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
