The Triangle Conference begins
The Triangle Conference initiated by The Annapurna Express, the sister publication of Annapurna Media Network, kicked off on Monday at Hyatt Place, Kathmandu.
‘The Triangle Conference: Let’s discuss the future of Nepal’ (November 25-27) is a platform initiated by The Annapurna Express to get these stakeholders talking and hasing out their differences so that they can work in mutually beneficial ways.
During the seven sessions spread over three days, politicians, bureaucrats, academics, private sector representatives, student leaders and other representatives from the three sectors will discuss the gaps in their communication, their future vision for Nepal, entrepreneurship, leadership, and policy issues.
Chairman of AMN and today’s chief guest, Capt. Rameshor Thapa said, “Our media house wants to keep this debate going so that we can find solutions to outstanding problems.”
AMN launches ‘Unity for Sustainability’ campaign
Annapurna Media Network (AMN), a leading media house in Nepal, has launched a two-year ‘Unity for Sustainability’ campaign which aims to collaborate with concerned stakeholders on climate change issues.
The campaign, which will come into force on 1 January 2022, was announced amid a special function in Kathmandu on November 24.
To fight climate change individual steps are not enough and all stakeholders need to jointly work and raise their voices. Right now, these stakeholders are not working in unison and there is a lack of coordination, and hence no concrete output. AMN hopes to change this state of affairs by bringing together climate stakeholders and fostering meaningful interactions between them.
Inaugurating the campaign, AMN Chairman Capt. Rameshwar Thapa said we are passing through a severe climate crisis so all stakeholders must be united and work in collaboration. “Annapurna Media Network will raise the issue of climate change in a vibrant and profound way. Our news, editorial, and other news items need to be refined in line with the crisis caused by climate change,” he said.
Stating that we are passing through a phase of climate crisis, Chairman Thapa urged concerned stakeholders to join hands on climate change issues. This is our both professional and social responsibility and our campaign will enhance dialogue on climate change issues, he said.
Also read: The Triangle Conference: Righting the government-academia-business mismatch
Sachan Thapa, Director, AMN, reiterated the group’s commitment to consistently take up the climate agenda, with the goal of bringing meaningful changes to Nepal’s climate policies. Not just that. AMN, he said, wants to articulate Nepal’s collective voice as the country cries out for climate justice and for compensation from the biggest polluters in the world. “Towards this goal, we are ready to partner with any interested party that wants to use our platforms to disseminate climate awareness and to help Nepal meet its climate-related goals, including the ones made at the recent COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland.”
Biswas Baral, Editor-In-Chief of The Annapurna Express, said AMN’s latest commitment is to consistently champion the climate agenda in Nepal and help the country deal with what is an increasingly growing menace. And we believe it is the Nepali youth who have to take ownership of this agenda now. The Annapurna Express will help them do so, he said. Baral further said: “As a part of our focus on youth and climate change, we will be publishing exclusive features on a weekly basis. These will help the youth understand climate change, but also give them an understanding of how they can personally contribute to stopping the phenomena.”
Akhanda Bhandari, editor of Annapurna Post, Shambhu Kattel, Annapurna Post Digital news Chief, Tikaram Yatri, Chief Editor AP1 TV and, Shiromani Dawadi, Station Manager at Annapurna Radio presented their respective plans on how to cover the climate change issues in the outlets they lead. AMN's media outlets are working on different climate change themes.
As the country witnesses more and more extreme weather events and our lives and livelihoods witness drastic changes, it is vital that our youths be made aware of climate change and its deleterious impact as early as possible. This means including climate change in school and college curriculum, and this is also something The Annapurna Express will push for.
Editorial: Heed conflict victims
Lack of resources has never been the problem with Nepal’s transitional justice process, even though paucity of manpower and money for the two transitional justice bodies are a symptom of the underlying malaise. The root malady continues to be an utter lack of political will. There is zero political will to carefully investigate war-time rights abuses and to prosecute the guilty. This is certainly so with the two main parties of the current ruling alliance: Nepali Congress and CPN (Maoist Center).
Top Maoist leaders fear any kind of in-depth investigation could snare them. The same applies to some senior Nepali Congress leaders like Sher Bahadur Deuba and Krishna Prasad Sitaula who were in top government positions as the state tried to suppress the Maoist insurgency. Then there is the Nepal Army—which led anti-insurgency efforts in the second half of the decade-long conflict—that has repeatedly thwarted any attempt at fair and independent investigation. With such powerful forces arrayed against them, no wonder thousands of conflict victims await justice.
Also read: Editorial: Nepal COP-ing badly
Fifteen years since the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement to formally end the civil war, conflict victims are no closer to a closure. The hope of the abovementioned actors is that the issue of transitional justice will fade away with time. Yet the pain of the families that lost their loved ones—who were either killed or ‘disappeared’ during the conflict—won’t go away so easily. In fact, the longer they are kept waiting, the more the old wounds will fester, which in turn will increase the risk of the conflict reigniting or of a new one flaring up. Nor will the international community easily forget, and Nepal’s image abroad will continue to suffer.
The Maoist insurgency happened as large sections of the Nepali society felt left out of the political and social mainstream. This is still the case today. The importance of addressing the grievances of the marginalized sections of the society—and no group has been as marginalized and mistreated in recent times as the conflict victims—and bringing them into the national mainstream thus cannot be exaggerated. Only then a truly inclusive society be created and only then will lasting peace be ensured.
Paul Shah in another lover-boy act
Actor Paul Shah has signed a new film by Karan Singh, the title of which is yet to be ascertained. The film title is soon to be out to the public
The film, a love story, will be produced by DR Mubhij. Other key actors are yet to be selected. The lead actress and other actors and technical team are still being selected. The production team is preparing to make the name of the film public in the middle of a program in a few days.
Shah had signed two other films, ‘Hututu’ and ‘Satyam’, during the lockdown and is currently working on their shooting. The shoot for the new film starts at the end of January.
The Triangle Conference: Let’s discuss the future of Nepal
Why is the number of ‘educated unemployed’ in Nepal increasing by the day? Graduates are struggling to land good jobs while organizations, both public and private, are failing to fill their vacancies. Is our academia incapable of producing 21st-century manpower? Are our businesses and industries not investing enough in human resource development? Or is it the state’s failure to come up with the right policies, programs and incentives?
The education-job mismatch is not the only problem with the Nepali economy. Our enterprises don’t seem to value research and development or staff-training. And most of them don’t look beyond their own business; a national vision is missing. The academia finds itself hobbled by constant political meddling, which has prevented the growth and development of government education institutions on which the vast majority of Nepalis depend. Meanwhile, education has not been the focus of any of the recent governments, all of which were characterized by bitter political tussles.
Even as the country faces all these problems, there is little dialogue between the stakeholders in the government, academia and economy. We here at The Annapurna Express believe that when these sectors align, the country moves towards development but even a little non-alignment between them can disrupt the entire system.
In the absence of dialogue between them, the three sectors are often pursuing other own, often contradictory, goals.
The ‘ApEx Triangle Conference: Let’s discuss the future of Nepal’ (November 25-27) is a platform to get these stakeholders talking, hashing out their differences so that they can work in mutually beneficial ways.
In six sessions spread over three days, we will have representatives from political parties, MPs, student leaders, entrepreneurs, businesses, college and university teachers, plus our education planners and policymakers discussing the gaps in their communication, their future vision for Nepal, entrepreneurship, leadership, and policy issues. This vital conversation cannot be put off any more.
So, join us and hear them. Be a part of this initiative.
Register Today!
For more information: https://theannapurnaexpress.com/thetriangleconference
H.E. Hou Yanqi | Chinese friends will make every year Nepal Tourism Year
H.E. Hou Yanqi, Ambassador of China to Nepal
What was your first impression of Nepal when you landed here as an Ambassador?
Before my appointment as ambassador to Nepal, I have visited Nepal for many times and been impressed nicely every time. Nepal is a multi-ethnic, multi-religious, and multilingual country, where different cultures collide each other to create different colors. Whether it is the historical city of Kathmandu, or the trekking paradise of Pokhara, the Buddhist holy land of Lumbini, or the animal’s heaven of Chitwan, it makes me linger all around. Since taking the post as ambassador, I have received strong support and help from people from all walks of life in Nepal with whom I have forged a deep friendship. My love for the country made of hundreds of flowers goes even more. Nepal has become my second homeland.
What are the similarities between Nepal and China?
There are too many similarities between China and Nepal. For example, the two countries are with ancient civilizations and both of them enjoy a time-honored history and splendid culture. The two countries are very rich in tourism resources, and both have beautiful natural scenery and unique cultural landscapes. In addition, both countries are developing countries, and we are both yearning for national development and pursuing a better life.
What are the three milestones you feel you have achieved as China’s Ambassador to Nepal?
Firstly, In 2019, the heads of state of China and Nepal conducted a historic exchange of visits. President Bhandari paid a state visit to China and attended the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. During President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Nepal, the two heads of state jointly announced that bilateral relationship was elevated to a strategic partnership of cooperation featuring ever-lasting friendship for development and prosperity. China-Nepal relations have got on a new historical starting point.
Secondly, In December, 2020, President Xi Jinping and President Bhandari exchanged letters to jointly announce that the new height of Mount Zhumulangma (Sagarmatha) is 8,848.86 meters. As an important symbol of the China-Nepal traditional friendship, “China-Nepal Friendship Peak” has got a new height, which showcased the high level of the continuous development of ChinaNepal relations. This year marks the 60th anniversary of the signing of the border treaty between China and Nepal. We will continue to promote border cooperation and build the border between China and Nepal into a border of peace, friendship, and cooperation.
Thirdly, since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Chinese and Nepali governments and people have always watched out for and helped each other to overcome the difficulties together. At the difficult time for China to fight the pandemic, Nepali friends donated masks to China and expressed support in various forms. Later, the pandemic situation in Nepal gradually deteriorated. China has donated anti-pandemic materials such as masks, PPEs, testing kits and oxygen generators to Nepal, and provided nearly 15 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine to Nepal, which makes China the largest donor of medical materials and supplier of vaccines to Nepal. These have become a vivid reflection of building a community of shared future between China and Nepal.
How are the people-to-people relations between Nepal and China and how can the relationship be further enhanced?
In recent years, China-Nepal people-to-people exchanges have developed vigorously with various forms of exchanges. “China Mania” and “Chinese language Mania” have continued to heat up in Nepal. Before the pandemic, China became Nepal’s second largest and fastest-growing origin of tourists for many consecutive years. The Chinese government provides many scholarships to Nepal every year. The Chinese Embassy has actively organized painting competitions, video competitions, book donations and other activities to promote exchanges between the youths of the two countries. Local communication between the two countries are also very close. 13 pairs of sister cities have been established and Tibet-Nepal cooperation has yielded fruitful results. I believe that after stabilization of the pandemic situation, with our joint efforts, more Chinese friends will come to Nepal to visit and tour, making every year “Nepal Tourism Year”.
What do you like the most about Nepal?
I like Nepal’s beautiful natural scenery, long historic culture. Particularly I like Nepali people the most. They have the traditional virtues of hard-working and kindness as well as a positive and optimistic attitude towards life. One can see happy smiles on their faces wherever he or she goes. The time spent with Nepali friends is always unforgettable. I hope to get to know more Nepali friends after the pandemic.
Where do you think Nepal as a country should improve?
As a developing country, Nepal faces the important task of developing its economy and improving people's livelihood. I suggest that Nepal further enhance its infrastructure construction, continuously improve the business environment to attract more foreign investment, and embark on a development path suitable for Nepal’s national conditions.
Is there anything you have planned but are yet to achieve in Nepal?
I planned to travel to seven provinces in Nepal during my tenure and have been to Pokhara, Chitwan, Lumbini, Surket and some other cities as well as the two China-Nepal border ports of Tatopani and Rasuwa. However I have never left Kathmandu since the outbreak of the pandemic. I hope that after the pandemic situation stabilizes, I will have the opportunity to visit more places in Nepal to see a more colorful Nepal.
Personal Message
Nepal, located in the southern Himalayas, is a friendly neighbor of China. There are beautiful scenery of snow peaks and limpid lakes, the birthplace of Buddha, the legend that Manjushri split the Kathmandu Valley, the unique and inclusive world cultural heritage sites, and the uncompromising and kind people. The towering snow peaks witness the diverse cultures of both sides of the Himalayas and the friendly people-to-people exchanges across the mountains. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1955, China and Nepal always support and treat each other equally, and develop mutual beneficial cooperation on the basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence. Nowadays, China-Nepal relations are facing new prospect for development. The two countries are jointly advancing the Belt and Road Initiative to promote the cooperation in connectivity, trade and investment, energy, agriculture, culture and tourism. The increasing people-to-people exchanges are deepening the friendly feeling between us. I would like to take this opportunity to wish friendly Nepal prosperity and the people happiness and well-being.
Quick Questions
Favorite Nepali food: Momo. Because it is very similar to Chinese dumplings, a traditional food very popular in China .
Favorite place in Nepal: The Durbar Squares in Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur. I took some photos in Durbar Squares and posted them on social media in order to promote Nepal’s tourism resources in China, which attracted widespread attention from Chinese netizens.
Favorite Nepali song: Resham firiri. Because this song is a well-known traditional folk song in Nepal and its melody is beautiful and pleasant. During Dashain Festival last year, I sang this song with my colleagues in the embassy.
Favorite trek in Nepal: Sagarmatha trek. I once arrived at the Everest Base Camp on its North Slope and hope to have the opportunity to visit the Everest Base Camp on its South Slope.
Favorite season in Nepal: All the four seasons in Nepal. Kathmandu is like spring all year round and the climate is pleasant.
Favorite Nepali festival: Tihar. Because it symbolizes the spiritual “victory of light over darkness, good over evil”. There is a Chinese traditional festival called Lantern Festival, during which people also light lanterns to exorcise evil spirits and pray for a bright life
NB Group ‘unfit’ to buy NBB shares
Nepal Rastra Bank has found NB Group, one of the main promoters of Nepal Bangladesh Bank, to be unfit to buy 40 percent of the company’s shares on sale, following a decision by the foreign shareholder group to leave.
IFIC Bangladesh, which holds 40 percent of the bank’s shares, had announced on July 13 that it intends to sell its stake in the bank and called on prospective groups to apply to buy the shares.
According to the central bank, only NB Group applied for the shares within the given deadline. However, the group was found to be ineligible to buy the shares following a ‘fit and proper’ test conducted by the central bank.
IFIC had bought the 40 percent shares from the NB group to become the biggest shareholder of the bank.
Also read: Nepal SBI Bank still misusing employees’ money
NB Group has had a history of financial controversies and been linked to different irregularities by regulating agencies in the past decades. At one point, Nepal Rastra Bank directly intervened in the bank to save the public’s money.
According to central bank sources, after the lone applicants were found unfit to buy the shares, IFIC can now directly deal with other groups to sell the shares. However, they too need to pass the central bank’s test.
Bank sources say that IFCI hopes to sign a deal with Chaudhary Group to sell the shares. Chaudhary Group is a major promoter of Nabil Bank, which is looking for banks to acquire or enter into a merger.
Good Neighbors International: Empowering people, transforming communities
Introduction
Good Neighbors International (GNI) is an international development and humanitarian organization that empowers people in 40 countries across the world through socioeconomic development activities. Employing an integrated child-centered community development approach, Good Neighbors International (GNI) has been working in Nepal since 2002 for improving the lives of poor people, especially children through child protection, education, income generation, health services, water, sanitation and hygiene, disaster risk reduction/climate change adaptation, and advocacy programs. GNI Nepal has child rights and child protection programs in 22 districts for empowering children to make them capable of claiming their rights and promote their holistic development.
Empowering people, transforming communities
Good Neighbors exists to make the world a place without hunger, where people live together in harmony. We respect the human rights of our neighbors suffering from poverty, disasters and oppression, and help them to be self-reliant and have hope.
Achievements of the past five years
Children in Nepal are at risk of child labor, child marriage, trafficking, malnutrition, and other ills. GNI Nepal's child protection program is based on the rights-based approach, and underpinned by the principles of nondiscrimination, respect for the views of the child, and zero tolerance of child exploitation and abuse. Raising awareness of the right holders (children) so that they can claim their rights and assisting duty bearers (families, communities, and state) to deliver them is GNI Nepal's top priority. GNI Nepal works with children, students, child clubs, local governments, grassroots organizations, non-governmental organizations, networks, and government line agencies for promoting child rights and child protection.
GNI Nepal actively engages in strengthening and mobilizing child protection mechanism; capacity development of and sensitization of stakeholders; promoting child participation and capacitate for claiming their right; and child case management. Under the children-for-children approach, GNI Nepal forms/reforms school-based child clubs, provides them logistic support, and builds their capacity on child rights and child protection, leadership and grassroots advocacy, wall-magazine publication, and child club management. Complementing it, child protection committees and grassroots child protection mechanisms are formed and mobilized.
Adolescents take part in an awareness-raising deuda event organized with GNI Nepal's support
Working together with children, child clubs, schools, and local governments, GNI Nepal sensitizes and promotes participation of children so that they are able to deal with child protection issues at home, school, and in their community. Along with capacity development, GNI Nepal helps local governments to formulate and implement child protection policies that contribute to institutionalize and make grassroots child protection systems sustainable.
In the past five years, a combined effort of duty bearers (government agencies, community, school, family, civil society), right holders (children, adolescents) and GNI Nepal has resulted in:
1. 330 child clubs formed/reformed and were empowered on CRC and other child rights protocols.
2. 116 child clubs prepared action plans for fighting against child rights violations and conducted progress-monitoring meetings.
3. 236 child clubs were oriented on Child Friendly Local Governance (122) and DRR (114).
4. 2,938 child club members were empowered with leadership training, life skills and self-protection training.
5. 13,762 children, 3,000 community members and 1,275 community-level stakeholders were sensitized/trained on CRC; against early child marriage, child trafficking and child sexual abuse and child protection issues.
6. 2,250 children and grassroots stakeholders participated 40 grassroots and two national-level Balkachaharis (stakeholder dialogues).
7. 5,336 child club members participated in co-curricular activities organized with support from GNI Nepal.
8. 160 child clubs used complaint boxes to uncover and solve problems and issues concerning their counterparts.
9. 162 child clubs regularized discussions on child protection issues.
10. 86 child clubs published monthly wall-magazines.
11. 78 child protection committees formed/reformed at different municipal, rural municipal as well as school level and sensitized on child rights.
12. 76 child marriages about-to-happen faced disruption attempts from child clubs.
13. 6 local governments supported to formulate child marriage elimination strategies.
14. 350,000 people reached weekly through radio drama against child marriage.
15. Child Helpline - 1098 in Bajura is in operation since 2018.
Membres of Sunadevi Child Club participate in a child protection training
Child club curbs child marriage
In June, Nanda Saud (name changed) was all set to marry‒off his underage daughter. Members of Sunadevi Child Club came to know about it and immediately informed the police, the Ward Chairperson and gathered a large number of children, and marched straight into the marriage ceremony.
At first, Nanda thought that the children were there to help. But when they asked the age of bride-to-be and groom, he was left searching for words, and visibly nervous. He knew that child marriage had been outlawed in Nepal. It was a criminal offence, and he could go to jail for it.
Meanwhile he was thinking, “invitees and these pesky children would eat, drink, enjoy the feast, and leave”. Never in a million years, he had imagined that he would have to call off the marriage.
In 2019, Sunadevi Child Club succeeded in stopping six child marriages. The club has also filed two cases of “child elopement” with the Child Protection Committee and Area Police Station.
We assisted Sunadevi Child Club’s reformation at the start of academic session 2076 (April 2019) and provided them logistic support and training. Prior to that, the club’s work was limited to a few school events.
“GNI Nepal-provided trainings have instilled determination in the club members for curbing child marriage in Ladagada”, notes Ward Chairperson, Lal Bahadur Kadayat.
Child activists express their solidarity against child marriage in the national-level stakeholder dialogue held in Kathmandu
These adolescent activists are working vigorously to spread awareness against child marriage among their friends and neighboring communities, which the Ladagada Rural Municipality also aims to completely curb within the next three years.
A grave risk for adolescent children in the districts GNI Nepal works is child marriage. Since 2017, GNI Nepal has been raising awareness, building capacity, and mobilizing local level child protection related institutions in an effort to ending the vice of child and early marriages in Nepal.
Stakeholder dialogue against child marriage
Since 2018, GNI Nepal has been organizing stakeholder dialogues on the issues of children in Darchula, Bajura, Doti, Kailali, Humla, Mugu, Bardiya, Myagdi, Parbat, Kaski, Gorkha, Kathmandu, and Lalitpur districts of Bagmati , Gandaki , Karnali , and Sudurpaschim Provinces. These stakeholder dialogues are called Balkachahari. Children and grassroots stakeholders participate in municipal, provincial and national-level Balkachaharis. Children, students, child club members, teachers, parents, elected officials, local and provincial government authorities, I/NGO representatives dialog and discuss ways to combat child marriage.
Discussants have been highlighting poverty, illiteracy, unemployment, traditional social norms, culture, and practices, spread of social media, weak enforcement of laws, and lack of awareness as major contributors to the scourge of child marriage in their communities. Participating children have asked thought-provoking questions to local government representatives, police personnel, child rights activists, political leaders, and stakeholders such as:
• Why are some political leaders reluctant to speak against child marriages happening in their constituencies? Rather they participate in such marriages and enjoy the feast without any shame?
• What measures/plans have been adopted by the local governments for mitigating child marriage?
• What plans rural municipalities have for strengthening the capacity of child-clubs and child protection committees?
• Why cases against child marriage are not allowed to be registered at the police offices?
• What punitive measures/legislation is in place for penalizing child sexual offenders?
• How and where the funds earmarked for child sector get spent?
Prominent personalities working for child rights and child protection take part in a panel discussion at national-level balkachhahari held in Kathmandu
Even after decades of effort, campaigning, and action, millions of children in Nepal are deprived of their fundamental rights to education, nutrition, self-determination, and health care. Apart from persistent issues of child marriage, sexual abuse, child labor, and neglect, children in Nepal are at risk from new forms of online abuse, bullying, predation, etc.
In Nepal, 32.8 percent females and 9 percent males are married before the age of 18 (Nepal Multiple indicator cluster survey 2019). Child marriage is not only a violation of a number of rights of children outlined in CRC, but it also has severe implications for the child’s health, particularly the child bride. Child labor is also a major protection issue in Nepal. An estimated 286,000 children under the age of 17 are involved in waged labor (Nepal Labour Force Survey Report 2017/18). Child labor deprives the children of their rights to have education and health care services and hinders their physical, mental, spiritual, moral, and social development. Children because of their age and limited physical development are vulnerable to abuse and exploitation.
Against this backdrop of persistent and emerging child protection issues, in the coming five years, GNI Nepal aims at:
I) Strengthening child protection system at the local level
1. Mapping of child protection committees
2. Formation/re-formation of child protection committees
3. Training for child protection actors, and local government officials
4. Strengthening child case reporting mechanism
5. Research/assess child right issues
6. Policy/guideline formulation and implementing them at the local government level
II) Sensitizing children for making them capable of claiming their rights
1. Formation/re-activation of child clubs and networks
2. Capacity development of child clubs and networks
3. Organization of awareness-raising/social action events through child clubs
4. Life skills training for children
5. Complaint handling mechanism establishment and operation
6. Capacity development of children on complaint handling mechanism operation
Local government officials in Doti endorse child marriage elimination strategy at a public event
III) Promoting preventive and responsive support systems at household and societal levels
1. Community awareness-raising campaigns
2. Training for parents, and community members on child rights
3. Research/studies on child protection issues
4. Advocacy/social dialogue events
5. Immediate response for needy children and their families
6. Support to run Child Helpline 1098
