I went to the streets today because thousands and thousands of maoists from all around the country came to Kathmandu to go on strike, this is some of what I saw

Maoists picketed Singha Durbar, the main administrative area of Nepal, which had never been picketed before. People making music in the streets, everybody was dancing, clapping hands, or screaming and making noise, more than a protest, it looked like a carnival! One important fact is that they respected the peaceful protest they meant.

Of course, all the streets were surrounded by police,

some with guns, some with bamboo sticks











the crowd was enormous, my eyes could not even reach the end, at that time Prachandra, their leader, was giving a speech

people everywhere on top of buses, even on top of publicity pannels...

this was the last day of the second round of protests, “We want the government to address our demands in a week or else face a more aggressive agitation,” said former Prime Minister and chairman of UCPN-Maoist Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’. We will see what the next move from the government is. We all know that if both sides stay rigid with their ideals, nothing will move onwards. The ruling coalition and the maoists must somehow agree on a few basic things including these two hot issues: constitution making and the peace process. Let's hope this happens before the population gets hurt one again, what could remember the hard years of civil war they had to go through some time ago.

There has been a lot of news coming out for the past week about Nepal and the Maoists. I don’t think I will be giving a complete view of all the elements, that is probably unavoidable, plus I have to say that as I’m living in my little bubble, in Raksha shelter, I only got news about these facts from the internet and from talking to the staff or other people I find on the way.

First, you might want to take a look at this page from HRW http://www.hrw.org/legacy/english/docs/2006/03/28/nepal13078.htm to know a little bit about the country’s history, and to this timeline to rearrange your thoughts, http://www.insightonconflict.org/conflicts/nepal/conflict-profile/conflict-timeline-2/

The 2008 elections gave the Maoists a majority in government and, after a 240-year reign, the monarchy was abolished. The Nepali President Ram Baran Yadav, fearful of too much Maoist power, refused to have former Maoist rebels incorporated into the armed forces. This led to Prachanda’s (maoist leader and brand new prime minister) resignation on 4th May.

Since then, the Maoists accuse the government of violating the rights of the population. The Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) UCPN (M) claims to have innumerable reasons to declare their second round of protest programs which started on the 1st of November. The 45-point manifesto addresses a range of issues, including social and economic reform, the restoration of “civilian supremacy”, the fall of the puppet government, and state restructuring and peace process-related issues such as the integration of the two armies and the social inclusion of traditionally marginalized groups. Their detractors however, see that the sole reason for the UCPN(M) is to shake the country and thereby grab power.

This is what was on the streets of Kathmandu last week, on Tuesday night: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8QpsenFGLw&feature=player_embedded

Due to the prolonged political crisis prevailing in the country, Nepal is now in the position of becoming a failed state, something that the political leaders here have not seriously accepted as reality. Besides, if Maoists perpetuate their movement to capture the state with these urban uprisings maybe the nation will not be able to avoid a “political accident” that might drag it into a failed state.

However, Prachanda said that his party was still committed to the conclusion of the peace process and for the draft of the new constitution on time.

The most significant achievement of the peace process to date has been the election of a representative Constituent Assembly. Its central task, and arguably the country’s most important challenge, is to draft a new constitution, for promulgation by 28 May 2010. With just over half of the thematic concept papers having been debated by the Assembly, the overall schedule has been revised for the sixth time. The stabilisation of the country depends on this first step. “The vociferous Tiger has already tasted the Human Blood, it will come back again and pounce”, this is the conclusion of the observers.

For the Chief of United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) Karin Landgren, the peace process is still unfinished business. She puts emphasis on the recommendation of the establishment of a “more formal dialogue mechanism to streamline negotiations and find creative solutions to overcome the current impasse”, while trying to avoid from all parts “provocative statements or actions in order to maintain a positive climate for dialogue”.

If you want to learn more about the actual ongoing situation in Nepal, take a look at the UNMIN’s report: http://www.unmin.org.np/downloads/keydocs/SG%20Report%20Oct%2009.pdf

Today it seems that no public transport is allowed on the road, in the morning there were some courageous drivers who made the costumers pay double for the ride, until they found the pickets and were forced to stop. Some of the staff can’t arrive to the office… but at least bandhaa has not been declared, and we don't have to stay at home, not allowed to go in the streets, and running out of fresh supplies –for the moment-.

and we can still profit from watching kathmandu valley going darker and darker until night falls...

I have to confess that every time I get on the road I fear for my life…

My first experience was a 30 kilometer ride from Kathmandu to Panauti, a village outside of the valley. Goma’s brother had yellow fever and I was going with her to see him. We took the public bus, fortunately we were the first people on it and we could choose our sit. Other people who come later, may as well go for the whole ride on their foot. I don’t know if it was the best choice we made, we decided to stick by the driver, on the first row. But don’t think it is like on our buses, in Nepal, the first road means literally touching the front window. Goma thought that getting to watch all the countryside during the way was a good idea. I thought so too. I didn’t know what this meant.

The driver gets us safely out from the crowded city and we start crossing the mountains. The thing is that in Nepal there are no rules on the road. It is all about going first. The earlier you arrive, the more passengers you get (and u already know that there is no maximum number of persons in public transport, the more, the better!) On the road, there are no red lights, no white lines, no rules. Everybody uses their horn to let know the other drivers that they are going by, but that is the only sign. Our courageous driver doesn’t look on the opposite side of the road to see who is coming, and just presses the accelerator. Goma starts laughing at my “we are going to dieeee” face. He keeps horning to the bikes that come in front of us, I am thinking “why? why do you horn at them if they are driving on their side of the road? IT IS YOU who drives on the WRONG ONE!!”… My jaws felt the pressure…

After the two hour ride and the 30 km road, we arrived safely to this astonishing place. We are surrounded by rice crops, and a marvellous variety of glowing greens… we are in the country side! no more loud horning, we are out of that cloud of pollution which is Kathmandu valley! just relax and happiness…

The women here start working at 6 am, when the sun is not very hot and harvesting is less hard. Me and Goma go to the fields one hour later (yes! for the sceptics, I am waking up this early in Nepal!) ready to help in the task: separating the left grains of rice from the plants so that the animals can eat the rest of the plant (the actual rice cutting was done a week before, it would have been another amazing experience!). Just let you know that one hour later I had two blisters on my hands, could not work any more and sat down on the shade to take some pictures and admire the strength of these women.

Today, we were on our way to see Dakhinkaly temple and same creepy drive. Going by taxi, which this time meant 6 persons on a micro car, was not a much better experience. Plus at some point, Menuka didi says: “there are many many tigers around in this jungle…” I mean, how can this help my “we are going to die” face? As for the taxi, I don’t know why he plays with our lives that way. It is horrifying to pass another car during a bend, when visibility percentage is about 0. I don’t’ know how, but we arrived safe and sound, walked to the temple, took out our shoes to go inside, made the offerings to god, some flowers as necklaces, lit some candles and burned some incense sticks. I like to think that they might have prayed to god for a safe ride home.

 *inside a temple, barefoot, flowers and red colour waterflow*

I guess I have to start doing yoga and learn how to control my nerves if I want to travel and discover other places in this country…

I just wonder how they pass their driving license here!

Nepalis, as I had heard before, are very warm welcoming people, always with a smile on their face and wondering what they can do for you.

When I arrived at Raksha, I found that I had three sisters. Here, the people you build strong relations with become borthers and sisters. My new family is made up by: Menuka didi (big sister) who is Raksha's president and the creator of it all, Goma bahini and Ishwori bahini, my two little sisters.

Raksha is also a shelter home for 20 other women who have gone through difficulties and desire an opportunity for change. The main sector of beneficiaries are women compelled to work in the entertainment sector (massage parlors and dance restaurants where sex work is envolved), but the shelter is also opened to other women victims of domestic violence, conflict victims, victims of girls trafficking and those helpless or very vulnerable women who wish to have the opportunity to make a change in their lives.                    

Through vocational training, education and awareness building in HIV, STDs, women's rights and other legal provisions, Raksha offers support to these women and an alternative livelihood. Raksha also provides education for their children in order to promote a safe growing environment for them.

Living with Raksha girls offers me the opportunity to integrate in real nepali life.

This means having my two rice plates with vegetables a day, in fact, for Nepali people, a meal means eating rice, when there is no rice, it's only like eating a snack for them. It means also bucket showering and if you don't want to freeze, it means having to wait until the sun has warmed up a little bit the water tanks thanks to the solar panels on the roof, means having dairy 2 hours energy cut in the evenings, means having good smelling incense sticks burning at the gaps of the doors every morning (part of their prayer and offering to god), means working everyday but the Saturdays, means becoming an English teacher with no books during extra working hours as everyone here wants to learn and asks me to teach, means adapting to nepali rhythm, unconceivable working rhythm if we look at it through our occidental eyes...

I have to say that at least it does not mean having to wake up at 5am as my sisters do!

In terms of working issue, adapting to the new culture was not as easy as I thought. At first, I was frustrated about nepali rhythm, about not understanding my role here, about not seeing clearly how was Raksha's project doing or even how does the NGO work. Now the sky is much clearer, after sharing with some staff our questions and concerns, I am adapting to their timing and the working hours flow smoother.

*-Part of the staff-*                     

My job here is not about changing the world within the messed up international situation, but it's about changing some people's life. Having Goma laughing while learning English, Ishwori smiling when we look at Saturday's pictures on the computer, or Parvati, one of the shelter girls, blushing and shyly smiling when there is a piece of chocolate for after dinner, makes me feel loved, fulfilled and strong to keep up sharing my days with these people on the other side of the world.

I'm leaving you for now, I have to go to my first nepali lesson! I am very excited!!!!

NAMASTE dear readers,

to a place where to share our thoughts about nepali culture and specially about women in Nepal. A little diary about my experiences, my work, my feelings, my travels, and other thinkings that might come on the way. Thanks to a grant than the Omprakash foundation (www.omprakash.org) gave to me, I arrived ten days ago to Nepal, the country where the ice-cold Himalaya meets the hot rice-crop plains, the land of temples, architectural heritage and religious festivals, a mystic territory where to learn about oneself and where to integrate mind and body, both as a single.

For nine months I will be working with Raksha Nepal (Protection Nepal) an NGO dedicated to women who have been exploited into sex work (www.rakshanepal.org.np). They dedicate themselves “to those women whom circumstances have forced to support themselves and their children through painful and life-threatening prostitution”. Have a look at their webpage to learn more!

We will little by little understand what reasons lead these women to begin prostitution, we will learn more about the conflict that took place in the country, which is one main reason for the society to leave the countryside and start a new live (most of the times: much harder and worse) in the capital, Kathmandu; we will learn more about many other traditions and day to day life in this patriarchal society, and about who, why and how did Raksha started.

As for now, just tell you that I wake up every day with my Nepali phrasebook and dictionary under my arm, trying to learn more about their language. It is actually the first time I travel to somewhere where I don’t speak the language, and I can tell you is pretty difficult to undergo 24 hours a day with no clue of external conversations and what people are really saying…

I don’t really know yet if time here flies or flows slowly...

I will find out, and let you know!

Sending big warm hugs to all of you from this chaotic city,

i say goodbye for now,

till next entry!

TAKE CARE!

:)