Search for Common Ground investors from San Francisco, New York, London and Copenhagen recently travelled to Nepal to witness how SFCG applies the common ground approach, on a national level, in a country recovering from a violent decade-long conflict. The trip took place days before historic national elections were peacefully conducted, resulting in a Maoist victory.

The group started in Kathmandu with a briefing from SFCG-Nepal staff and local partners. That evening, the investors were the guests of honor at a peace concert organized by SFCG. This groundbreaking event was a product of SFCG’s long efforts to bring together former adversaries to co-write and perform songs for national unity. The process of creating the songs formed new friendships and helped bridge divides. The concert, held in the beautiful Garden of Dreams, was attended by nearly 1,000 people and was broadcast live across the country by local radio and television stations.

The investors then flew Buddha Air to Nepalgunj in the west and traveled overland for two days into the foothills of the Himalayas, where they met with local government officials and former Maoist rebels in areas that had seen heavy fighting during the war.

One of the highlights of the trip was a day-long hike to a remote village where young people walked many miles to meet the investors. As everyone sat under a tree in the stunning Himalayan foothills, they talked about their experiences in the tenuous peace process. They spoke of the importance to them of the radio soap opera produced by SFCG and its partner, Antenna Foundation Nepal -- “Naaya Baato, Naaya Paila” (“New Path, New Footprints”). Written by Nepali youth under SFCG’s guidance, the program is about divided young people in a fictional Nepalese village who come together to contribute to the peace process.

Pushpa and Sushila, 15 year old girls, were the most animated in talking about the radio program. Pushpa loves the character Kamala because even though she sometimes makes mistakes, Kamala keeps looking for ways to bridge divides in her community. Pushpa and Sushila are living Kamala’s example: although they are from the highest and lowest castes, they are close friends. Also, because they are young girls, tradition would confine them to their homes to live cloistered lives, but instead they are leading youth clubs that have initiated a number of community projects to rebuild their villages and welcome back home former child soldiers.

The investors met many young people like Pushpa and Sushila during their 12 days in Nepal. SFCG-Nepal focuses on youth because they were often used during the conflict as weapons of war. Now, through the efforts of SFCG, its partners, and others, youth all across Nepal are working to rebuild their country.

The investors also visited Bardia National Park, where they took elephant rides and safely explored the wildlife of Nepal’s jungles. They took a flight along the Himalayas, visited a number of Hindu and Buddhist temples and enjoyed the market places.

Gloria Joseph, an investor from New York, said of the experience, ”I treasured the opportunity to travel abroad with such dynamic, intelligent and committed people as my fellow Searchers. Add the destination of Nepal, experiencing the highest of holy Hindu shrines, the cementing of friendships with gifted and giving fellow travelers, and the stunning positive momentum of transformation where recently violent conflict raged...”

SFCG has been leading trips for individual investors for several years. The next investor trip will be in February 2009 to Sierra Leone. To learn about this trip, please visit the following page:
http://www.sfcg.org/help/help_sl_2009.html

To learn more about the work of Search for Common Ground in Nepal, visit the following page:
http://www.sfcg.org/programmes/Nepal/programmes_Nepal.html