First pre-meeting in Kathmandu

This evening both Anita and Prakash from Youth Initiative and Mette and myself, Karin, met up in Kathmandu to discuss some of the final details for the seminar. We are all very excited and very busy getting all things ready – because, as I am strongly beginning to realize; this is no indifferent, random seminar. The topic we are dealing with during this seminar is something extremely important for the development of the political situation in Nepal and for the understanding of democracy. To put into perspective, when looking through the list of participants and lecturers – you will be able to see representatives from many completely different parties and organizations. Such broad participation, I for myself at least, hope will influence the debates to become very exciting and lively.
So for you participants – hope you are as much looking forward to the seminar as we, the organizers.
– Karin Loch Hansen

Entering present day rural Nepal

Before starting the seminar med Youth Initiative in Kathmandu – I decided to go visit some family of mine living in rural Nepal. And as my somewhat hippie aunt and uncle are development workers working with local democracy in the western part of Nepal for Mellemfolkeligt Samvirke, otherwise known here as MS Nepal, then, with their guidance – I have gotten just a blink of insight into how democracy is developing in these villages.
Though it took some time on bumpy mountain roads to get all the way out here, it was no bad experience. This was because of the beautiful scenery and how I got to observe the goings of everyday life for ordinary Nepali people outside of Kathmandu. People working in front of the houses, preparing foods, small children taking care of smaller children, women carrying almost impossibly heavy burdens up and own the hillsides. And the topic being on the never ending possibility of “bandh”. It took me quite a while to figure out what this big annoying threat was all about, but it simply is a shutdown of society, implemented by different groups of society when being unsatisfied. Instead of having some channel for people to communicate issues to the state – then, shops have close, road blocks are made, lockouts are made on workplaces. And apparently this happens quite frequently, started by unions or other political organizations to put focus on an unjust situation. This can be the ethnic minorities wanting rights, busdrivers wanting less of a free market because of a decrease in earnings, students wanting a canteen at the university, a family wanting compensation from the person who killed a member in the traffic. All different types of groups, all different types of problems – many being solved by this method, by waiting till someone able to act does so. At the moment Nepal can indeed perhaps be said to be the exact opposite of a harsh dictatorship, as neither the police nor judicial system interferes with bandh. Some are saying that this may be because of the reaction from the people that could come if the police ever caused the death of a demonstrating person. This way of demonstrating can be view upon as lack of trust between citizens and the official state, something I only see to be solved by a change of mentality by all participants in the political arena.
And luckily, initiatives are being made in the hope of achieving an actual democratic relation between the people and the state. I attended an event in a small village called Pokharathok, that was to celebrate the handing in of applications for village development. Representatives from all 22 villages in the district had shown up to hand in approximately five suggestions each for new development in their local society, such as better roads, a building for the community to gather in, a course in craft skills. These applications are necessary in Nepal as there is no elected local municipality, but instead at district level representatives from the local political parties led by an official appointed by the government. So for the communities to set focus onto what they need – they go through this process, as it is declared in Nepali law. But unfortunately this handing in of applications is something usually not done, as the law describing the procedure simply is too complicated for all parties involved. Therefore this event was very special, and though all the speeches were in Nepali, it was still easy for me to understand how happy these representatives from the villages were for finally being heard.
From my few days in rural Nepal I have experienced an amazing political participation. Who knew that a country having a history of dictatorship, could in these past years have developed such a flourishing political life? The goings of the world is definitely debated in Nepal, by the newspaper salesmen to the busdriver to the organizations – and to the politicians. Unfortunately the political actions show no trust in the present political system, which indeed does seem not have much effort done to then become trusted, a process that I fear may take quite some years.

- Karin Loch Hansen

Facing Nepal for the 1st time

I arrived in Kathmandu this morning. Had a really long journey from Varanasi in India by train, a bus to the border and a 14 hours bus ride from there to Kathmandu.

Keeping my fingers crossed for Nepal

Nepal is beckoning. I am getting more and more exited for every day that passes and I know the rest of the Danes feel the same way. One of the reasons is, that this cooperation between Youth Initiative, Radikal Ungdom and Venstres Ungdom is quite unique. Never before has Radikal Ungdom nor Venstres Ungdom worked together with youth in Asia. What a pleasant experience so far! Also, Youth Initiative has, as far as I am aware, never before worked with other youth organizations.

For now the Danish side of this cooperation is wrapping up the last details and reading everything in reach about Nepal. Only it’s quite a challenge to follow the current situation. The coverage of the international new agencies, not to talk about Danish media, is almost non-existing. What seems without question is that the situation is very tense.

The discharge process of Maoist combatants was supposed to start December 27 but has been postponed to January 7 although it is not long ago (December 16) that the Nepalese government, the Maoists and the UN signed the Action Plan on the discharge of 4008 disqualified combatants. The Action Plan stated that the discharge was to start December 27. This very same Action Plan states that the discharge process is an important development in the peace process. Now it will have to wait to the beginning of January.

Also, what makes the coming month so interesting (besides our seminar, of course!) is that the term and mandate of the UNMIN (United Nations Mission in Nepal) is expiring on January 23, 2010. The UNMIN has been monitoring arms and armed personnel of the Nepal Army and former the Maoist combatants since January 23, 2007. The term and mandate of the mission has been renewed four times already. This time the Nepalese government has stated that it will undertake a thorough review of the role and work of the UNMIN before it will decide on whether or not to extend the term and mandate of the UNMIN. The question is also whether, if the mandate is given, it will be as the current one or whether it could be much reduced. It seems to me that these tense days would be a bad time to reject the UNMIN. I really hope, that the full mandate and term will be extended.

I am keeping my fingers crossed for Nepal.

/Christina

Ready for a depressed Nepal

During the three years that have passed since Nepal’s peace agreement was signed there has never been as much trouble as now. In the past months the Maoists have led numerous strikes and protest – and right now it is the third day of a general nationwide strike which has paralyzed the country. Schools, airports, some roads and public transportation are closed down, industries and restaurants have been attacked and vehicles vandalized.
With the continuous problems in Nepal our project with Youth Initiative is more relevant than ever. A constitution for the country should, according to the peace agreement, be formed by May 2010, but with the current conflicts between the Maoists and the governing parties it seems difficult to reach that goal.