Introduction
Bangladesh Institute of Theatre Arts (BITA), a non-government organization, has been administering development initiatives focusing human rights, cultural upliftment and poverty alleviation since 1994. The then a group of intellectuals, grass root artists and development activists have founded BITA who believed that culture can be an instrumental approach for development to establish a sustainable mechanism towards poverty reduction. Based on this believe BITA is participating in national development by promoting social agendas on issues of social, cultural, environmental, rights and governance point of view and creating positive changes in the values of the people through innovative approaches which has a strong local context and formed by local version.
The basis of development intervention in BITA is rights based approach. BITA has sequentially developed an empowerment process which starts its journey from building relationship with communities through communication, support them with raising of their awareness level, facilitating them in transforming their trust into internalization capacity to visualize self development, make them confident to become actor from observer. This confidence also helps the community to make right decision for their wellbeing, as result a community development process build in within them which ultimately bring recognition for them as change maker for the society. BITA’s rights based approach in development is recognized by diversified donor communities and extended cooperation as project fund to explore innovation in regard to human rights promotion and poverty alleviation efforts.
- To preserve national culture and heritage especially by involving the grass root people.
- To create consciousness among children on cultural heritage and highlight the important issues on women, environment, human rights, awareness on poverty alleviation.
- To improve level of professionalism of the development performers and activists of both urban and rural areas.
- To involve poorest of the grass root people in various cultural activities.
Mission
BITA’s mission is to be a partner of the poor and disadvantaged people in their culture-based approach of demanding their rights particularly human rights for poverty alleviation.
- BITA maintains the cultural approach also in future, where it has comparative advantage.
- BITA’s approach should reflect in its work to equip them to demand rights for the poor and the disadvantaged people.
- It believes that such a change accompanied with other parallel processes will contribute to poverty alleviation
Vission
BITA’s vision is a society where respect and practice of rights by all is an integral part of life.