Social Development and Promotion Centre.

The Social Development and Promotion Centre (SDPC) is a non-partisan NGO which was established by a group of peace and human rights activists. SDPC works to create peaceful communities and address the impacts of conflict by rehabilitating conflict victims, especially women and children, with the belief that the lasting pain of victims must be acknowledged and addressed in order to establish lasting peace.

Child Rights Protection

The recent conflict in Nepal devastated the lives of many children. SDPC realised there was a need to create a stable environment for them and promote their rights, and established Village Development Committees across the region, lobbying for children to be recognised as a ‘zone of peace’. As well as addressing children’s most basic needs, such as food, shelter, clothing, etc, the project also established children’s clubs in schools to raise awareness of children’s rights.

SDPC have so far provided scholarships for 40 children, organised 108 extra-curricular events in secondary schools, and promoted HIV/AIDS awareness among around 500 pupils.

Advocacy and Support Project

Nepal’s recent conflict had a severe impact on Surkhet, Dailekha, and Jumla districts, leaving large numbers of people living in miserable conditions. Female victims of conflict, in particular, were left highly vulnerable. This SDPC project aims to support local peacebuilding by rehabilitating victims of conflict. It does this by raising awareness of peace-related issues and human rights, and promoting sustainable income generation activities.

The programme started in 2004, and despite running out of money in 2007, the proven effectiveness of the project meant that SDPC and the project participants decided to keep running it on a voluntary basis. Amongst the projects achievements has been the promotion of literacy classes, female empowerment, and good governance to over 7,000 women, establishing local women’s groups, and providing vocational training and tools. SDPC also worked with INSEC to help 110 internally displaced people return home, and were able to negotiate with Maoists rebels to release two army officers they had captured.