Suvash Darnal

Associated NGPA research project

Heaton Shrestha, Civil under conflict? implications of the Maoist insurgency for everyday life and work among national NGOs in Nepal'|

Practitioner organisation

Sostenga (a co-operative of experienced community consultants & trainers based in the North Of England and working across the country.) Sostenga members supporting this fellowship include Dr Val Harris (Associate Fellow For The Institute Of Applied Social Studies, Birmingham University) and Dhara Thompson (Associate Member of the Federation Of Community Development Learning)

Contact details

Suvash Kumar Darnal
Jagaran Media Center
Buddhanagar, Kathmandu,Po.Box-1961
Phone-0977-1-4780005 Fax-0977-1-478851
Email- suvash@jagaranmedia.org.np| // dalitright@gmail.com|
 

Objectives

The fellowship will analyse the factors that have contributed to raising the profile of Dalit ('untouchable') issues and Dalit rights on the national post-conflict agenda of social reconstruction, as well as those factors that have acted as obstacles to Dalit issues becoming a more significant element of this agenda. It will do so from the perspective of members of this marginalised group themselves. This will include a critical assessment of the role of Maoist ideology and policy towards untouchability, socially marginalised groups and social inclusion.

The aim is to allow the practitioner organisation to evaluate the progress of the Dalit movement in Nepal and identify approaches that have supported, or alternatively, hampered, the movement in its work on behalf of this extremely marginalised group. During the fellowship, materials (written articles and radio programmes) based on the findings of the study will be produced to support other organisations working in the field of Dalit rights.

Activities

The fellowship will use a number of methods, including literature review, interviewing, and textual analysis of media, reports and other sources. The review will cover the Maoist literature relating to untouchability, Dalit NGO reports, news clippings academic literature relating to the Dalit movement in Nepal.

Interviews will be conducted both in Kathmandu and outside, in a district at the heartland of the Maoist insurgency. These will involve collecting the views and experiences of Dalit politicians, Dalit NGO leaders, Dalit parliamentarians, Dalit Maoist cadres, Dalit victims of the conflict, on the subjects of Maoist ideology, Maoist practices in Kathmandu and in the districts, and the rise of Dalit issues on the national agenda. A total of 20 semi-structured interviews are planned. A further activity will be a workshop with members of the Dalit community to gather further data and validate findings.

Outputs

1. a comprehensive list of materials and activities for PB learning
2. peer review / evaluation of materials
3. 4 workshops to test out aspects of the training materials and course
4. full resource packs a) teaching materials b) learning materials - available as hard copies and as downloadable resources from appropriate websites (such as the University of Bradford, the Department For Communities & Local Government, Bradford Vision, CNet and the national PB Unit).
5. preparation & development of a course for submission for accreditation to the most appropriate awarding body (ies).
6. a steering group for maintaining interest / momentum and take the process of PB training forward.