Social Cohesion Network
The Social Cohesion Network (SCN) is a national coalition of civil society organizations in Bangladesh working to promote peace, tolerance, and social cohesion. Currently, 41 NGOs are members of the network, operating across all 8 divisions of the country. Rupantar serves as the Secretariat of the network. The SCN functions as a vibrant platform for collaboration among civil society actors and grassroots communities by strengthening the capacity of CSOs and youth in areas such as digital literacy, countering disinformation, early warning, and community-led conflict prevention to promoting social cohesion. The network also fosters inclusive dialogue and joint action with government, academia, media and the private sector to build resilient communities. Aligned with both national and global priorities, the network is committed to advancing peacebuilding, civic engagement, and inclusive development throughout Bangladesh. The network is currently supported and patronized by UNDP Bangladesh, further strengthening its efforts and outreach.
History and Evolvement
The journey of Social Cohesion Network (SCN) started on 2014, on that time in response to the political unrest of 2013–2014, Rupantar played a catalytic role in initiating peacebuilding efforts by convening a national network focused on social cohesion. This resulted in the formation of the Stop Violence Coalition (SVC), which initially comprised 16 local and national civil society organizations (CSOs). The Network started a campaign spanning from Oct – Nov 2014 called the “Social Harmony Campaign”. It is considered to be the first ever public activity in Bangladesh from the organization to create mass awareness against violence.
In 2019, with the support of USAID and UNDP as the secretariat of the Stop Violence Coalition (SVC), organized the first national PVE conference jointly with Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime Unit (CTTCU) of Bangladesh Government.
Later, in 2021 with support from the European Union and in partnership with the Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation, to strengthen the capacity of CSOs developed a National PVE Network, while this network was merged with Stop Violence Coalition and recognized nationally as the National PVE Network. Since the Network is also supported by Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF) and UNDP.
Recent in January 2025, with the support and guidance of UNDP, considering the changed context with evolving national and international priorities and considering the feedback from network members, the platform was rebranded as the Social Cohesion Network (SCN). Currently, the SCN comprises 41 active member organizations across 27 districts, working collaboratively to promote peace, tolerance, and social cohesion.
Our Partners
