Building Awareness and Going the Extra Mile: Human Rights in Focus

As the foremost non-life insurance brand of Bangladesh, Green Delta Insurance has many responsibilities to fulfill when it comes to CSR. Participating in activities for the betterment of our environment, Human Rights, culture, sports, and society in general has been a prominently visible trait of the company. The history concerning CSR at Green Delta Insurance goes back years – to a time before CSR became the catch-all concept it is today.

The Ten Principles set by UN Global Compact have always been given importance. In previous years, Green Delta Insurance Company (GDIC) has emphasized environmental issues, labor rights, and safety issues through its communication tools. Many issues regarding Human Rights have also been dealt with. For 2013, GDIC took the initiative to focus primarily on Human Rights, with an eye on the rising concerns surrounding this sector – although it is not the first time that GDIC has contributed toward the improvement of Human Rights in Bangladesh. Some of the initiatives led by GDIC in the previous years have been the rehabilitation of the freedom fighters and women oppressed during the independence war; wheelchair distribution for the war-wounded freedom fighters; support for the family of a slain police constable; and sponsorship of a children’s day program to nurture hidden talents among the little ones.

The management as well as the Corporate Affairs and Communications department sensed the need for showcasing elements of Human Rights through innovative means to create awareness among the people. The idea was to do something creative that would trigger people’s inner conscience. The biggest challenge was to deliver the messages clearly without showing violent images, but to also show appropriate visuals as well. The GDIC team, with the help of its creative agency, came up with the idea to use “shadow puppetry” to portray elements of Human Rights in a metaphoric manner. This idea was set to debut in 2013. Shadow puppetry, or “shadow play,” is an old form of storytelling used usually for entertainment purposes. It creates the impression of moving objects or three-dimensional human figures. We wanted to tell a story about the shadowy parts of our society, where values and rights are neglected and often violated.

Out of the many articles on Human Rights set by the UN, 12 were chosen for 12 months of the year. They were:

1. All are equal before the law and are entitled – without any discrimination – to equal protection of the law.
2. Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, color, sex, language, religion, political, or other opinions; national or social origins; property; birth; or other status.
3. Everyone has the right to freely and peacefully assemble and associate.
4. No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all its forms.
5. No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment.
6. Everyone has the right to life, liberty, and security.
7. Everyone has the right to a nationality.
8. Men and women of full age, without any limitations due to race, nationality, or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family of their own.
9. Everyone has the right to own personal property as well as in association with others.
10. Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion.
11. Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression.
12. All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act toward one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

Keeping all 12 articles in mind, a photo shoot was organized. The creative agency arranged sets for all 12 visuals for 12 pages of the calendar. It was undoubtedly a difficult but fascinating task to come up with “state of the art” outputs, since the concept of shadow puppetry is still new in Bangladesh and using this in a calendar was something no one in Bangladesh had done before. When the final version appeared, we were happy with the results.

People from all walks of life responded positively. Especially the clients, large corporate entities, NGOs, and humanitarian organizations fully appreciated the concept and initiative and expressed their whole-hearted gratitude. After the success of this project, GDIC decided to run CSR-based campaigns regarding Human Rights in 2013. The calendar was an awareness-building project, whereas future projects are aimed at bringing direct and positive changes to the lives of the victims. Some activation plans are already in the pipeline. These projects will emphasize women’s rights and women’s empowerment as well as other related issues. Green Delta has already offered its sponsorship to the Bangladesh Women Chamber of Commerce and Industries for some of their upcoming projects.

The current state of Human Rights in Bangladesh is a much talked about topic these days, from both national and international points of view. Bangladeshi security forces are constantly being criticized by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. The abuse of children and women is alarmingly high and on the rise, as are attacks on minority communities. With support from a number of political parties, terrorists are committing heinous acts in the name of religion. Negative elements always seem to be on an upward trend and prominently highlighted, whereas positive actions largely go unnoticed. Green Delta Insurance plans to stick with positive actions while making people aware of Human Rights through their communication tools. The awareness-building programs and CSR of Green Delta go beyond the idea of doing better business in the future – rather, they highlight the need to build a better society for our future generations.