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VOL. 03, NO. 11, Oct. 30 2009 (Kartik 13, 2066)
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New Foundation for Social Science Researches in Nepal: Civil Society Forum Workshop of Social Inclusion Research Fund
By Mohan Das Manandhar
Rojan Bajracharya
Background
“Social Science Researches of Nepal Perceived New Vision” as one day civil society workshop on “Issues of Social Inclusion in the Context of State Restructuring” was concluded on 15th October 2009. This workshop was organized by Social Inclusion Research Fund (here after “Fund”) as its regular process to attain the research themes from Civil Society which would then be prioritized and decided by the Fund’s Screening Committee for “Call for the Proposal” for Research Fellowship and Research Apprenticeship Grants. The advisory function of interest/advocacy groups and other civil society organizations safeguard the objectives to make social science researches more relevant to the agenda of excluded and disadvantaged groups so that the researches contribute more effectively to policy debate and deliberative democratic process.
The Fund’s significance was conceived during the assessments of two Norwegian funded programs in 2001 and 2003. It got established in 2005 with the joint agreement between Government of Nepal and Royal Norwegian Embassy, Kathmandu and SNV, Nepal agreed to station the Fund’s secretariat. Specifically, the Fund has three main objectives: i) Produce high quality and critical research on Social Exclusion/ Inclusion issues of Nepal; ii) Make social science researches more relevant to the excluded and disadvantaged groups’ agendas; and iii) Ensure the Fund supported researches contribute more effectively in policy and public debate and deliberative democratic process
The Fund had recently completed its first phase in which it had supported the 25 Research Fellowships and 149 Research Apprenticeship Grant in 2006 and 2007. Two Norwegian research institutions and five Nepali research institutions collaborated in researches and has so far published the eight research papers. The Fund has been extended for second phase of 15th July 2009 to 31st December 2012 duration. The meeting dated 24th September 2009 chaired by Dr. Yubaraj Khatiwada appointed the new Screening Committee for the Fund’s second phase under the chairpersonship of Dr. Ganesh Man Gurung. . In the second phase, the Fund will award 40 Harka Gurung Research Fellowships (here after “Research Fellowship”) and 100 Matthias Moyersoen Research Apprenticeships (here after “Research Apprenticeship”). In this light, the Fund has organized the civil society workshop on 15th October 2009 to decide the research themes for the Fund’s research grants. The entire workshop was chaired by Dr. Ganesh Man Gurung, Chairperson of the Fund’s Screening Committee and facilitated by Manju Thapa Tuladhar, Lead Advisor of the Fund.
Inauguration Session
The inauguration session of the workshop was honored by Dr Yubaraj Khatiwada, Vice Chair of National Planning Commission as the Chief Guest and Mr. Narsingh Chaudhary, Chairperson of National Inclusion Commission, as the Guest of Honor. The inauguration session started with welcome speech by Ms. Manju Thapa Tuladhar, Lead Advisor of the Fund. In her speech, she welcomed the civil society participant and ensured on their active participation in the workshop. The session was then addressed by Mr. Mohan Das Manadhar, Senior Advisor of the Fund in which he presented brief introduction of the Fund and its first phase activities. He further added that the Fund should incorporate the contemporary issues of State Representation and Participation in the Fund’s current agenda of social exclusion/ inclusion and nation building of Nepal. He also pointed that the government budget and planning document should address the imminent social inclusion issues.
The chief guest of session, Dr. Khatiwada, highlighted on exploring the social inclusion agenda via development approach. He argued that the current social inclusion/ exclusion discourse is socio political by nature and it has ignored the fact that the inequity in public distribution system and low human development is main grievances of the excluded groups. He stressed that the inclusive development approach will provide economic access to all excluded group via employment and other economic activities which will lead to increase in income level and consequently there will equal access on all basic service resulting equitable human development. He further added that the planning process of the country had incorporated the inclusion approach since Tenth Plan document (Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper) in which social inclusion was regarded as one of the four pillar of development. The guest of honor, Mr. Chaudhary, expressed the importance of workshop in current constitution building process and future social science researches of Nepal. He argued that the 250 year past geographical unification of Nepal was blight for multi-lingual, multi-cultural and multi-religious Nepal which perpetuate in autocratic rule of Saha and Rana dynasty and resulted significant excluded groups. He argued that the Interim Constitution 2063VS had adopted inclusive approaches by legitimizing the proportional electoral process but the Government of Nepal is not serious on social inclusion/ exclusion agenda. He added that National Inclusion Commission which had been formed seven months past to support government and constitutional assemble on social inclusion issues is still not appointed with full members obstructing the commission’s activities. He thanked the Fund for providing the assistance to prepare the commission’s report.
The session was also addressed by Mr. Hans Heijdra, Country Director of SNV Nepal and Ms. Kristine H. Storholt, counselor of Royal Norwegian Embassay, Kathmandu. Mr. Heijdra shared the fruitful experiences of SNV Nepal’s on the Fund’s first phase activities and stressed for the institutionalization of the Fund as national entity. Ms. Storholt expressed Norway’s commitment’s to support on the social science researches of Nepal in future. She added that there should more studies on multi dimensional status of Nepal and the grievances and contemporary situation of excluded groups.
The chairman of session, Mr. Gurung highlighted on the traditional discriminatory status and caste hierarchy system of Nepal and its uniqueness in compare to social exclusion/ inclusion concept originated in the west. He highlighted on the social inclusion/ exclusion discourse of Nepal in post and pre democratic transformation of 1990’s. He expressed that the state structure of post 1990’s period had formidably addressed the dissatisfaction and disappointment of excluded groups and the Fund had substantially contributed in these measures through its researches and policy and public debates. As being the new Chairperson of the Fund’s Screening Committee, he assured that the Fund would successfully administer the Fund supported researches under his overall guidance. The inaugural session was concluded with vote of thanks by Ms. Manju Thapa Tuladhar, Lead Advisor of the Fund.
Thematic Presentation
The workshop followed with the presentations on the thematic area by the members of the Fund’s Screening Committee. There were presentation on six thematic areas – Women, Minorities/ Muslim, Dalits, Madhesi, Adivasi Janajati and Marginalized Groups.
Dr. Sumitra Manandhar Gurung representing women in the Screening Committee, expressed that the researches on women should focus on: i) Diversity within Women, ii) Issues of Patriarchical Set- up, iii) Potentials and Existing Roles of Women, and iv) Identity, Dignity and Entity of Women. She stressed on the importance of disaggregating the issues by gender and ethnicity diversity within women in order to explore on feminization of development and poverty.
Ms. Mainoona Siddiqui, representing Minorities and Muslim in the Screening Committee, highlighted that the researches on minority religious groups - Muslims and Christian - are important for the development and progress these minority religious communities. She added that there were few studies on religious minority groups so the Government was unable to address their issues in its plans and policies.
Dr. Madan Pariyar, representing Dalits in the Screening Committee, was absent in the workshop and Dr. Sumitra Manandhar Gurung made presentation on his behalf. The presentation first briefed on atrocities of caste-based discrimination and untouchable practices prevailed in Nepal. He added that the contemporary issues and agendas of Dalits are on: i) Dalits’ Identity in the New Constitution and State Restructuring; ii) Dalits’ Human Right, Dignity and Social Justice; and iii) Dalits’ Socio- Economic Status. He further expressed that the Workshop and the Fund supported researches would highlighted on further more issues of Dalits’ inclusion and discrimination.
Dr. Saket Thakur, representing Madhesh in the Screening Committee, highlighted the various themes on which the social science researches of Nepal should focused. Specifically, he emphasized to explore the role of caste, ethnic and cultural variables in the social exclusion practices of Nepal. He also added that the research studies on inter - community power and resource sharing in multi- level democratic structure would be fruitful in current state restricting process. Likewise, he also stressed for common voice among upper castes and dominant groups vis-à-vis low castes and suppressed groups on social inclusion/ exclusion agenda.
Dr. Mukta Singh Tamang representing Adivasi and Janajati, debriefed on the agenda of Adivasi and Janajati on state restructuring process which include: Right to Self- Determination; Federal Design and Culture/ Ethnic/ Linguistic Equality; Aspects of Self- Rule and Shared- Rule; Ethnic Autonomy at Local Level; Electoral System; Agra-adhikar; Operationalize Secularism; Ensure Linguistic Rights; Multiculturalism and Educational Institutions in Federal Structure. Further, he added that there should be researches on: i) Access of Indigenous on Land and Natural Resources; ii) Culture and Identity of Indigenous; and iii) Issues of Endangered Indigenous Peoples.
Dr. Saubhabya Shah, representing Marginalized Groups, started his presentation with brief discussion on how the communities/ groups at periphery level are excluded from center and how three different forms of marginalization – Discrimination, Devaluation and Delegitimization – perpetuate in the society. He further explains on diverse form of marginality persist in Nepali society, namely: Old Aged, Psychically Disables, Spatial and others. He further added that the current delay in constitutional drafting process of Nepal is creating havoc in democratic practices of the country.
Mr. Teertha Dhakal, representing National Planning Commission, expressed the importance of the Fund supported researches on country’s planning process. He further added that the findings of Fund supported researches would be fruitful insight in upcoming planning process.
Mr. Bhuban Karki, representing Ministry of Finance, informed that Ministry of Finance had initiated the Gender and Inclusion based budgeting. He highlighted the importance of social science researches to materialize such budgeting process.
Thematic Group Work
The participant of workshop made six groups for group discussion in six thematic areas - Women, Minorities/ Muslim, Dalits, Madhesi, Adivasi Janajati and Marginalized Groups. There were intense group discussions between the participations in order to recommend the research themes for the future social science researches of the Fund. The groups came out with precise themes in bullet points which they presented to the Fund’s Screening Committee.
Research Themes for Call for Proposal 2009
The Fund’s Screening Committee meeting held immediately after civil society workshop prioritized the research themes presented by civil society workshop and decided the research themes for “Call for Proposal 2009” for Research Fellowship and Research Apprenticeship Grants. The Fund announced the Call for Proposal 2009 in national dailies dated 17th and 21st October 2007 and the announcement was also aired through FMs all over the Nepal.
Research Themes of Call for Proposal 2009
Research Theme for Research Grant |
CONVERGENT THEMES |
Representation and Participation of Excluded Groups in State and Non- state Agencies
Affirmative Action, Reservation and Special Rights to Excluded Groups
Socio- economic and Political Status of Excluded Groups
Issues of Group/ Community Identity at Local, Regional and National Level |
Basis and Forms of Federal Structure in the context of Nepal
Issues of Excluded Communities in Media
Violence, Impunity, Human Rights and Rule of Law
Practices in Peace Building and Intra/ Inter- Communal Harmony
Local Governance and Excluded Communities
Issues of Implementation of Government’s Inclusion Policies and Programmes |
Group – Specific Themes |
Women
Intersectionality of Identity within Women
Feminization of Poverty and Development
Discrimination against Women
Impact of Climate Change on Marginalized Women
Status of Migrant Women Workers |
Adivasi Janajati
Traditional Institution of Adibasi Janajati and Governance
Indigenous Knowledge and Cultural Identity
Indigenous Women’s Status and Identity
Traditional Economy and Employment
Program and Policies for Indigenous Women
Status of Endangered Indigenous Peoples
Issues of Implementation of Government’s Inclusion Policy and Program |
Muslims/ Minorities Groups
Reproductive Health and Poverty of Muslim and Minorities
Livelihood Opportunities of Muslims and Minorities
Landless Muslims and Minorities
Muslims Women and Public Spaces
Religious Conflict, Peace and Harmony |
Madhesi
Social, Political, Economic and Cultural Dimension of Conflict in Madhesh/ Terai
Natural Resource and Land Management in Madhesh/ Terai
Issues of Cross Border Relationship in Madhesh/ Terai
Intra- communal Relationship in Madhesh/ Terai
Social, Cultural and Demographic Status of Other Backward Communities (OBCs) in Nepal |
Dalits
Land and Dalit Rights
Dalit’s Access and Management of State Resources and Basic Services
Livelihood , Traditional Occupation and Dalits Identity
Employment and Poverty among Dalit Women
Madheshi Dalits, Violence and Inter- caste Relationship |
Marginalized Groups – includes Third Gender, Physically Challenged and Others
Socio- Economic Status, Physical Infrastructure and Family Condition of Disabled
Economic, Social and Political Marginality of Karnali
Connectivity, Employment and Exclusion of Regionally Marginalized
Lifestyle, Status, Social Relationship and Mapping of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Individuals (LGBTI) Communities in Nepal
Causes and Experiences of Conflict and Violence
Post- conflict Rehabilitation and Reconstruction.
Conditions of Internally Displaced Individual and Communities |
Mr. Manadhar and Mr. Bajracharya are engaged with Social Inclusion Research Fund. This article is based on the Civil Society Forum Workshop organized by Social Inclusion Research Fund on 15 th October 2005.
