BRAC Hope Festival ends by igniting the light of hope

The final day of BRAC Hope Festival ended on February 11 with poetry, music, dance performances, participatory workshops, discussion on climate change, TAAGA fashion award, Amra Notun Young Changemakers Award, songs of BRAC University students representing different countries, stage performances of Nemesis, Artcell, and James. Everything resonated with the hope and potential of the future of Bangladesh.

As part of BRAC’s 50th-anniversary celebration, the three-day long BRAC Hope Festival started on February 9 at Bangladesh Army Stadium.

Like the previous two days, the last day of the festival was celebrated with enthusiasm, vigour, and energy participated by people from all walks of life particularly the youths.

The last day of the festival was dedicated to the youths and the change makers of Bangladesh. Ten young change makers who brought positive changes in different sectors of the country were awarded ‘Amra Notun Young Changemakers Award’. ‘Taaga Outstanding Young Professionals Award’, which has been launched for the first time, was awarded to 3 young and powerful working women less than 35 years of age for their exceptional contributions to different corporations and organisations of Bangladesh.

There was a panel discussion on Climate Change and Adaptation Strategies where BRAC executive director Asif Saleh participated as one of the speakers. Other discussants were Advocate Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Zainab Faruqui Ali, Khondaker Hasibul Kabir, Dr. Md Liakath Ali, and Emerald Upoma Baidya. The discussion was moderated by journalist Iftekhar Mahmud.

A documentary by renowned British documentary photographer Platon on the remarkable life and contribution of Sir Fazle Hasan Abed was screened. In addition, a special documentary on BRAC International was also shown.

The festival ended with an enthralling stage performance by popular musician James.

Hope Festival was organised with the aim to inspire Bangladesh’s youth with those very stories of people turning their lives around, on their own, with just a tender rekindling of hope. BRAC witnesses that belief turning into reality, every day, right from the frontline, to the last mile. Each of the over 100 million people BRAC works with – teachers, healthcare workers, entrepreneurs, artisans, farmers, producers, partners – from the heart of Bangladesh to the most remote corners of the world – is evidence of hope triumphing over adversity.