Md Nazmus Sakib is a youth disability rights activist from Bangladesh. He is the team lead of YouthNet at the Physically-Challenged Development Foundation. He has been working as a youth activist in the democracy and disability sector since 2015 and has experience working with national and international organizations on inclusive humanitarian action, accessibility, leadership, and youth engagement. Nazmus completed undergraduate and graduate degrees in International Relations at the University of Dhaka. He participated as a youth delegate in South Korea for the Global Challenges of Youth with Disabilities 2018 event and served as a member of the 100 Member Bangladeshi Youth Delegation to India in 2019. 

IVLP Impact Award Project: Promoting Political Participation of Youth with Disabilities

This project promoted the political participation of youth with disabilities in Bangladesh to ensure their inclusion in policymaking and nation-building. Based on the results of a survey distributed at the start of the project, a curriculum was developed and a workshop organized to train 70 young people with disabilities on disability concepts and rights, communication and networking skills, leadership, and democracy and disability inclusion.

Two panel discussions and six sensitization meetings were organized with student political parties and party leaders to advocate for disability inclusion within political parties. Youth with disabilities shared their demands with political leaders, who committed to ensuring accessibility and inclusion in their organized events, materials, and practices. The project also helped to develop a platform called the "Disability Scholars Forum" to revitalize advocacy initiatives and incorporate the practice and culture of inclusion among political parties to influence national-level policy decisions for inclusion. As a result of the project, 40 of 70 participants joined student political parties, youth rights-based organizations, and disability rights organizations.

Nazmus was also a panelist for the IVLP Impact Awards Alumni Discussion Series panel on “Inclusion and Accessibility for Disability Rights,” which you can read more about here.

“This project was an eye-opener for me. Attending the workshop and panel discussion made me realize that it is imperative for youth with disabilities to be part of the political process so that we can raise our voices in the right places to make inclusive policies for persons with disabilities.” - Participant

IVLP Exchange Experience 

Nazmus participated in the IVLP Project Not Too Young to Run – Engaging Youth in the Political Process, organized by the U.S. Department of State and the Mississippi Consortium for International Development, in partnership with World Trade Center Institute, World Affairs Council - Seattle, International House and Gulf Coast Diplomacy.

Nazmus' exchange experience led to the development of his IVLP Impact Award Project: "I have seen how Black Girl Vote is contributing to protect the rights of black girls in the USA and promote their meaningful participation in the political process. I also met Judith Brown who founded Project 70Forward [ . . .] and noticed how her actions brought positive changes."

U.S. Communities Visited

Washington, DC; Pensacola, FL; Baltimore, MD; Charlotte, NC; Seattle, WA

"Both initiatives inspired me to design my project that empowers youth with disabilities in my country to inspire their political participation through engaging student political party leaders and youth with disabilities." - Md Nazmus Sakib

Country: Bangladesh

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