Reflection on Nepal Field Study
I am
filled with many different thoughts and emotions as I reflect on my field study
to Nepal from 9-17th March, 2013. In fact, this field trip is made
possible by the Rotary Peace Center of Chulalongkorn University and it is a
part of a course in post conflict reconstruction. From my point of view, Nepal
fits into this field study very well, as the country is now in the midst of resolving
political conflict through non-violent peace-building, and many various actors
have been contributed greatly to the post conflict transformation. The 9-day
field trip to Nepal has broadened my perspective and understanding of Nepal deeper
and in many ways. Allow me to share some of my thoughts and feelings about this
once-in-a-lifetime experience.
First of
all, the visit
to various local Non-Governmental Organization (NGOs) and Governmental related institutes
in Nepal helped me to understand that post conflict transformation does not necessary
to deal with the conflicts and/or arm-conflict. The most important thing is to
understand the power that already exist, to be aware of what happened and what
is going on inside the country. I now understand that the conflict is a very
common phenomenon and inevitable. However, it is resolvable and violence is not
the appropriate option.
In the post-conflict
transitional period, Nepal seems to turn to power sharing as a way to bring all
sides of the conflict together, reduce the likelihood of a return to violence,
and stabilize the country to create a favorable atmosphere for everyone to be
involved, which I think it is very good for the sake of the country in overall.
For instance, after the restoration of the multi party democratic policy, the
number of registered NGOs in Nepal has skyrocketed in the last ten years,
growing in number from 220 in 1990 to somewhere between 10,000 and 15,000
today. These NGOs in Nepal are engaging themselves in various fields, however, health,
job and education seem to be the most 3 concerns in Nepal. In Transculture
Psycholsocial Organization (TPO), I observed that the NGOs and the Nepali government did an
excellent job in collaborating with each other to develop community-based
consultation health to reduce trauma in affected children, and to have capacity
building regularly for the government officers. However, I also noticed that, in many
cases, there are lacks of cooperation between the NGOs and the government,
which makes it more difficult to work in Nepal for both sides. From my point of
view, I think the government of Nepal should encourage the NGOs to play more effective
roles in peace building process and economic development. At the same time, the
NGOs themselves should try their best to perform to the level that are
accountability, transparency, competency, sustainability and in good quality
for the real benefit of the country.
I firmly believe that more information is needed
to be able to analyze the post conflict and measure the progress in peace
building process in Nepal. So far, I appreciate what Nepal has achieved in shifting
from peace building theory into real practices. Looking back the Nepal field
trip, I could not help but thinking how much I have learned and gained from this
experience. Nepal and Laos share many commons in terms of geography, culture,
and conflicts. The lessons I have learned in Nepal will help me in my works in analyzing
post conflict and peace process, and how to work collaboratively with the NGOs
back in my country.
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