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Leadership Training for Nepalese Indigenous Youth Activists

Training of Trainers to Janajati Activists. Photos: Smita

Dhulikhel, June 30, 2008- With the objective of reaching out to every indigenous nationality of the country on present indigenous issues and agendas, and to raise a strong voice on ensuring rights in the new constitution, Janajati Empowerment Project (JEP) of Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (NEFIN) has started a five day workshop in Dhulikhel district starting on Monday.

The “Training of Trainers (ToT) program for Second Generation Indigenous/Nationalities Leaders” hopes to produce the second generation of (youth) leaders prepared to train other new indigenous leaders of different backgrounds, professions and regions on indigenous issues, and to raise decisive unified voices for rights in the coming constitution of Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal.

Inaugurating the program, NEFIN President Pasang Sherpa said, "By understanding the importance of this training program, I am hopeful that trainees will play vital roles in our indigenous nationalities movement to ensure our rights in constitution of new Nepal."

Nepalese indigenous youth activists participating at the training.

He appreciated the initiative taken by indigenous Nepalese people working and living abroad who are forming indigenous nationalities (janajati) alliances to draft the constitution for new Nepal on their behalf, representing their voices in spite of vast geographical distances.

Reports are that Nepalese indigenous nationalities living in countries such as Australia, United States of America, Japan and so on are forming alliances with those representing their ethnic groups' organizations.

"In Australia, there are many Nepali indigenous taxi drivers. They are said to be distributing draft papers of new Nepal's Constitution which focuses on rights of indigenous nationalities to every customer who use their service. We appreciate and are very grateful for their encouragement," said Sherpa.

The program resource person, indigenous expert Balkrishna Mabuhang, said that indigenous issues must also be politically established. "While raising our issues, we janajati need to have common vision. We should not only seek for unity in diversity among ourselves but also cultivate our diversity," he stated.

"Proportional representation on the basis of caste, ethnicity, gender, religion and political party in all the committees of the Constitution-making process must be insisted upon," said Prof. Purna Man Shakya. But the challenges for ethnic leaders include the lack of constitutional experts among ethnic groups, the danger of overshadowing ethnic issues by party whips, neutralization of ethnic strength in the Constituent Assembly by insisting on political consensus and a lack of unity, coordination and 'consensus addendum' on major constitutional issues among ethnic groups.

Among the workshop facilitators will be Dr. Krishna Bhattachan, Dr. Sumitra Manandhar, Rt. Senior Engineer Santa B. Pun Magar, Krishna Pokhrel and other prominent resource personnel who will present papers relevant to indigenous-related issues. It will be followed by group discussions among trainees. Representatives from major political parties will be joining in final day.

Thirty-five indigenous youth leaders from many ethnic communities equally representing gender and regions are signed up for the training.

-Smita Magar in Kathmandu

तपाईंको भनाइ लेखी छाड्‍न र अरुको भनाइ पढ्न यहाँ क्लिक गर्नुहोस्
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