Nepal

Search for Common Ground established a full peacebuilding program in Nepal in February 2006, during a period of armed conflict and direct rule by King Gyanendra. The years since has seen a dramatic transformation in the country; a democratic revolution led to the restoration of parliament leading to the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement between the Government of Nepal and the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoists) that ended a ten-year civil war war. The implementation of the peace agreement has been fraught with challenges, and over 30 new agitating groups – potential spoilers – have arisen. SFCG has been working throughout the transitional period to provide support for the peace process, particularly with those populations most affected by the conflict. Accompanying Nepal in its historical transition, SFCG has expanded its programs dramatically and broadened its focus from youth to addressing other key stakeholder groups, such as civil society, media, and political organizations.

SFCG's presence in Nepal
(click to enlarge)

The overall mandate of SFCG Nepal is to support Nepal’s transition to peace and democracy. SFCG works to bring people together from across ethnic, caste, and political dividing lines – all of which fueled the conflict and threaten the peace – to facilitate their involvement in peacebuilding at the community level. We combine the use of media with targeted community-based work focused on children, youth, radio professionals, and members of civil society. All this has led us to establishing a program that addresses conflict with a range of tools: from the broadcast of a radio-soap opera to the creation of a peace song with ex-combatants, from trainings for members of civil society to a leadership development program with youth leaders in rural areas.

As the peace process continues, we are growing. Initially, the Nepal program started with 2 staff and 1 partner organization; now, SFCG has 35 staff members and a range of partners, including NGOs, radio production organizations, and FM stations. We work in 16 districts and have gone from one source of funding to ten. SFCG works primarily in the Mid-Western, Far-Western, and Eastern regions of Nepal, with a focus on rural communities, however radio broadcasts have gone out nationally to all 75 districts.

Download a Nepal Update (January - March 2010): pdf

Media Projects

Children's Radio Journalism: "Sunau Bolau"
Sunau Bolau is produced by Search for Common Ground (SFCG) in partnership with Antenna Foundation Nepal (AFN). The children’s radio program is broadcast weekly through the National Radio, Radio Nepal, and 29 FM stations throughout the country. Twenty-five child journalists from 17 districts throughout Nepal produce the program. The program covers broad range of issues concerning young people in Nepal, from HIV; to early marriage; to child labor; to the everyday concerns that kids have. [more]

Radio Serial Drama: "Nayaa Baato, Nayaa Paaila"
With support from the European Commission and the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, SFCG and its partner, Antenna Foundation Nepal produces the radio soap opera "Nayaa Baato, Nayaa Paaila" (New Path, New Footprints). The drama, which is broadcast through Radio Nepal and 25 local FM stations three times a week, tells the story of a group of young people in a fictional village in the foothills of the Himalayas. [more]

Communications in Support of the Return and Reintegration of Children Associated with Armed Forces and Armed Groups
Among the most significant challenges in post-conflict environments is facilitating the return and reintegration of children who have been associated with armed forces and armed groups. In Nepal, this has taken on a particular importance, with children paving the way for reconciliation. SFCG is a member of the UNICEF-led working group on Children Associated with Armed Forces and Armed Groups (CAAFAG), using various communications tools to facilitate a positive reintegration experience for children and their families. [more]

Communication Campaign in Support of the Peace Process
In the year leading to the elections, Nepal faced many challenges holding the peace process together. SFCG, with support from the Rockwool Foundation, worked closely with a range of media-focused organizations: Antenna Foundation, the Far Western Media Development Center, New World, the Nepal Press Institute, and others to mobilize a communications campaign to support the transition. The campaign used radio public service announcements, the production of a peace song, and the mobilization of local talk shows to deliver messages into the media in response to the unfolding dynamics of the country. [more]

Community Peacebuilding Projects

SFCG in Nepal finds that the most effective way of achieving results is to combine media and community peacebuilding work, targeting specific groups who have a significant influence on how events unfold. In Nepal, we have a series of community-based programs with youth, media professionals, civil society, and decision makers.

Youth Leadership Development for Community Peacebuilding
With support from the European Commission, Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, National Endowment for Democracy and the US State Department, SFCG runs a comprehensive youth and peacebuilding program, working with young leaders at multiple levels of society. The project aims to facilitate the participation of youth in the peace and democratization process. In this project, SFCG works with a wide range of young leaders including those who have been deeply affected by armed conflict in rural areas to politically engaged youth in urban centers. [more]

Radio for Peacebuilding Nepal
SFCG, with support from the United States Institute for Peace and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has launched Radio for Peacebuilding Nepal, a project aimed at building the capacity of radio professionals to use their programs and stations to support the peace process. The project consists of several components, including the production of guides and other resources and comprehensive training programs for radio professionals. [more]

Civil Society Capacity Building
SFCG worked with local civil society organizations in nine districts to develop the capacities of civil society leaders for conflict transformation and peace building, as well as to create an environment in which leaders can safely have open dialogue and find collective solutions. A preliminary training in each district served as a pilot. Through the training, local community-based civil society leaders strengthened their capacities in conflict analysis and processes for developing interventions that would address root causes of conflict.

Community Outreach Program for Children Associated with Armed Forces and Armed Groups (CAAFAG)
SFCG has begun implementing programs aimed at supporting the return and reintegration of children associated with armed forces and armed groups As part of a UNICEF-led working group on this issue, SFCG has been contributing towards reintegration and communications, including media production, dialogue facilitation, and youth leadership training. [more]

Project Evaluations

Search for Common Ground is committed to measuring the outcomes of its work, reflecting on lessons learned and improving its approach on the ground. Recently, SFCG has conducted a series of project evaluations to explore the work done over the past two years. Please click here for the full evaluation reports.

Please click here if you would like to make a donation to support our projects.

Search For Common Ground in Nepal
P.O. Box 24905
Kathmandu, Nepal
Tel: +977 (1) 4002010
Fax: +977 (1) 4437152
stripathee@sfcg.org