Posts
Welcome to Development Dialogue
Nepal has been in a state of political crisis for many decades, but this crisis has reached a new level of intensity recently. This May 2012, Nepal descended into a new crisis after rival political parties failed to reach an agreement on a new constitution before the national legislature’s term expired at midnight. The issue of ethnic states has sparked protests and violence across Nepal. It created a situation of community-caste conflict, likely disintegration of the nation-state and more so of a dangerous financial slide.
Nepal's prime minister has called elections for November after the country's warring political parties couldn't reach agreement on a new constitution. Political instability has been the defining feature of the Nepali state during the last two decades. Nepal has had 20 governments since the introduction of democracy in 1990, the country is still emerging from the conflict with some aftershocks. Whereas, the people of the country are not sure when they would get their constitution and how would the constitution could affect the issues of development and governance even if written.
The country has seen Dictator type Regime i.e. Rana Regime, Monarchy, Multiparty democracy with Constitutional Monarchy, and A decade long Armed Conflict i.e., Maoist Insurgency; Whereas, now After years of Long Armed Conflict, Nepal is moving towards reconstruction, towards state building process; a transformation phase with higher priority to constitution writing; however, People’s voice has not yet been successful in making its way into the new constitution and the policy process. With failure government, the state is struggling hard not to be tagged as “state of failure”.
The concept of federalism is being introduced by politicians and academicians as a solution. Whereas, there is raising concern why the governments in Nepal do never became stable? What governance system do people want? How do people define Development? What does freedom mean for people? How they imagine about the new leadership? The Team Development Dialogue have initiated to bring democratic dialogue to the public and aspire to travel around what democracy and sustainable development mean in the different cultural and civilization milieus and how they are realized at personal and public levels.
Development Dialogue aspires to foster an environment for a reflective public that can enhance the culture of democracy and sustainable development through its Development Dialogues. The ideas of Development Dialogues captures the essence of associational life of people and motivates them towards social, economic and political cooperation and, facilitate popular participation in the governance and development processes. The team Development Dialogue further plans to move ahead with the role of bringing together the civil society, private sector and the young population in democratization and sustainable development in the Nepalese context; Whereas, help make the institutions and actors of governance accountable to the people and empower the society to articulate the democratization of human existence.
The intrinsic tendency of the market to de-couple the economy from human rights, social accountability, gender justice and the natural environment inevitably demands rectification by countervailing social forces. Through the Development Dialogue, The Team in coordination with civil societies, aspire to the defense of the people, culture, nature and the nation and retain democratic control on the social surplus for the society to exercise. All the way through this endeavor The Programme/movement seeks to influence state policy making, help in shaping public opinion and collective will formation. Envisioned with better quality of human life it admires the imagination of ordinary citizens, their daily concerns and necessities and circulate these elements in policy articulation.
Moreover, Development Dialogue aspire to be an innovative approach for global public diplomacy through which people from every walk of life can share, build and strengthen their ideas and understandings on development, democracy, human rights and freedom. It is focused on the cognition and recognition of the core values of human life thereby stimulating each and every entity of our society towards building a new history of humanity; and Hence-forth, It admires the power of human conscience and people's imagination for the better world.
Sustained engagement of youths along with coordination and support from vibrant civil society, the programme with its collaborating organizations and supporting partners aspire to help transcend the monopoly of economic and political power by certain class or caste of society and enforce the accountability of leaders to the grassroots units of self-governance. Through this step we aspire to strengthen the social foundations of democracy and human rights and bring youths and civil societies together for the protection of the social sphere and public good by removing plenty of constraints from the realization of constitutional rights, economic and political entitlements and opportunities for civic empowerment.
“Team Development Dialogue aims to ensure the opinions of children and young people are heard and taken into account during the constitutional writing process and promote active youth participation for sustainable development and good governance; moreover, encourage youths help expand “the assets and capabilities of people to participate in negotiate with, influence, control, and hold accountable institutions that affect their lives”.www.initiativenepal.org/developmentdialogue
