International intervention fails Nepal

27 February 2006

US think tanks believe that the Maoist movement in Nepal is one of the most successful examples of 21st century rebellion. They are right. The politics of the tiny kingdom of Nepal has a direct influence on the worlds most populous nations, its neighbours India and China. If the Maoist movement becomes successful, it could refuel interest in communism amongst nearly 2 billion people. As a result, governments in the west have taken the Nepalese situation very seriously with the EU, UN and US almost every other day making statements and appeals to the people of Nepal to adhere strictly to democratic norms.

There is nothing new about this; the EU, US and UN have over the years frequently offered shopping lists for conflict resolution in Nepal. But neither the King, nor political

any dialogue with outsiders concerning the Nepal crisis is over

parties nor the people have accepted international involvement to resolve the crisis. During the last visit of a senior UN employee and other international human rights activists, the King gave a strong signal that any dialogue with outsiders concerning the Nepal crisis is over. Previous to this, political parties had also rejected international or UN mediation.

History does not favour intervention

History is full of evidence that outsider involvement in internal conflict struggles to achieve its aims. This is especially true in South Asia. For instance in 1949, India sought UN intervention in the state of Jammu and Kashmir but concluded the relationship not only by rejecting the electoral commission set up by the UN but also by closing its doors to outsider intervention in Kashmir issues.

Likewise, whilst Norwegian peacemakers have shown great skills and experience in international mediation in Guatemala, Colombia, Haiti, Sudan, Aceh and the Philippines, their experience in Sri Lanka has been discouraging. Both the Sri Lankan government and Tamil Tigers have bitterly criticized the Norwegians for favouritism and incompetence.

Perhaps more than anywhere in the world, Nepal has demonstrated the limitations of the international community, as peace with the Maoists remains a distant prospect. This does not mean to say that there is no space for such efforts but first the bodies concerned must engage in fresh thinking about the nature of the Nepalese conflict and approaches to resolution.

Over 127 international NGOs (INGOs) and almost all the UN agencies in Kathmandu have a habit of interpreting Nepalese conflict in their own way. Foreign expatriates are

Collaboration, flexibility and Nepalese participation are missing in their operations

not well qualified to interpret the needs of ordinary people. Collaboration, flexibility and Nepalese participation are missing in their operations. They think only about the problems that pit Nepali against Nepali. These foreign NGO staff are largely incapable of comprehending that it is only Nepalis who can create and transform the world around them and resolve the Maoist crisis.

The fiction of grassroots NGO programmes

A group of Nepalese women © Heifer International

From the outset most development agencies have worked at the grassroots level and it is difficult to find a single Nepalese who is not identified with an INGO. This excessive formation of grassroots organizations has enhanced the bargaining power of local workers but can result in breakdown of traditional social norms in a society known in the past for its culture, religion and simplicity.

The sad fact is that, despite claims of forming several thousand groups in rural Nepal, not a single development agency can provide empowerment indicators relevant to personal,

The INGOs have imposed their own planning methods

family or community development. Instead they have abstract indicators about grant distribution, and acquisition of skills to measure how the group is functioning. The INGOs have imposed their own planning methods on local qualified staff, whose training may be more attuned to Nepals very different setting and culture

It is unfortunate that these development agencies have completely failed to provide skills for relevant engagement with local communities. They have instead concentrated on

There are no strategies for identifying and exploiting local knowledge

furnishing materials and training relevant to their internal methodologies. There are no strategies for identifying and exploiting local knowledge. The failure of conflict resolution in Nepal is attributable to the complete failure in treating peoples knowledge as a resource, creating the unfounded conclusion of international agencies that poor Nepalese have no knowledge to deal with the problem.

It is therefore of paramount importance to all Nepals well wishers that they do more to support the formation of an extensive knowledge network that connects different stakeholders for sustainable peace. This is the way to bring different stakeholders to the negotiating table.

The other immediate step is to provide humanitarian assistance for children, women and displaced persons. But this should not be construed as a call to conduct in depth, time-consuming social research that will see months of inaction before any suffering is alleviated. Nor is it advocacy to set up womens projects, though these may be needed as part of strategy to engage and strengthen the capacity of women to participate. It is about involving ordinary Nepalese men and women as the medium to ensure the equitable delivery of aid.

Pradipna Raj Panta is the Volunteer Editor of the One World Nepal Guide

Links
One World Nepal Guide
Understanding the Nepalese Conflict
Who are the key actors in Nepal