Priyonto ZAMAN- Winner of Labcitoyen 2016

"The theme of Labcitoyen for this year was "Health and Human Rights" and it seemed to me an excellent opportunity to share and discuss the reality of health sector in Bangladesh and learn from others."

This summer, I had the honor to represent my country Bangladesh at the 2016 edition of LabCitoyen program which brought together 52 young francophone from all the continents of the world. The objective of this program was to promote the French language as a tool of engagement for the protection of human rights. The theme of Labcitoyen for this year was "Health and Human Rights" and it seemed to me an excellent opportunity to share and discuss the reality of health sector in Bangladesh and learn from others.

This year’s program was composed of debates, visits and workshops. Every morning, there was a thematic session with experts followed by a debate with other participants. To facilitate our future projects, we participated in a session on social networking and crowdfunding. One day we were invited to the Salon de l’Horloge of the Quai d’Orsay (The French Foreign Ministry) where we were given certificates of participation in the program. In the evening, we were quite free to explore the city of Paris! We also had the opportunity to watch the two semifinals and the final of the UEFA Euro 2016 live in the Fan Zone of Eiffel Tower! But the most remarkable part of this program was to meet with Jean-Marc Ayrault, the French Foreign Minister, Patrizianna Sparacino-Thiellay, Ambassador for Human Rights and Françoise Barré-Sinoussi, Nobel Laureate in Medicine.

I am eternally grateful for the opportunity that the Alliance Française de Dhaka and the Embassy of France in Bangladesh have given me. Learning directly from experts and other young people who make a difference in their country was simply a wonderful experience. I have made friends from all over the world and we will keep in touch so that this network can act on future international commitments.