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| media/image2.png){width |   |                                          |
| ="3.2180555555555554in" |   |                                          |
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| **Supporting Students   |   |                                          |
| for Peaceful Protests** |   |                                          |
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| ##                      |   | April 2007 - In April 2006, mass         |
|                         |   | demonstrations led to the restoration of |
|                         |   | democracy in Nepal. A year after this    |
|                         |   | historic uprising, Nepal has seen an end |
|                         |   | to the 11 years of armed insurgency with |
|                         |   | the inclusion of the Maoists in the      |
|                         |   | parliament and government and the        |
|                         |   | promulgation of an interim constitution. |
|                         |   | Despite this positive momentum toward    |
|                         |   | peace, Nepal's transition has been       |
|                         |   | crippled by countless demonstrations     |
|                         |   | organized by a wide, and continuously    |
|                         |   | expanding, variety of groups.            |
|                         |   | Unfortunately, demonstrations have often |
|                         |   | been violent, resulting in loss of life  |
|                         |   | and extensive property damage.           |
|                         |   | Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, has     |
|                         |   | been the epicenter of such protests, and |
|                         |   | students have been the most active       |
|                         |   | participants.                            |
|                         |   |                                          |
|                         |   | Starting on March 13, 2007, with         |
|                         |   | USAID/OTI assistance, Social             |
|                         |   | Organization for Liberal Volunteer       |
|                         |   | Engagement Nepal (SOLVEN) conducted a    |
|                         |   | 2-day workshop on demonstrating more     |
|                         |   | peacefully and reducing damage during    |
|                         |   | protests. The participants included      |
|                         |   | leaders of student unions and            |
|                         |   | representatives of minority communities. |
|                         |   | These leaders discussed creative ideas   |
|                         |   | on how to protest peacefully and         |
|                         |   | developed a set of minimum standards for |
|                         |   | demonstrations. The student leaders felt |
|                         |   | that their behavior in the past during   |
|                         |   | demonstrations had not been appropriate  |
|                         |   | and expressed their commitment to        |
|                         |   | demonstrate peacefully in the future.    |
|                         |   | The workshop resulted in a list of       |
|                         |   | recommendations for the government, the  |
|                         |   | media, and agitating groups. These       |
|                         |   | recommendations and code of conduct were |
|                         |   | submitted to the Speaker of the House,   |
|                         |   | Mr. Subash Nembang, on April 16, 2007,   |
|                         |   | who promised to raise the                |
|                         |   | recommendations in the parliament.       |
|                         |   |                                          |
|                         |   | As part of this activity, a street play  |
|                         |   | by Nepal's leading theatrical troupe,    |
|                         |   | Aarohan, was staged on 9 college         |
|                         |   | campuses in the Kathmandu Valley, and    |
|                         |   | trainings and discussions were held on   |
|                         |   | 14 campuses. The play, which received    |
|                         |   | extensive media coverage, focused on the |
|                         |   | political developments in Nepal, the     |
|                         |   | incessant demonstrations, and issues of  |
|                         |   | inclusion, and, with its good use of     |
|                         |   | humor and political messaging, proved to |
|                         |   | be extremely popular with students.      |
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| ![](m                   | > |                                          |
| edia/image3.jpeg){width |   |                                          |
| ="2.2916666666666665in" | * |                                          |
| height="1.6             | U |                                          |
| 284722222222223in"}![]( | S |                                          |
| media/image4.jpeg){widt | A |                                          |
| h="2.290277777777778in" | I |                                          |
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|                         | N |                                          |
|                         | E |                                          |
|                         | P |                                          |
|                         | A |                                          |
|                         | L |                                          |
|                         | * |                                          |
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| *In August 2006, the    |   |                                          |
| U.S. Agency for         |   |                                          |
| International           |   |                                          |
| Development's Office of |   |                                          |
| Transition Initiatives  |   |                                          |
| (OTI) began a 2-year,   |   |                                          |
| \$15,000,000 program in |   |                                          |
| Nepal to bolster the    |   |                                          |
| current peace process,  |   |                                          |
| strengthen governance   |   |                                          |
| mechanisms, and support |   |                                          |
| positive, nonviolent    |   |                                          |
| community engage­ment in |   |                                          |
| the country's           |   |                                          |
| political, social, and  |   |                                          |
| economic future. The    |   |                                          |
| objectives of the       |   |                                          |
| program are to:*        |   |                                          |
|                         |   |                                          |
| 1.  *Increase access to |   |                                          |
|     information and     |   |                                          |
|     diversify public    |   |                                          |
|     debate on issues    |   |                                          |
|     critical to the     |   |                                          |
|     peace process and   |   |                                          |
|     democratic norms,   |   |                                          |
|     and*                |   |                                          |
|                         |   |                                          |
| 2.  *Increase           |   |                                          |
|     engagement between  |   |                                          |
|     government, civil   |   |                                          |
|     society, and        |   |                                          |
|     communities to      |   |                                          |
|     support government  |   |                                          |
|     responsiveness to   |   |                                          |
|     its diverse         |   |                                          |
|     constituents.*      |   |                                          |
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|                         |   |                                          |
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| ![](                    |   | *Contact: Gordon Shettle, Cognizant      |
| media/image5.png){width |   | Technical Officer*                       |
| ="2.1493055555555554in" |   |                                          |
| height="0.25625in"}     |   | *e-mail: <gshettle@usaid.gov>;           |
|                         |   | telephone: (202) 712-1243*               |
|                         |   |                                          |
|                         |   | *Internet:                               |
|                         |   | [www.usaid.gov](http://www.usaid.gov/)   |
|                         |   | -- Keyword: OTI*                         |
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