Dynamic Rural Rising Group (DYRIG)

DYRIG seeks to reduce the impact of Nepal's conflict on children's rights by providing them with the ability to resist pressure to join the conflict.

Overview

The Dynamic Rural Rising Group (DYRIG) was established to work on human rights issues. However, due to increasing child rights violations committed during the conflict, it now also focuses on peace and conflict issues, making children capable of rejecting violence and raising awareness of children’s rights in armed conflict. It is also committed to teaching children non-violent means of conflict resolution.

The organisation’s aims are to:

• protect children from the impacts of the Maoist conflict and develop children as a zone of peace;
• provide educational support to the child conflict victims and raise their awareness of educational rights;
• pressure both of the conflicting parties not to cause any harm to the children and ensure that they respect children’s rights;
• make children capable of refusing the Maoist’s demands to join their militias.

DRIG has been working with children affected by the conflict for their rehabilitation using a rights-based approach. It has been also working to prevent children becoming victims of the armed conflict. The group has been implementing initiatives with high school children and making them aware of their rights both in general and in relation to the conflict. It has been running programmes in five high schools in five Village Development Committees (VDCs).

Maoist rebels have stopped installing bunkers in schools and their recruitment of children into the militias, although not fully stopped, is decreasing as a result of the programmes. At the very least school children have become capable of refusing the Maoist’s demands to join the militias.

The view of the organisation is that the armed conflict should be resolved using peaceful means. However, it has doubts whether the present government chaired by the king can resolve the conflict this way because the government has been using only military forces. This has had many negative consequences, including an impact upon children.

Therefore, the organisation has been committed to working with the children in armed conflict in order to minimise these impacts. It has been teaching them peaceful means for conflict resolution so that they reject the concept of violence being the only method of resolution. The work of the organisation has been focused on the post-conflict peacebuilding process which does not necessarily occur after a ceasefire or a peace agreement.

What Services Are Provided?

Educational materials, admission and school fees for the child conflict victims, training in children's rights in armed conflict, training workshops in conflict transformation and peacebuilding.

Geographical area of operation

5 VDCs of Sindhupalchok District in the Central Region.

Funding resources

INSEC, UNDP-SPDI

What Further Information Would You Like?

• Organisations and institutions which have been supporting peace work in conflict areas;
• funding agencies;
• organisations that have been providing training on conflict transformation and peacebuilding.
  
  

Overview

People who have a connection with the above sectors.

Associated Organisations

INSEC, NGO Federation, Human Rights Alliance.