Social inclusion and local democracy

MS Nepal's country director elaborates on the background of the work and the focus in the future for the poor and marginalised in the country:

Photo by Anders Thormann

MS Nepal is well under way to reorganize its work with focus on influence to the poorest in the world. In Nepal this is happening against a background of poverty, ten years of armed conflict, widespread discrimination, domination by the elite, strong centralisation and a weak government.

Millions of Nepalese are discriminated because of caste, ethnic background, gender, religion or language. An elite of so-called “high castes” dominates the political decision making process and the access to goods while the rest is marginalised. Wealth and power is concentrated in the capital Kathmandu with very little influence to areas outside the Kathmandu valley. This has lead to neglect of the remote rural districts where the corrupt bureaucracy of the state has not secured basic service. Therefore many Nepalese cannot be sure there are food and lack clean drinking water, health care and education. They have no alternatives or access to knowledge, information and influence and their existence is insecure and vulnerable to crisis.

Armed conflict for ten years

The absolute poverty has diminished during the past ten years – among other things because Nepalese working abroad has send money back home – but in the same period the armed conflict has worsened the conditions and a new group of poor people has been emerging; victims of violence and distortion, the internally displaced, people who has lost their job and so forth.

At the same time the conflict has suspended the formal system of justice and the Maoists “people's courts” have been dissolved as a part of the peace agreement. Already the poor had not access to the corrupt system of justice. The local police are being rebuilt but they lack retraining and with their old behaviour and abuse of power they are poor in handling the many latent conflicts. It is foreseen that many will get back at the disarmed Maoists and that conflicts will arise when the internally displaced return home. The combination of arrogant and inefficient local authorities and the increased resources for rebuilding the country can only create conflicts.

Local democracy after the conflict

On this background MS Nepa'ls focus on democracy and influence for the poorest of the poor is especially relevant; also seen as a continuation of the support that MS Nepal have given up to now to poor and marginalised groups. The future work will happen out from three perspectives: to rebuild the guidelines for decision-making processes, to create agreement about democratic values and good governance and to secure the framework and the methods for conflict resolution.

In this regard MS-Nepal will here relate to the local councils in the villages and districts, the local committee which administer the public services – among others the schools – and the organisations in the civil society – including MS-Nepals partner organisations. There is also a need to relate to the political parties and the coming local peace councils. The political parties have an important part to play but also a bad reputation and most iNGOs bypass them: therefore, they often use shady methods to get money to their election campaigns.

Activists from MS Nepal's human rights partner HURON holds a meeting about the coming election in a village. Photo by Sara Isman.

Social inclusion and influence

MS Nepal has for a long time worked to strengthen the poor and the marginalised through partnerships with organisations which supports women, the so-called lower caste groups, ethnic minorities and disabled. This has lead to that these groups increasingly make demands about inclusion and influence and these experiences is a good potential for continuing the work with rights, organisation and management.

In Nepal the possibility to participate in decisions are closely connected with fighting against marginalisation. “Social inclusion” it therefore a key concept which in practice is about mapping out the unequal conditions in the political system, legislation and the traditional rules – and at the same time work to change them!

MS-Nepal will also work to promote responsible local government conduct. Out partners have worked to secure the marginalised groups right to public services. Examples are support to former bounded labour, to poor women groups and the so-called lower caste groups. An increased focus on this theme is especially relevant in the new political situation.

Land rights and conflict resolution

MS Nepal will in addition focus on land rights and conflict resolution.  Partner organisations have for a long time worked to secure that the promises from the government about land to the former bounded labour will be met. And about ten years with a culture of violence makes it is necessary to strengthen the ability to consensus orientated conflict resolution across partner organisations. As mentioned the situation holds many potential conflicts.

MS Nepal has earlier supported income generation activities in the local communities – for example through introduction to new crops and methods of cultivation and organisation of local credit-saving groups. With the new focus influence to the world’s poor of the poorest MS Nepal will phase out support to the more service minded work and to partner organisations working with income generating activities isolated from the bigger perspective about access to resources like land, forest, water and knowledge.

Here we bring three current examples of MS Nepals work to strengthen local democracy: a human rights organisation that up to the coming election will teach marginalised groups that their votes are equally important. A small media centre that is producing radio and arranging workshops about the coming democratic election. And the story about a group of poor parents that got the local landlords out of the school management committee.