Conflict Transformation & Peace Building

The 10-year long armed conflict between the Maoists and the government has widely disrupted Nepal’s social, economic and political environments. The loss of thousands of human lives, destruction of the basic physical infrastructure and displacement of civilians are some of the harsh effects which are too difficult to bear for a poor and underdeveloped country like Nepal. In addition to this, the lack of peace and security has caused massive violation of human rights making the lives of children, women and elderly people even more difficult.

The only way out of the violent armed struggle could be peaceful negotiations between the government and the Maoists. Their commitment to constructive dialogue and adoption of peaceful means could provide a peaceful transformation of Nepal’s conflict and re-structuring of Nepal’s traditional sociopolitical structure. Fortunately, the success of the people’s movement of April 2006 created an environment for principled negotiation for both the government and the Maoists, and after several rounds of negotiations, peace has been attained.

The civil society has several important roles to perform in this whole context. An active and constructive civil society cannot only provide vital contribution in building confidence among the conflicting parties, but it can also contribute to build peace and strengthen democracy at the local levels. The constructive participation of the civil society in the peace process can ensure sustainable peace and strong democracy which the people of Nepal currently aspire for.

The role of the civil society in the peace process can be made more constructive by building the capacity of the civil society workers. Peace building and conflict transformation has been one of the major interventions of PPR Nepal since its inception. It trains individuals/peace volunteers/peace workers at the community as well as central level on peace building and conflict transformation knowledge and skills. The trained individuals monitor peace situation of the district, raise awareness and organize peace education at the local level. Similarly, to resolve local level conflicts it establishes a mediator’s pool in each district.