Enam is an activist from Bangladesh who works with others in the global south to decolonise the governance of environmental commons and investments for climate justice. At a crossroad in his leadership journey, Enam is now looking beyond the NGO model of development and activism.
A sociologist by training, he started his career as a journalist. He then shifted his career to work for international development organisations like IUCN and Oxfam between 2010 to 2022 - supporting national NGOs and community-based organisations through various projects and programmes.
Enam grew up in a tropical forest village called Chunati and has seen how the forest disappeared despite many projects from the international and national actors. Ever since, he has been on a journey to seek ways for communities like his own to restore ecosystems. This includes navigating the complex political and business capture, which are often reinforced by the colonial natural resource governance systems and decision-making processes around the use of public finance.
Meanwhile, he has also seen climate change becoming a global crisis - despite all the warnings and efforts. He is deeply shaken by how the global political and corporate powers were able to push back on the evident and logical asks from the vulnerable communities and nations. At the same time, within his own country, he saw economic growth but also increase in inequality. He saw emissions were being dumped on his land in the name of foreign investment and export processing. Meanwhile, the cost of loss and damage was being borne by the most marginalised.
Enam holds an undergraduate and a master’s degree in Sociology from the University of Dhaka.
I have seen change happen like ripples in the water, sometime creating waves too. I am preparing myself for changes that will be like storms and will change the waters for good.Enamul Mazid Khan Siddique