Nepal
Climate Change, Governance and Fragility: Rethinking Adaptation
This paper is a collection of reflections from a field visit to three districts in the middle hills and Terai belt of eastern Nepal (Sunsari, Dhankuta and Morang) which set out to explore the various dimensions of the resilience of climate-affected communities. By sharing the perceptions and insights of community members from these districts, this paper aims to shed light on the complexities of these particular local contexts and flag some of the specific challenges of responding to climate change in fragile and conflict-affected contexts such as Nepal.
This paper explores the various dimensions of the resilience of climate-affected communitieto in three districts in Nepal (Sunsari, Dhankuta and Morang).
Security and Justice from a District Perspective: Bara
These ‘snapshot’ briefings are part of a longer-term initiative by International Alert to help address the current gaps in knowledge and understanding between those actors at the district level and those in Kathmandu. Each briefing aims to outline current security and justice needs and challenges in a particular district, and advance constructive recommendations for ways in which national and international actors could address these challenges. The briefings are based on research undertaken as part of Alert’s work for the Initiative for Peacebuilding project.
This snapshot focuses on security and justice needs in Bara, a district in the central Terai in Nepal where the activities of armed groups are contributing to feelings of insecurity.
Security and Justice from a District Perspective: Dang
These ‘snapshot’ briefings are part of a longer-term initiative by International Alert to help address the current gaps in knowledge and understanding between those actors at the district level and those in Kathmandu. Each briefing aims to outline current security and justice needs and challenges in a particular district, and advance constructive recommendations for ways in which national and international actors could address these challenges. The briefings are based on research undertaken as part of Alert’s work for the Initiative for Peacebuilding project.
This snapshot focuses on security and justice needs in Dang, a district in the western Terai in Nepal, where political party youth wings are increasingly blamed for exacerbating insecurity.
Security and Justice from a District Perspective: Rukum
This snapshot focuses on security and justice needs in Rukum, a district in the western hill region at the heart of the Maoist conflict in Nepal. It examines the security situation in the district four years after the signing of the peace agreement.
These ‘snapshot’ briefings are part of a longer-term initiative by International Alert to help address the current gaps in knowledge and understanding between those actors at the district level and those in Kathmandu. Each briefing aims to outline current security and justice needs and challenges in a particular district, and advance constructive recommendations for ways in which national and international actors could address these challenges. The briefings are based on research undertaken as part of Alert’s work for the Initiative for Peacebuilding project.
This snapshot focuses on Rukum, a district in the western hill region at the heart of the Maoist conflict. This briefing examines the security situation in the district four years after the signing of the peace agreement.
Participation and Obstruction: Justice and Security Sector Refom in Nepal
This briefing paper aims to outline priorities for international community support for the effective and accountable provision of security and justice in Nepal. It aims to highlight the need for utilising a participatory approaches in the promotion of people-centred reform of the security and justice system.
This briefing paper outlines priorities for international community support for the effective and accountable provision of security and justice in Nepal, and highlights the need for participatory approaches in the promotion of people-centered reform in this area.
Security and Justice from a District Perspective: Mahottari, Nepal
This snapshot briefing paper looks at the situation of security and justice provision in Mahottari district in the central Terai region of Nepal. Mahottari is a border district where the police struggle to control the activities of numerous armed and criminal groups, and levels of gender based violence are extremely high. This briefing assesses security and justice provision against this backdrop and outlines implications for national and international policy-makers.
This snapshot briefing paper looks at the situation of security and justice provision in Mahottari district in the central Terai region of Nepal, outlines implications for national and international policymakers.
Security and Justice from a District Perspective: Rasuwa, Nepal
This snapshot briefing paper looks at the situation of security and justice provision in Rasuwa district in the central region of Nepal. This sparsely populated mountain district is situated due north of Kathmandu and shares a border with China on its northern side. The security situation in Rasuwa district is fair in comparison to many other districts, particularly those in the Terai where the police struggle to control the activities of numerous armed and criminal groups.
This snapshot briefing paper looks at the situation of security and justice provision in Rasuwa district in the central region of Nepal, and outlines implications for policymakers.
Private sector and public security in Nepal
Equitable economic recovery and improved public security are both key requirements for consolidating peace in Nepal. The private sector is deeply affected by insecurity: increasing criminality, forced donations, strikes, shutdowns and labour unrest stifle production and undermine investor confidence. At the same time, irresponsible and sometimes illicit business practice further fuels this cycle of public insecurity, resulting in yet more economic hardship. Breaking this cycle therefore has to be in the interest of responsible business leaders across Nepal.
This short briefing paper highlights key security concerns for the Nepali private sector and explores the role business can play in contributing to and mitigating insecurity. It identifies entry points from which various stakeholders, including the private sector, government, civil society and the international community, may seek to encourage improved public security in the country.
Alert trains Nepali civil society and media in security issues
International Alert, together with partners Antenna Foundation, Equal Access, Forum for Women, Law and Development, the Institute of Human Rights Communication Nepal and Saferworld, recently held a series of trainings in Security Sector Reform (SSR) for civil society and media representatives in Nepal.
Strengthening the Economic Dimensions of Ex-Combatant Rehabilitation
The discharge and rehabilitation process of former Maoist Army combatants began in early 2010 with the discharge of 4,008 verified minors and late recruits (VMLRs). A UN Interagency Rehabilitation Programme was established to provide support to these individuals in the form of counselling, training and supporting job placements. To date, notable progress has been made by this programme, in particular in the numbers of VMLRs making contact with the programme through the toll-free phone line and those referred on to training providers. However, a major shortcoming of the programme to date has been its ability to provide socio-economic support to clients in the post-training period.
One key actor that was overlooked in the design of the programme was the business community. Contact between the rehabilitation programme and business community at both the national and local levels has been limited and ad-hoc in nature, a major obstacle to the success of the programme in ensuring job placements, micro-finance and mentoring support to its clients.
International Alert is working to strengthen the socio-economic support dimensions of the rehabilitation programme through:
- Generating knowledge around local opportunities for rehabilitation, including attitudes of local business people towards supporting rehabilitation processes;
- Strengthening understanding and coordination between key stakeholders to the programme, in particular the government, private sector and UNIRP at both the local and national levels.
Location
Income Generation for Peacebuilding: Understanding Good Practice
The government of Nepal has identified poverty and social exclusion as root causes of escalating political conflict in the country and has prioritised poverty reduction for its tenth plan. Donors, the UN and NGOs alike share a similarly broad recognition of economic inequity and social exclusion as drivers/contributors to conflict and violence, although the particular explanations for this link vary.
In response to this recognition, both the international community and the government of Nepal have invested heavily under the assumption that an emphasis on inclusive income generation or employment will contribute to peace and stability. Numerous initiatives have emerged over the years during and following conflict that seek to enhance group and individual income-generation capacity through micro-finance, self-employment and jobs-for-peace type schemes.
Beginning in May 2009, International Alert and Samjhauta Nepal began exploring the links between income generation and peacebuilding in Nepal, in particular looking at ways in which links identified could be strengthened. The project worked through new and existing income generation groups in the Morang and Kailali districts, with Alert and Samjhauta working together to provide start-up capital for new enterprises, specialised conflict sensitivity training to local facilitators, and to explore opportunities for connecting groups to district-level networks and to strengthen both economic empowerment and access to peacebuilding networks.
Location
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