Depressed Community Empowerment Programme for Peace and Development

This Nepali initiative supports the development of a peace network of civil society organisations to promote non-violence in the community, and helps to rehabilitate conflict victims through trauma healing.

Description

The empowerment programme puts pressure on conflicting parties not to commit violence against or have a negative impact on the civilian population. The initiative provides trauma healing and counselling to the conflict victims and supports their rehabilitation. Chetana Club manages the programme to make people aware of non-violent means of conflict resolution.

Aims / Objectives

The initiative aims to institutionalise and strengthen the citizens' peace movement and peace groups (formed with the initiation of Chetana Club) in Dang. It also aims to rehabilitate conflict victims and to decrease human rights violations.

How it is Articulated

• Training;
• Income generation programme;
• Formation of a Peace Network in the district; and
• Trauma healing and rehabilitation programme for the conflict victims.

Achievements / Learning Points

Chetana Club has developed a district level Peace Network (involving civil society organisations in the district). People in the district have been made aware of peace through the peace programme implemented by Chetana Club. Many conflict victims have taken advantage of the trauma healing, rehabilitation and income generation programmes launched through this initiative.

Geographical Area of Operation

Mid-Western Region

Funding Resources

• United Nations Development Fund: Support for Peace and Development Initiatives (UNDP-SPDI);
• Department for International Development (DFID) under the Community Literacy Development (CLD); and
• Finnish Embassy.

Stories

There has been successful mediation with local members of the Maoist party, but unfortunately the full text of the story cannot be published here due to security restrictions.