day orientation program.  There were 19 visits to sites hosted by USAID partners that focused on important issues like access to public health care and education, aquaculture, fisheries, social forestry, enterprise development, democracy and governance, human rights, anti-trafficking in persons, and HIV/AIDS awareness.

USAID partners are encouraged to involve local imams in their projects.  One of the most striking features from last year’s experience was the value of informal interaction between local USAID partner organizations and participating imams.  This enhanced everybody’s appreciation of how local civil society groups contributed to community development efforts.

Imams who have participated in this program tell us that they are drawing on the knowledge they acquired and the personal contacts they established during the program to improve development activities in their home communities.  Their follow-up activities include development activities at mosques, sharing information through Friday sermons, and supporting community development initiatives in agriculture, fisheries, public health, and education.

This year, we expect that at least 2,800 imams will be able to participate in this program, which has proven to be so effective, I believe, because of the important development role that imams already play in their communities. 

I would like to offer special thanks to The Asia Foundation for their excellent work with the Islamic Foundation, and for organizing this event and for inviting me here.

Thank you!

Note:  A Bangla translation of this article is also available from the American Center.  If you are interested in the translation, please call the American Center Press Section (Tel: 8813440-4, Fax: 9881677; e-mail: DhakaPA@state.gov; Website: dhaka.usembassy.gov