Blood Donation Submitted January 21st, 2008 pm 2:09 PM from prawesh
As per the news published in The Himalayan Times dated January 1, 2008, the blood bank in Kathmandu is facing extreme shortage of blood. Continuing on its objective of making positive contribution to the society, a blood donation camp was held at Youth Telecenter, SAP-Falcha, Babarmahal on January 9, 2008, from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM. Members of Youth Telecenter, staffs from SAP-International, SAP-Nepal, SAP-Falcha, and other invitees donated blood. The event was supported by SAP-Nepal.
The objectives behind organizing the blood donation camp are enlisted below:
• To help Red Cross Society accumulate blood
• To make general public aware of the benefits of donating blood
• To market Youth Telecenter as a socially responsible forum
Within a time frame of 3 hours, the Blood Bank was able to get 28 pints of blood from the donors. A total of 48 guests registered. However, because of various health problems, 20 invitees were disqualified.
The blood donation camp was able to fulfill its objective of helping the blood bank collect some blood. The greatest achievement of the camp was those donors who were donating blood for the first time. They expressed their happiness to be able to contribute something for helping others.
Enhancing Representation of Women in Decision Making and Our Responsibilities - Interaction Program Submitted January 2nd, 2008 pm 4:56 PM from prawesh
SAP-Nepal organized an interaction program on ‘Enhancing Representation of women in Politics and Our Responsibilities’ on 11th December 2007. The objectives of the program were:
- To recommend for making gender friendly code of conduct to all political parties.
- To disseminate views and recommendations of the regional and local level on gender friendly code of conduct.
- To inform about the ‘Kathmandu Declaration’ of VAWIP.
Ms. Sabitri Thapa, the Vice Prisident of SAP-Nepal, chaired the program. The Foreign Minister Ms. Sahana Pradhan was the Chief Guest of the program. The Executive director of SAP-Nepal, Tirth Prasad Gyawali highlighted the objectives of the program. Ms. Laxmi Neupane, the Program Officer of SAP-Nepal presented the consolidated recommendation and the conclusion summary of local and regional level. The program delivered a common understanding on 'politics is a only way, which can brings more women in decision-making level. The political parties, only, which can play a vital role and can create appropriate environment and attract women towards politics for enhancing their representation in decision-making level. Without solid commitment of the political parties and leaders the representation of women will be confined only in paper. In this way the political parties should make gender friendly code of conduct and manifesto for ensuring at least 33% representation of women in politics. So, it is most important to formulate gender friendly code of conduct, which can replace existing culture of impunity and can give strong penalty for culprit.'
Senior former justice Mr. Laxman Prasad Aryal and the senior law export Pro. Dr. Shanta Thapaliya were the special speakers at the program.
Among the other participants who expressed their views in the program were politicians Sarada Pokharel, Bam Kumari Budha Magar, Mithilesh Sing, Bhagbati Gimire, Sarita Maharjan, Ms. Sharmila Karki, the President of Jagarn Nepal, Amuda Shresth from Mahila Ayog, Suchitra Shrestha, a development worker or film Director, socialist Indira Shrestha etc.
Essential Mediation and Communication Strategies: Using Neutral Language in Conflicts Submitted December 7th, 2007 pm 2:22 PM from prawesh
SAP Nepal and Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace & Justice (IPJ) jointly organized a workshop on Essential Mediation and Communication Strategies: Using Neutral Language in Conflicts on November 27, 2007.
The objective of workshop was to developed knowledge and skill of emerging leaders on Essential Mediation and Communication Strategies: Using Neutral Language in Conflicts .
The program was participated by emerging leaders from political, civil society and media. The workshop was facilitated by Dr Dee Aker and Laura Taylor.
Reconnecting, Rethinking and Mobilizing for Sustainable Peace: Where We Are, What We Need Submitted December 7th, 2007 pm 2:20 PM from prawesh
SAP Nepal and Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace & Justice (IPJ) jointly organized a workshop on Reconnecting, Rethinking and Mobilizing for Sustainable Peace: Where We Are, What We Need on November 25, 2007. The objective of program is to enhance personal skills, build broader constituencies for democratic participation, and establish collaborations to address root causes and consequences of conflict.
The program was facilitated by Dr. Dee Aker, Deputy Director, IPJ, Lesley Abdela, Gender expert and Laura Taylor, Program Officer, IPJ. In this program senior political women leaders, civil society and professional women lawyer were participated.
Harnessing ICT Opportunities Submitted December 9th, 2005 pm 2:12 PM from avishek
We Connect: Harnessing ICT Opportunities for People
December 12-13,2005
A strong commitment is needed from the Nepali development community for sustainable ICT4D initiatives, policies and practices. ICT4D initiatives implemented in Nepal would benefit immensely from being shared and discussed in order to inform policies and practices.
In this context, SAP International, Bellanet Asia and SAP Nepal with its supporting organizations are pleased to invite you to an interactive workshop entitled "Harnessing ICT Opportunities for People". You are requested to join in an open discussion where we will be presenting a case of ICT4D in Nepal for vibrant discussion. The workshop will also provide a space to share experiences for mutual learning and support and to build strategic partnerships for the future.
Participants in this workshop will be representatives of bilateral and multi lateral donor organizations and INGOs interacting with ICT4D experts and policy makers along with NGOs from Kathmandu and from rural parts of Nepal.
Come join us on Tuesday, December 13, 2005, 11:00 am- 4 pm at SAP Falcha, Babar Mahal (Phone: 4223230/4223050) for an interactive and fun filled experience sharing day. If you need further information, please contact Ms. Shikha Shrestha <sshrestha@bellanet.org> who will be more than happy to share with you about this exciting experience sharing event.
Peoples Summit Press Release Submitted August 4th, 2005 am 9:55 AM from avishek
FINAL STATEMENT
PEOPLE’S SUMMIT REGIONAL FORUM
Organized by South Asia Partnership International
Kathmandu, Nepal, August 3, 2005
As representatives of movements, networks, and organizations from five South Asian countries, we assert our identity as South Asians and call for all citizens in the region to have their rights fulfilled.
In discussions over three days, August 1 to 3, 2005, we have found:
• continued serious limits in the practice of democracy,
• a troubling growth in military expenditure at the cost of people’s basic needs,
• the absence of any real social security for most citizens,
• the persistence of hunger,
• inaction on many issues such as human trafficking and
• the inability of governments to deal effectively with disasters, natural and human-made
• the exclusion of many communities of society from full political, economic and social activities.
We have identified five critical themes, out of many in the region, and developed plans to mobilize public attention toward specific actions on them.
South Asia Partnership International has convened five People’s Summits annually in the past to coincide with planned SAARC Summits. On two of these occasions, SAARC failed to meet but the People’s Summit continued. Each event brought several hundred people from all walks of civil society together to raise critical issues that affect people’s lives across the region.
At this forum, held between People’s Summits, participants responded to SAP International’s call to transform the sequence of People’s Summit events into an ongoing movement, through campaigns that confront some of the most pressing problems of the region and advocate to SAARC and its constituent states to accept their responsibilities fully and to transform the lives and conditions of people across South Asia.
The forum identified five broad themes that require urgent attention:
Democracy: We call, as an important first set of steps toward realizing people's democratic rights:
• immediate restoration of full democratic governance in all SAARC states,
• enactment of a minimum of 33% representation of women at all levels of government throughout the region, and commitment by all political parties to ensure women's full participation in their organizational and electoral activities
• full inclusion of historically marginalized communities in the democratic process
• empowering of local government to work directly on people’s needs in their communities.
We will launch, with other movements and organizations a regional campaign for democracy, starting with these demands, and aimed at establishing the sovereignty of elected parliaments and the inviolability of fundamental rights of citizens.
Peace and militarization: We call for:
• the peaceful, democratic and just resolution of all conflicts in the region
• the reduction of military expenditure by 10% annually and the funds redirected to social security.
We see such a financial step by governments both as a substantial measure and a symbol of a move toward a more peaceful South Asia. We aim to create a People’s Peace Commission to monitor peace processes and arms trade and to focus public attention on these issues. We also resolve to observe on September 21, the United Nations' Peace Day, as a day of peace throughout South Asia and call on all warring parties to observe a cease fire on this day.
Trafficking: We call for:
• the ratification and effective implementation of the SAARC convention on trafficking of human beings
• the adoption and ratification of the regional Victim/Witness Protection Protocol to combat trafficking, commercial exploitation and sexual abuse of women and children in South Asia
• regional protocol on minimum standard of care and support for the victims of trafficking and other forms of violence in South Asia
• the creation of a tribunal to monitor these instruments.
We also call on governments to address the issues of refugees in the region, both to resolve the difficult circumstances of these people and to eliminate a cause of trafficking in South Asia.
Social security: We call for:
• South Asian governments to guarantee basic economic and social rights of people by setting minimum regional standards, and by instituting concrete social security measures to provide a minimum income, unemployment benefits, health care and education for all citizens
• the public scrutiny of major donor projects and other schemes to privatize social security measures and to assert government accountability to protect and provide for its citizens
• the substantial allocation of additional budgetary resources to education, health, and other social areas.
Disasters: We recognize that, in a disaster-prone region, many disasters are water-related, cross border in character, and created or magnified by human activity. We call for:
• governments to prevent or mitigate such disasters through regional dialogues and concrete actions, such as the framework of action from the World Conference on Disaster Reduction.
• a regional review of the strategies for disaster management developed by UNDP and other agencies in consultation with governments to identify gaps and ensure public participation in their application
We intend to generate more public dialogue to bring a sharper focus to the issues.
We note that the next SAARC Summit is scheduled for November 2005 in Dhaka. So far SAARC has failed to address the concerns of the people of the region. Thus, we recognize that this twentieth anniversary is an excellent opportunity for the total reform and strengthening of SAARC. We reiterate our demand for this review, to include:
• the removal of the unanimity rule for the convening of SAARC and its decisions
• the ability to address bilateral issues and conflicts in the spirit of regional cooperation
• democratic and transparent process to allow broad dialogue with people's movements and civil society organizations.
Kathmandu
August 3, 2005
People Summit Regional Forum Submitted August 2nd, 2005 am 9:34 AM from avishek
Press Release
Launch of "Regional Forum:
South Asia Peoples Summit Follow up Actions on People's Agenda"
The Regional Forum: South Asia Peoples Summit Follow up Actions on People's Agenda (August 01-03, 2005) was formally launched today at SAP Falcha, Babarmahal, Kathmandu organized by SAP-International.
The Inauguration Session laid emphasis on various issue of South Asia. The speaker were of opinion that most countries in South Asia have similar problems so need consolidated approach, people-to people connections. Also that South Asia is full of natural resources and human power but still poor and developing. The distinguished speakers from Nepal and our neighbouring SAARC countries shared their views in the session. They included Mr. Karamat Ali from Pakistan, Dr. Padma Ratnayake, Sri Lanka, Dr. Rohit Kumar Nepali, SAP International, Nepal, Ms. Bushra Goher, Pakistan. Former Secretary General, SAARC Secretariat Mr. Yadab Kant Silwal was the Chief Guest in the session.
Dr. Rohit Kumar Nepali was of the view that it is forum "From the people, for the people". Mr. Karamat Ali shared his idea about recent "South Asianising" as a region between the countries in South Asia. Dr. Padma argued that there is a need to introduce "engaged governance". Mr. Silwal was of view that the meeting of the regional forum is in the most appropriate moment, as it will give suggestions to the next SAARC meeting. The regional cooperation was considered a legitimate right of the Governments till recently. But orgs like SAP provided vitality to the process. If we are resolved to carry forward the plans, we will succeed. The commonalities among the SAARC nations are too visible to be ignored. We need to come together and work in the larger interest of the region and unless the people and the civil society are vibrant, result cannot be met. He was optimistic that with hard work and commitment a lot can be achieved.
The second session began with a presentation and review of various issues and recommendations by Peoples Summit in past five summits. Dr. Rohit Kumar Nepali and Mohammad Tahseen form Pakistan presented and facilitated the session. The participants worked in four groups and worked on following issues.
The session ended with developing key action plan that is to be incorporated in the summit and recommendations. The panel was of view that culture of peace and negotiation should be strengthened and there is need to reduce the defense budget by 10% by the SAARC nations. There was also unanimity that state should be accountable for hunger death and it should be right of social security.
The Day 1 sessions ended after highlighting the need to work in collaboration in the region and that People have right to life and thus right to social security, especially to deal with hunger deaths.
Press Release Day 3 Submitted August 1st, 2005 pm 2:38 PM from avishek
The workshop on "Knowledge Networking for Peace: Rhetoric or Reality?" concluded today by highlighting the crucial role that Information and Communication Technology (ICT) could play in the peace process in South Asia. Organized by South Asia Partnership (SAP)-International, Bellanet Asia and SAP-Nepal, the three-day workshop focused on the three most important aspects confronting ICT and peace:
Peace Knowledge Sharing; Online Networking for Peace; and Open Peace Content.
The goal of the workshop was to build a community that could practice and promote peace. During the three days the resource persons from home and abroad together with the participants, including peace and development professional, development activists, journalists, experts on ICT, lawyers, and the others, intensively debated on how to apply ICT tools in peace process. It was identified that knowledge sharing through ICT tools could generate innovative ideas for peace. The online networking facilities like online networking could bring people together from various backgrounds and serve as a platform to start peace building efforts. At the same time the experts argued the importance of recognizing the need to make available the open peace sources and contents that are crucial in peace process. They also felt that the major challenge in the wide dissemination of knowledge available via Internet is the language, and there is need to make this content available in language understandable by the common people.
After deliberating on the difficulties, risk factors and various conditions facing the organizations/individuals, in the closing session it was emphasized that creating a network is possible but sustaining it would be a major challenge. However, with commitment from all the stakeholders and trust building efforts, a strong network of like-minded people could be created to contribute to the peace process.
Press Release Day 2 Submitted August 1st, 2005 pm 2:37 PM from avishek
The second day of the workshop on "knowledge networking for peace: rhetoric or reality?" organized by South Asia Partnership (SAP)-International, Bellanet Asia and SAP-Nepal started with a discussion on the principles of the open space concept. It was established that it is important to work on the "inclusion process" wherein the grassroots people's knowledge and views about peace and conflict are incorporated in the mainstream. Also, it was perceived important to start awareness activities and recognize the nature of "power" and how it is applied to conflict situations.
The objectives of the session were to firstly share some of the successful ICT initiatives of the participating organizations that have been used in regard to development or peace promotion, and secondly to explore innovative ways of using ICT for conflict management in the region.
Speakers for the day were Mr Vivek Rana, Secretary, CAN Nepal; Mr Sanjana Yajitha Hattotuwa, Center for Policy Alternatives, Sri Lanka and Mr Mohammad Zakaria, ACTION-AID, Bangladesh. The participants debated intensively with the resource persons on making use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools for peace building. More importantly, it was highlighted that though ICT in itself cannot bring about lasting peace, it surely acts as a catalyst in peace processes. The need of a knowledge foundation was emphasized while highlighting the major role that the media can play in the negotiation bids and also the significant works that the youth of South Asia can put to guide the peace process in the right direction.
Press release Submitted July 27th, 2005 pm 5:57 PM from avishek
Day 1, July 27 Launch of the workshop on "Knowledge Networking for Peace: Rhetoric or Reality?"
The workshop on "knowledge networking for peace: rhetoric or reality?" (July 27 to July 29) was formally launched today at South Asia Partnership (SAP)-Nepal's office, Kathmandu, organized by Bellasap: SAP-International, Bellanet Asia and SAP-Falcha, Babarmahal, Nepal.
The opening session laid emphasis on the importance of knowledge sharing for managing conflict situations. Since there have been many initiatives for peace building in South Asia, the speakers recognised the importance of sharing this experience among the regional countries to help each other find solutions to the conflicts facing each of them. The distinguished speakers included Dr Shankar Pd. Sharma, Vice-chairperson, NPC, Nepal; Mr Kanak Mani Dixit, Chief editor, Himal Khabarpatrika; Mr Richard Harmston, SAP Canada, Dr Rohit Kumar Nepali, Executive Director, SAP-International and Mr T P Gyawali, Executive Director, SAP-Nepal.
The second session began with an informal interaction among the participants who presented their experiences on the key themes of the workshop that include knowledge sharing for peace, online networking for peace and open peace content. The session focussed more specifically on knowledge sharing for peace. It was identified by the speakers like Mr Laxman Aryal, Former Supreme Court Justice, Ms Stella Tamang, Nepal, Mr Malla K Sundar, Nepal, Dr Zbigniew Mikolajuk, ICIMOD, Nepal that the online networking has a greater role in disseminating knowledge.
The role of women in peace building was also emphasised and it was urged that women be given decision-making status and be involved in all peace negotiations and dialogues. The speakers said that it is important to address the issue of injustice and discrimination since they form the root causes of conflict in Nepal.
The Day 1 sessions ended after highlighting the need to look for the right kind of knowledge sharing for conflict resolution. It was also emphasised that a balance has to be struck between indigenous knowledge and ICT driven knowledge.
