The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has launched the renowned mobile cinema caravan 'CinemArena' in Bangladesh for the first time in Asia, aiming to raise awareness and foster dialogue on safe migration and human mobility.
With support from the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI), the Bangladesh phase of the campaign will run from October 13 to November 17, covering Madaripur, Faridpur and Shariatpur districts, said a press release of IOM on Tuesday.
The initiative will be conducted in close partnership with the Technical Training Centres (TTCs), District Employment and Manpower Offices (DEMOs), and the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Since 2018, three rounds of this interactive mass-communication campaign have been carried out across Africa.
CinemArena will travel across Madaripur, Faridpur, and Shariatpur, showcasing film screenings, theatrical performances, musical shows, workshops, and interactive community discussions, reaching 13 municipalities and nearly 480 villages in the country.
The mobile cinema will create vibrant community spaces for youth and local residents to reflect on the risks of irregular migration and explore opportunities for skills development, entrepreneurship, and safe migration pathways.
First introduced by the Italian Cooperation in 2002, CinemArena originally focused on social and health issues. Since 2018, in partnership with IOM, the campaign has turned its spotlight on the dangers of irregular migration and promoted informed decision-making.
Over the past seven years, CinemArena has travelled through Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, The Gambia, Nigeria, and Tunisia, organizing more than 670 awareness events and reaching over 243,000 participants.
The campaign delivers powerful messages through films, theatrical performances, musical shows, workshops, and community discussions in both urban and rural settings. It encourages potential migrants to make informed and voluntary choices while encouraging dialogue on employment, training, and entrepreneurship opportunities within Bangladesh.
Lance Bonneau, Chief of Mission of IOM in Bangladesh, said: “Migration is a powerful driver of development when it happens safely and with dignity. CinemArena offers a creative way to bring these important conversations directly to communities, helping people make informed choices about their future.”
“For CinemArena, bringing the campaign to Bangladesh marks a new beginning - a fresh experience in a context completely different from the campaigns carried out in Africa. We are pleased, as IOM, to implement this important initiative in a country full of opportunities, to promote positive messages and foster discussions and exchanges on migration that can be both useful and enriching,” said Salvatore Sortino, Director of IOM’s Coordination Office for the Mediterranean.
By engaging civil society, supporting small businesses and young artists and promoting responsible media coverage, CinemArena seeks to inspire collective action towards safe, regular and dignified migration in the country.