2 November 2026 | 6:30 PM IST / 1:00 PM GMT / 7:00 PM BDT | Online
Event details
- Date: Monday, 2 November 2026
- Time: 6:30 PM IST | 7:00 PM BDT | 1:00 PM GMT
- Format: Online webinar
- Registration: Free, through Eventbrite
Register for the webinar:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/tdh-handbook-of-relational-needs-based-organising-launch-webinar-tickets-1997330834292
The Terre des hommes (Tdh) Handbook of Relational Needs-Based Organising (RNBO) will be launched through an international webinar on Monday, 2 November 2026, at 6:30 PM IST (1:00 PM GMT / 7:00 PM BDT). The webinar will bring together researchers and practitioners to discuss an alternative approach to social work, community organising and development practice, drawing on learnings from two major Universal Basic Income (UBI) pilot projects in South Asia.
The Handbook builds on the experiences and learnings of CLARISSA Social Protection Plus (SP+) in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and WorkFREE in Hyderabad, India. Implemented between 2020 and 2024, these multi-year UBI pilot projects combined unconditional cash transfers with relational, needs-centred social work and community organising. This integrated approach, described as UBI Plus, placed relationships, human needs and community-led processes at the centre of social interventions.
The Handbook brings together the theoretical foundations, practical frameworks and facilitation tools developed through these experiences. It introduces Relational Needs-Based Organising as an alternative to conventional, problem-solving approaches to development and social work. Rather than positioning development practitioners as problem-solvers or saviours, RNBO emphasises building relationships, understanding people’s needs, strengthening collective consciousness and supporting individuals and communities to identify and pursue their own pathways to change.
Structured around a five-stage process – Relating, Reconnecting, Raising Consciousness, Reimagining and Responding, the Handbook offers practical guidance, participatory methods and reflections from community participants and practitioners involved in the two pilot projects. It is intended as a resource for social workers, community organisers, development practitioners, researchers and anyone interested in more democratic, relational and empowering approaches to social transformation.
Speakers
The webinar will feature contributions from:
- Jiniya Afroze – Country Director, Terre des hommes, Bangladesh
- Dr Neil Howard – Reader, Department of Social and Policy Studies, University of Bath
- Dr Joel Lazarus – Lecturer, Department of Social and Policy Studies, University of Bath
- Mohammad Ehsan Ul Islam Chowdhury – Regional Child Protection Coordinator, Asia Hub, Terre des hommes
- John Michael – Member, Regions Team, Basic Income Earth Network (BIEN)
Access the Handbook: https://tdh-bangladesh.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/RNBO-Handbook_23-Aug-2026.pdf
