Ahmed Imtiaz Jami, Founder and President of OBHIZATRIK Foundation, participated in Global Town Hall 2026 as a Civil Society Discussant, joining international speakers and civil society leaders in a dialogue on prioritising development and human well-being.

Held on 19 September 2026, from 3:30 PM to 4:45 PM Bangladesh time, Session 6 focused on “More Ploughshares, Less Swords: Choosing Development and SDGs over Armaments.” The session’s theme addressed the need to place sustainable development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the centre of global priorities.

A Global Platform for Dialogue

The session’s programme featured special remarks by H.E. Izumi Nakamitsu, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs. Its speaker lineup included Dr. Samir Saran, President of the Observer Research Foundation, and Winnie Anna Kiap, Chair of the Commonwealth Foundation.

Justin Vaïsse, Founder of the Paris Peace Forum and James Anderson Professor of American Foreign Policy at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, was the designated moderator.

Jami was joined on the civil society discussant lineup by Florian Bigge, Licypriya Kangujam, Dr. Otive Igbuzor and Lucy Kühn-Barrientos, reflecting the international scope of the conversation.

Representing OBHIZATRIK Foundation

Jami’s participation brought representation from OBHIZATRIK Foundation and Bangladesh to a global forum examining the relationship between peace, development and resource allocation.

The session’s focus underscored a question that matters directly to communities: how can global priorities better support education, healthcare, livelihoods and a sustainable future? Civil society participation provides an important connection between these international debates and the everyday needs of people.

For OBHIZATRIK Foundation, participation in Global Town Hall 2026 marked an opportunity to engage with an international community on shared development challenges and the importance of placing people at the heart of global decision-making.