Kathmandu School of Law implemented
the project entitled "Peace
Building through Promoting Value-based
Discussion on Democracy, Constitutionalism
and Peace" in financial assistance
of Embassy of Denmark. The project
covered the period of one year
from 15 May, 2005 to June, 2006.
The project was concentrated to
help address the ongoing conflict
through strengthening and promoting
the value based non-violent democratic
practices and constitutional measures.
Primary objective of the project
was to motivate public at large
by sensitization of political
actors, youth leaders, students
and media workers toward non-violent
democratic movement and to help
transformation of the conflict
by creating broader pressure to
the Maoist insurgents to come
into non-violent democratic process.
Within this project period, 30
orientations for college and high
school students, 12 orientations
for journalists and media persons,
14 constitutional debates with
political party leaders and cadres
and 14 activation programmes for
youth leaders were carried out
throughout the country. Broader
mass sensitization through television
programme and FM radio programme
were also performed for setting
up of a favourable climate for
advocacy on democracy and constitutionalism
as well as activation of people
through non-violent democratic
movements.
A total of twenty-seven hundred
and ninety three people have received
direct benefit from the project
activities. Under the program
activity entitled "Orientation
to Journalists", 209 journalists
and media workers have had opportunity
to obtain the knowledge of human
rights, the role of media in conflict
transformation and pro-peace reporting
as responsive fourth estate.
Under the Debate on Constitutionalism,
430 concerned stakeholders got
the opportunity to take part on
the debates. Similarly, twelve
television programmes under Anuttarit
Prashna and twelve radio programmes
were aired in different themes
to contribute for public opinion
building and encouraging public
discourse on the constitutional
issues to address the problem
of political stagnation and support
for conflict transformation. A
book entitled “Peace Building
through promoting value-based
discussion on Democracy, Constitutionalism
and Peace” was published
which includes details of activities
and compendium of resource materials.
Altogether 434 youths from three
zones got benefited under Motivation
and Activation of Youth Leaders
programme. The impact of their
participation in the programme
can be assessed by their involvement
in initiating debate of succession
of leaderships in respective youth
and student organizations. Similarly,
twelve television programmes under
Anuttarit Prashna and twelve radio
programmes were aired in different
themes under this programme to
activate youths into social affairs
and make them responsive to the
public interests. A book entitled
“Youths for Peace and Democracy”
was published under this theme
which includes details of activities
of Motivation and Activation of
Youth Leaders programme and Student
Mobilization Programme.
With a view to create awareness
and sensitize students towards
current crisis of conflict and
declining situation of human rights
and good governance, students
from different schools and colleges
of Kathmandu Valley were mobilized
under Mobilization of School and
University Students programme.
Altogether 1557 students from
various academic institutions
benefited from the programme.
A booklet entitled "Shantisthapana
Ra Dwandarupantaranka Lagi Naagarik
Sashaktataa: Sabaile Jannuparne-Mannuparne
Pramukh Sawaal" (Activated
Citizens for Peace-building and
Conflict Transformation: Issues
to be Understood and Accepted
by All) was produced, published
and brought to circulation to
facilitate project activities
and highlight project objectives.
As targeted, there were six principal
output expected under this project.
Out of six outputs five were fully
achieved i.e., orientation of
journalists, debate on constitutionalism,
motivation and activation of youth
leaders, mobilization of school
and university students and orientation
on peace and democratic values.
One of the outputs, an international
symposium on democratic values
and peace negotiation for conflict
transformation was later converted
as National Symposium on Constituent
Assembly and Inclusive Democracy
for Conflict Transformation to
bring intellectual ideas to public
discussion for facilitating materialization
of election of the Constituent
Assembly ensuring inclusion of
disenfranchised sets of Nepali
society for Conflict Transformation.
A compendium of symposium proceedings
and papers was published entitled
“Constituent Assembly and
Inclusive Democracy for Conflit
Transformation”.
The project impacted the political
atmosphere in Nepal as desired
by the project with its specific
objectives. The issues raised
in the various activities within
project period became issues of
public debate at large and become
able to penetrate the non-violent
political forces to come forward
for peaceful movement. Similarly,
the issues like inclusion of diversified
population for socio-political
justice, supremacy of the people
in taking decision by public electoral
process were recognised even by
the Maoist rebel. The project
activity became catalytic for
bringing issues as well as motivating
people for peaceful mass movements
for reinstallation of peoples'
power overtaken by the King in
1st February, 2005.
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report (Pdf. format)
