Democratizing the Comprehensive Peace Agreement
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:
- Increase access to information and diversify public debate on issues critical to political transition, and
- Increase the effectiveness of key political transition institutions.
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| Citizens discuss rights guaranteed under the CPA in a public forum. |
The signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) on November 21, 2006, brought an end to 11 years of armed insurgency waged by the Maoists and increased the hopes for sustainable peace and democracy in Nepal. As the foundation document of the peace process, the CPA outlines the rights and responsibilities of all key actors during the transition phase. However, despite the significance of the document, many of Nepal's people - in particular women and those living in marginalized communities - remain unaware of the agreements in the CPA that guarantee their rights and set the framework for Nepal's future.
Since January 2007, USAID/OTI has supported several grassroots CPA-awareness-raising activities, some of which have been successfully replicated. One of the initial grantees for this activity, an organization based near Kathmandu, coordinated and monitored an awareness-raising activity in the Makwanpur district in the central Terai region. The grantee conducted orientations and trained trainers and nearly 100 peace volunteers. The volunteers led discussions and distributed information on the CPA. The grantee also facilitated CPA-related programming at cultural festivals and at speech competitions in schools. The campaign has reached more than 5,500 people in the district, including nearly 2,200 women.
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| Significant numbers of women participated in the awareness-raising project. |
The response from the targeted community has been overwhelmingly positive. The events were widely covered in the local media, and neighbors have requested similar campaigns in their communities.
Citizens are embracing the peace process. For example, a village elder is now known as the "peace grandfather" for his efforts to get others involved. Citizens have also been empowered by knowledge of their rights: the grantee cites examples of program participants beginning to refuse to make so-called donations to local extortionists. In addition, a man who had been living in a cave after being displaced by Maoists felt secure enough to return to his home after learning about the CPA.
For further information, please contact:
In Washington: Gordon Shettle, OTI/ANE Program Manager, 202-712-1243, gshettle@usaid.gov.
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