Constitution Making Support Project
APDN, right from its inception, has been playing notable role in supporting the new constitution-making national endeavor through its "Constitution Making Support Program". Common understanding is that, not only promulgation of new constitution is important, but also it should be made in a democratic way, and should properly address the needs and aspirations of every Nepali in general and of marginalized and disadvantaged groups in particular. Making of such new democratic constitution is a tall order for all spheres of the nation. Various programs and activities including the "Ensuring Ownership of Identity Groups and Enhancing Legitimacy over New Constitution" project was completed in 2011. APDN is of firm belief that this program is significantly contributing towards sustainable peace building effort, as only a democratic constitution can ensure peace and prosperity of Nation in the long run.
Project on Regional Level Seminars on Constitution Making Process
APDN organized four events of regional level seminar/workshops in Biratnagar, Dhulikhel, Chitwan, and Nepalgunj in order to verify whether draft constitution and different thematic reports incorporated people's aspirations or not. Nepal’s renowned subject matter experts had served their respective presentation in various sessions. About 100 selected representatives from diverse community groups were involved in these seminars to discuss over the contents of thematic reports and to verify if their issues were properly addressed.
Project on District Level Public Interaction
APDN completed 6 months long constitution making support program entitled “Incorporating Peoples’ Aspiration in the New Constitution” in partnership with National Peace Campaign (NPC) funded by Misereor, Germany. In this program, APDN launched series of community interactions with marginalized and disadvantaged groups of people in countryside. Objective of this program was to collect people’s aspirations to be incorporated in the new constitution. Series of seminar, workshop and discussion events were organized throughout the remote parts of country. Marginalized and disadvantaged groups such as women, dalit, ethnic minorities, madhesi and others were actively involved and provided opportunity to mention their need and aspirations that should be properly incorporated in new constitution.
Project on Media Campaign
APDN organized a series of media campaign as a bridge between the community people from countryside and policy makers at the centre. Through media, APDN has been conducting discourse on different issues like; state restructuring, forms of governance, human rights, fundamental freedom, identity, recognition, security, self-rule and blazing concerns of underprivileged and disadvantaged groups from the countryside of Nepal. Under the media campaign, APDN has published sponsored articles written by younger journalists, policy makers and experts which have been published in different national and local level newspapers. Under the media campaign, radios are more popular means in local level than any others because it is easily accessible and cheaper option for poor people that’s why APDN produced and broadcasted following radio programs;
I. Radio Program “People's Voice”
APDN produced 15 episodes of radio program related to peace and constitution making issues which also were more focused to collect people’s aspirations to be incorporated in the new constitution. Through these events, people were awaken on issues of peace and constitution making and also people came to know that the relevance of Constituent Assembly (CA) and its process. This program was produced and broadcasted from August to October 2009.
II. Radio Program: “Our Voice: Our Rights”
APDN produced and broadcasted 100 episode of radio program based on Human Rights' Peace, Security and Fundamental Freedom. A 30 minute long weekly radio programs addressed the rights' and duties of marginalized community groups, and these were disseminated through Local Community FM stations across the Nation. More than 25 local FM stations regularly broadcasted this program channeled by Kathmandu based Ujyalo 90 Network. It was estimated that more than 2 million people listened this program; and many listeners sent their comments and feedback appreciating the program.
Projects on HR and Transitional Justice
Strengthening Transitional Justice System in Nepal through Judicial Monitoring Arrangement funded by the May 18 Memorial Foundation, South Korea. The overall goal of the project is to strengthen transitional justice for democratization process in Nepal by respecting the rule of law and human rights. Following were the major objectives of the project:
- To sensitize the politicians, policy makers, security providers and concerned stakeholders on serious human rights violation cases,
- To provide assistance to the victims of brutal human rights crime by carrying out strong lobby and advocacy campaign,
Capacity building project: National Seminar
Developing capacity of countryside stakeholders for strengthening transitional democracy in Nepal funded by Taiwan Foundation for Democracy, Taiwan. The overall goal of the project was to strengthen transitional democracy in Nepal by empowering a large section of countryside stakeholders. Overall objectives of the project were set as follows:
- To make aware and sensitize a large section of countryside based CSO members, journalists, local politicians and members of social and identity groups on overall assessment of Nepal's peace process and constitution making process
- To collect the peoples' agenda from national conference particularly in the nature of proposed federal structure, forms of governance and electoral system of the country.
- To achieve the set goal and objectives, a series of activities were carried out such as development of 3 different thematic papers, preparatory events, a national conference, and 10 lobby meetings.
Lobby Events with Politicians and Experts
In the course of this program, APDN did extensive interactions with numbers of policy makers, subject matter experts, senior and younger politicians so that people’s aspirations could be incorporated in the new constitution. APDN organized different interaction events with the concerned policymakers and flashed the issues of marginalized communities which should be addressed by new constitution. The lobby events made politicians aware on needs of public regarding structure of federal republic, fundamental rights, and special remedies for disadvantaged groups. In addition, APDN collected many inputs and suggestions from politicians and subject matter experts on further projects to be developed that could be more realistic for country’s peace and democracy building process.