I'm sorry to have kept you waiting for the next exciting episode of life in Kathmandu. It seems more than a week since we were sitting out yet another curfew and wondering whether the pressure of other agencies withdrawing would force VSO to do the same. My last post suggested that things were expected to return to normal and they did, very quickly. There were some large rallies celebrating victory and reminding the politicans that they have to deliver on their promises, otherwise since Wednesday everyone has been going about their business as if nothing had happened. For example, I, after a brief meeting with my new boss on Wednesday afternoon, started work on Thursday.
For those of you that don't know, I am working as a Management Advisor with Blue Diamond Society (see below for web links) an organisation supporting sexual and gender minorities. I am assured that financial and management experience is readily transferable which I hope will make up for my lack of knowledge of HIV/AIDS and the other issues facing BDS. All you Brits should be proud to know that the UK Department for International Development will be funding a major (it is for BDS, although cost to the British taxpayers is probably still less than Hillary Benn's office budget for Twiglets) expansion in BDS's HIV/AIDS program this year. First couple of days I just did some background reading and met people. This is exactly what VSO training prepared us for; at least a couple of weeks spent building relationships before a clear work plan emerges. This is fine with me although VSO may have different ideas as they want what they call an Organisational Development Assessment to be started. As a result I may find myself in the middle of a short term priority conflict as BDS are massively busy trying to get their program of opening in 6 new cities before the end of May back on track after delays in funding and then the last month of strikes and curfews. No doubt I'll discover more tomorrow.
Sheila has not started work yet. When there appeared to be no end of the curfews and demonstrations in sight, VSO suggested that people might like to escape them by taking a holiday abroad and, with the exception of ourselves and one other, our group of new volunteers booked 2-3 week trips to India and Thailand which they have now gone off on. One of those who has gone is someone who will be working with Sheila and the two of them agreed that it would be better if they both started at the same time. Sheila needs to do a bit of smooth talking to persuade VSO that this is a good idea and may have to go to a meeting in Bhaktapur this week but if all goes to plan, she will spend the next couple of weeks checking out some education contacts locally before starting work proper when her colleague returns.
Having got you all hooked on Nepali politics, I can't resist giving you an update. Following the King's announcement on Monday night that Parliament would be restored, the alliance of political parties called off the general strike and nominated as Prime Minister an 84 year old who has already been PM 3 times in the last 15 years. He wasn't able to attend the first sitting of parliament on Friday due to ill-health so nothing got done. He did manage to attend the sitting today although it sounds as though all that happened was that he said there would be elections shortly and called on the Maoists to renounce violence and join the political talks. I wouldn't presume to comment on Nepalese politics but I just assumed it would have been good manners to announce a formal ceasefire by the Army to match the one the Maoists agreed to last week. Apparently after the first democratic movement in 1951 elections were promised but the political parties didn't manage to deliver them for 8 years at which stage the then King took control again. With that kind of precedent, how long will the People's Movement give this government to put words into action?
Happy May Day holiday to everyone.
Cheers
Roshan
P.S. Went to my first Nepalese nightclub on Friday as part of a leaving do for a couple of volunteers (best wishes to Edward, Elizabeth and Richard). A bit smaller, a lot cheaper and a few less drunks but otherwise it could have been Tiger Tiger, Gunwharf Quay.
Blue Diamond Society website: www.bds.org.np
and also a couple of BBC news items about BDS:
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