Peace-Building - A Powerful Deterrent to Conflict

Notions of democracy, human rights, justice and peace have lost its identity and Nepal is facing ever-increasing violence, unrest and conflict. The Maoist insurgency, the royal family massacre, political instability, and the gradual collapse of the economy have been the major setbacks Nepal has faced in the last decade. Failures to contain a nearly decade old insurgency have destroyed infrastructure and resulted in the loss of thousands of lives. In the present situation of aggression and violence reigning in the country, there was a pressing need to make the civil society aware of the urgency in ensuring peace and working towards it. It provided an opportunity to Ashoka Fellow Rita Thapa to initiate citizen-based activities. The year was 2001, when Nagarik Aawaz was born. Earlier, Rita Thapa had conceptualized and spearheaded TEWA, the first indigenous fund raising organization in Nepal. Nagarik Aawaz or 'voice of the citizen', started as an attempt to garner support amongst concerned citizens to combat the dramatic effect the Maoist insurgency was having on the everyday lives of people of Nepal. Nagarik Aawaz started with 5 members who facilitated informal interactions and brain storming between individuals, in borrowed premises on possible ways of conflict resolution and peace building within the country. Today it is a formal registered NGO, having an executive board of 11 people, with programs designed to sensitize and create awareness in conflict resolution and peace-building efforts through networking and advocacy.