Peace Cafe launched at BRAC University

A student club bearing the name “Peace Cafe, BRAC University” was inaugurated through a ceremony at the Mohakhali campus of BRAC University Recently.

Peace Cafe is a creative and pioneering programme that promotes peace and social harmony by fostering and mentoring female-led civic engagement and social entrepreneurship. The aim is to instill skills in students that foster the notion of empowered persons and help them become peace ambassadors.

Professor Vincent Chang, Vice-Chancellor of BRAC University inaugurated the ceremony. Manzoor Hasan OBE, Executive Director, CPJ, Dr. Dave Dowland, Registrar, BRAC University, Tahsina Rahman, Joint Director, Student Life, BRAC University, Rokeya Kabir, freedom fighter, women and human rights activist and Founder of Bangladesh Nari Progati Sangha, and Tania Sharmin, Programme Analyst, Women Peace and Security, UN Women were also present.

In 2019, the CPJ facilitated the establishment of two such programs at Begum Rokeya University, Rangpur and Jatiya Kabi Kazi Nazrul Islam University, Mymensingh and another two in 2021 at the University of Dhaka and BRAC University. The decision on the formation of the student club “Peace Cafe, BRAC University” under Student Life was taken against the backdrop of a large number of positive responses from undergraduate female students.

Professor Vincent Chang, Vice-Chancellor of BRAC University, said, “Peace Cafe is a core component of BRAC University. In my interpretation, Peace Café is a BRAC University’s version of Peace Corps for women. BRAC University is a student-centric university and one way to make the university better is to have many meaningful programmes for the students. This is definitely one of such programs which is fresh and we would like to carry it forward.”

Addressing as special guest, Dr David Dowland, Registrar of BRAC University, said, “The works of the CPJ are creative and it creates a constructive network that has the potential to become a movement. The Peace Cafe is a means of collaboration of the universities across Bangladesh; which can also go international. Peace Cafe attracts people who are interested in the issues of social justice and also those who want to get engaged in social activities for achieving gender equality. There are huge disability inclusion challenges in Bangladesh that Peace Cafe might want to address..”