RAPID RESPONSE FUND - NEPAL

NAME: Nepal Rapid Response Fund
PARTNERS: Kirdarc, YAPE, Saathi
LOCATION: Kathmandu, Terai, NW Nepal

‘£100 from Peace Direct that I can use with my discretion is worth £100,000 to deliver a project devised by a donor.’

Latest Update:
Two years after mass street protests began the process of turning Nepal into a modern democracy, much has been achieved. The 12 year civil war has ended, the king has been deposed and a constituent assembly is in place. But the peace has brought little benefit to ordinary people, and there is an urgent need to heal the scars left by war, support the demobilisation of the Maoist forces, and give citizens a stronger voice in the justice system. New conflict is brewing in the South, as people learn the lessons of the Maoist’s success.

The Rapid Response Fund brings together three experienced Nepali NGOs in different parts of the country to address these challenges:

• Karnali Integrated Rural Development and Research Centre (KIRDARC) – they work in the remote upper Karnali zone and have great influence at the grassroots and governmental/national level. They are frequently asked by the Nepalese government to help mobilise local people for community initiatives. The centre runs the only FM radio station in the region, which will be used to support the project’s outreach activities.
• Youth Alliance for Peace and the Environment (YAPE) – mediates and resolves conflicts in Lalitpur and has a strong relationship with student unions of various political parties. It has great respect and influence amongst young people, and is highly capable of involving student politicians and young community members in peacebuilding and reconciliation efforts.
• SAATHI Banke – A religiously-inclined organisation led by women who cover three Terai districts in the lower mid western region. They have extensive experience in working with and mobilising vulnerable women to deal with domestic violence, conflict and other community issues.

How is started:
Peace Direct began mapping Nepali led peacebuilding initiatives for our Insight on Conflict website while the war was still continuing. After it ended, we tasked our Nepali volunteer, Pranav Budhathoki, to find the most effective organisations working in areas at most risk of conflict reigniting, and proposed that they work together to develop a capacity to respond immediately to potential outbreaks of violence, while also training the communities affected to deal with their own conflicts. The Rapid Response Fund was initiated in March 2007.

Key achievements:

• Conflict ignited close to Katmandu when a landowner had part of his land taken by Maoists. YAPE succeeded in getting the residents of the local village to form their own mediation group and seek to resolve the conflict. Via this method, the dispute was resolved and part of the seized land being returned. The RRF was used to provide transportation and provisions in Banepa, the district HQ, where the talks took place.
• In September 2007 during the elections, when the Maoist youth (YCL) tried to seize weapons belonging to the police, claiming they were breaking the terms of the peace agreement, KIRDARC were able to intervene and persuade both parties to return to their encamped positions, an initiative made possible by the RRF, which provided resources enabling peacekeepers to get to the scene of the dispute quickly. The District Officer commented that a relapse into war had been prevented.
• Following the abduction by the Maoists of the child of a local businessman, SAATHE were able to intervene by organising an emergency meeting and organising local groups to rescue the child. This was successfully carried out, defusing the situation.

What’s next:
KIRDARC will focus on conflicts in Karnali between the youth outfits of various political parties. The main political parties are establishing violent gangs with for protection. Clashes between them are frequent and bloody. SAATHI Banke will consolidate the Inter Religious Group which is working well in the districts. They also intend to make the Women's Peace Committee more actively engaged in conflict prevention. YAPE has set up the Network of Human Rights Defenders, and intend to make this new Network an independent one, although they plan to strategically orient their interventions so they occur primarily through this network.

Total funding to date:
£20,700 from the Man Group plc CT, Pula Trust and friends of Tazewell Wilson.

Funding urgently needed:
£20,500 per annum to keep the Rapid Response Fund running.