The Promise and Perils of Aid: The Role of the Nepal Peace Trust Fund (NPTF) Framework in Facilitating Post-Conflict Development in Nepal

Nepal adopted a unique post-conflict development framework for mobilizing international support and government resources to facilitate its peace process. The main focus of this paper is the role played by the Nepal Peace Trust Fund (NPTF) in Nepals transition. The paper concludes that the main strengths of this model were its success in keeping ex-combatants in cantonments by creating a conducive environment, its harmonization of funds from donors and the government, and its contribution to national elections. However, the NPTFs defects were many, including weak monitoring mechanisms, an inability to prepare for successful rehabilitation and to initiate projects to support transitional justice, and failure to stop the misuse of funds and corruption. Having taken stock of these failures, the paper explores a core reason for them: the NPTFs isolation from the political process

Policy Brief: “Reducing Child Labor through Art based Approaches” Bhusaldanda Child Club, Tansen, Palpa

According to Nepal’s Child Act 2075 (2018), child labor means the employment in physical or mental work of children below 18 years of age. Child labor is not only a violation of human rights but also a social crime and a curse of civilization. Child labor not only violates the fundamental rights of children; it also pushes their future into darkness.Child labor deprives children of the education they need to make their future better. Because of child labor, children lose the knowledge, training and skills they gain through education.Children working as child laborers are generally from uneducated,and poor families.Child labor is a common phenomenon in the country and is also considered a part of the socialization process (CBS 2011a). It is deeply rooted in the society with little concerns about its deleterious effects on children’s schooling and future productivity.Whatever the cause, child labor compounds social inequality and discrimination, and robs youths of their childhood. Despite activities that help children develop, such as contributing to small housework, child labor limits access to education and harms a child’s physical, mental and social growth. In December 2021, the members of the Bhusaldada Child club discusses on “pressing social issues of young people”. One of the child club member shared that he has to go to work at one of the construction sites in Palpa district everyda yto earn living expense. The child club members decided to explore more on the issue, and they found that for some ethnic groups, children constitute an integral part of the family workforce in Palpa district. The child club members also found that due to lack of education and social awareness, Dalit and indigenous groups have a higher tendency to send their children for work instead of school.The child club members of Bhusaldanda secondary school further analysed the child labor issue through ‘conflict tree’. The designed and implemented a photo-collage small grant project as part of MAP Nepal Phase II Small Grant. This policy brief summarizes recommendations and issues identified by the child club members through art-based project to reduce child labor. The Bhusaldada Child club expects local government, CSOs and NGOs of this area will take appropriate action after reading this policy brief

Policy Brief: Use of art to reduce Human Trafficking

Trafficking poses a serious challenge to Nepal’s socioeconomic development and peace building. This policy brief is based on research carried out by young people. This report provides an outline of art based research findings and the recommendations to overcome human trafficking. The Government of Nepal and various organizations are making similar efforts to prevent human trafficking. However, there is need of aware community people and make local government accountable for reducing human trafficking

Consensus Modality in Nepals Transition: Accommodating Parties and Shrinking Democratic Spaces

Nepal is in a long political transition. This article focuses on the complex practices and concepts of political consensus in Nepal, and an effort is made to capture the political dynamics of different stakeholders of consensus politics with insights into the complex political reality. This article argues that the practice of consensus has contributed to easy resource distribution, containing overt violence, and accommodating diverse political parties, and made more progress in consolidating peace than in promoting democracy. Established democratic norms were monopolized by a few leaders in the name of consensus, sometimes even leading to political tensions. Thus, the consociation model falters in Nepal and the proper adoption of a democratic contestation model may be a solution for ongoing socio-political tensions

Consensus modality : accommodating parties and containing overt violence in Nepal’s peace process

Throughout this decade, most of the literatures in social sciences on Nepal contain Maoist Armed Conflict (1996-2006) in its introduction part. The country is in constant political turmoil even after the Comprehensive Peace Accord of 2006 between Government of Nepal and then rebel force. Since the peace agreement, Nepalese society has observed diverse socio-political tensions in different forms and become fragile society. Nepal is exerting a growing concern on international politics because of the complication in the peace process of ensuring sustainable peace, stability and economic progress. The implications for peace, stability and economic development in fragile countries present a challenge to the international community (In Grävingholt et al, 2013). Political culture and social structure are empirically related to political stability (Lijphart, 1969: 208). So we cannot separate our social and cultural context with the idea of stability..

Citizen-led Assessments: A Model for Evidence-based Advocacy and Action to Improve Learning

Designed as household-based assessments, citizen-led assessments (CLAs) are implemented by local organizations who assess children in their homes, thus reaching the most marginalized children, families, and communities, often in remote areas. CLAs add an essential piece of information for truly monitoring progress and help realistically represent the learning levels of all children – at national, regional, and global levels. By using simple tools and easy-to-understand reports, CLAs engage parents and community members in discussions about learning and help foster understanding of the importance of ensuring quality education through civil action. In this publication, members from organizations conducting CLAs in India, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh provide an overview of the CLA model and illustrate a range of ways in which the model has been implemented in the four South Asian countries to monitor and improve learning. In all four countries, the initiative is known as the Annual Status of Education Report, or ASER – a word that means ‘impact’ in three of these four countries. By design, ASER assesses foundational reading and numeracy skills