Human Rights and Peace Awareness

This Nepali initiative sought to raise awareness of human rights at the community level as a vital component of peace-building. It incorporated a range of different activities, but all with an emphasis on mobilising the victims of conflict and the disadvantaged members of society.

Description

INPED has successfully completed this initiative to raise human rights and peace awareness. In collaboration with Support for Peace and Development Initiatives (SPDI - United Nations Development Programme), the initiative supported conflict transformation and social development. The initiative started in March 2003 and finished in December 2004.

Through this initiative, INPED conducted awareness raising and capacity building programmes for the victims of conflict. It conducted training and sensitisation programmes on conflict transformation and peace-building amongst the different stakeholders in the district. INPED also researched the impact of internal armed conflict and published awareness materials on human rights and peace-building.

Aims / Objectives

The aim of the initiative is to contribute to the protection and promotion of human rights and peace-building in the society.

The objectives of the initiative are to minimise the negative impact of violent conflict, find ways to rehabilitate displaced people, gear up the social and communal thought, and awaken people to human rights and humanitarian law.

How it is Articulated

INPED work towards its aims and objectives through education, training, workshops, interaction, research, and the publication of human rights, peace and social justice issues.

The project formed groups of disadvantaged people from the community - those that are most affected by the ongoing violent conflict.

In general the initiative incorporated the following activities:

Group Formation and Awareness Raising

• A total of six hundred orientation training programmes for fifty community groups in the five Village Development Councils (VDCs);
• Children's peace clubs formed in the schools of the five VDCs, which incorporate children's rights classes and the campaign for 'children as a zone of peace'.

Training / Workshops

• Orientation training to develop the capacity of social mobilisers;
• District level training in conflict transformation and peace-building for officials, political activists, social workers, women, Dalits, journalists, security personnel, and conflict victims.

Research and Publications

• Research report (2004, in English) on the 'Impact of Internal Armed Conflict on Women and Children';
• Book (2003, in Nepali) on 'Human Rights and Conflict Management' to raise awareness and sensitise target groups on peace-building.

Lobbying / Advocacy

• Interaction programme at district headquarters on the role of stakeholders in peace and development;
• Two area-level workshops on human rights and peace-building for local stakeholders;
• Saving and credit training programmes for the community groups;
• Evaluation meetings with the participation of concerned stakeholders.

Victim Support Programme

• Free health camp (2004) in collaboration with the Centre for Victims of Torture (CVICT - eastern regional office);
• 99 conflict victims received free treatment, including 33 conflict-related prisoners victimised by both sides.

Achievements / Learning Points

• Target people have been helped in raising their voice against the misbehaviour and mistakes of the conflicting parties;
• People from the conflict-affected areas should be included in the peace-building efforts - when the conflict victims come to the forefront of the peace-building process, nobody can obstruct this movement;
• The issues of human rights and peace are inter-related, so the approach of human rights for the peace-building campaign is inevitable and essential for conflict transformation;
• The level of awareness on human rights, rule of law and democracy should be increased to enable a full peace and development campaign; and
• People become victims through the violation of their basic rights by both conflicting parties; civil society plays a vital role in breaking the culture of silence and mobilising the conflict victims.

Geographical Area of Operation

The project operated in the VDCs of Ranibas, Hatpate, Purano Jhangajholi, Jhangajholi Ratamata, Nipane, Kusheshowr Dumja, and the district headquarters of Sindhuli district of Nepal.

Funding Resources

SPDI/UNDP - Nepal.