Nepal's Capacities for Peace
In the wake of a violent conflict that began in 1996 and the subsequent Comprehensive Peace Accord (CPA) signed in 2006, Nepal has made remarkable strides towards consolidating peace. However, implementing the CPA has been a challenging process, especially with regards to a new constitution which was to address some of the root causes of the conflict. While the slow pace of the constitution drafting process significantly improved in the post-earthquake period, its promulgation in September 2015 triggered protests and violent outbreaks, reminders of the fragile peace, and divisions between political affiliations, communities, and identity-based groups in Nepal.
Local actors have played a critical role in building peace from the bottom up in Nepal. As part of the Capacities for Peace (C4P) project, Saferworld worked with a group of Nepali CSOs active in the different regions of Nepal to accompany them through a process of conflict analysis and capacity building for a CSO-led early warning system, the Nepal Monitor online portal. During workshops conducted between May 2014 and November 2015, participants generated analyses of conflict drivers in Nepal and analysed current capacities for peace in the country. This process also involved learning lessons about effective ways to link early warning with early responses by maximising the potential of local actors.
This briefing provides an overview of the conflict analysis produced throughout this process, along with an analysis of the capacities of different actors to respond to the key issues and conflict dynamics identified. As such, it also provides some lessons as to what an effective early warning and response system could look like in a context like Nepal.
Download Nepal's Capacities for Peace.
Capacities for Peace is a project undertaken by Saferworld and Conciliation Resources and funded by the EU Instrument for Stability.
“The recent upsurge in violence and conflict relating to the constitution and the delineation of boundaries of the new federal units has clearly illustrated how Nepal is still prone to unforeseen conflicts.”
Chiran Jung Thapa
