Artivism for Peace, an exhibition that brought together the works of young artists from across Bangladesh, concluded successfully on Saturday at TSC, University of Dhaka. The exhibition followed a workshop with 30 young artists promoting a harmonious Bangladesh, with a mural as a key highlight that attracted significant attention. A total of 35 art pieces, including submissions from workshop participants and external artists, were showcased. These artworks embodied themes of peace, tolerance, and harmony, aiming to inspire positive change. Visitors were moved by the powerful messages in the art and resonated with the descriptions, sparking discussions on fostering a more inclusive and tolerant Bangladesh while recalling the July-August Uprising. The exhibition was organized by the Kashful Foundation, with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) under its Partnerships for a More Tolerant, Inclusive Bangladesh (PTIB) initiative, in collaboration with the Bangladesh Computer Council (BCC) under the ICT Division, Bangladesh. PTIB, funded by the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Dhaka, aims to foster a more inclusive and tolerant society in Bangladesh. Hasan A Shafie, Professon and Dr Rasheda Rawnak Khan, Associate Professon Department of Anthropology, University of Dhaka, Md Abdul Quayyum, Head of Communications, UNDP Bangladesh, and Faisal Bin Majid, Project Manager of PTIB, UNDP were present at the event along with others.  Hasan A Shafie said, "We welcome such initiatives by the youth." Dr Rasheda Rawnak Khan further mentioned, "We want programs like this to spread across Bangladesh. These kinds of programs play a significant role in inspiring the youth." Md Abdul Quayyum said, "It’s important to promote peace and tolerance to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Hence it should be expanded across the country." Finally, Faisal Bin Majid said, "We are always here to support such creative endeavours by the youth."

Two ARTivism competition winners from Bangladesh and one from Rohingya refugee community in Cox’s Bazar are among 17 prize winners in an Asia-wide climate art competition, whose artworks are on display at COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland. The competition in Asia region, organized by Save the Children, asked children to express their climate crisis concerns and solutions through art. Read: COP26: Time running out in Glasgow, as delegates wrangle over details Finalists in the regional competition were shortlisted from national competitions in eight Asian countries and two refugee communities. In Bangladesh, the competition was jointly arranged by Save the Children in Bangladesh and Kishor Alo.