The proposed project will develop the capacity of indigenous people on the promotion of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). The goal of the project is to empower indigenous people to promote and defend their rights as enshrined in the UNDRIP. The immediate objective of the project is to enhance the awareness of indigenous leaders and activists on the UNDRIP and build their capacities on lobby and advocacy, so that they are empowered to effectively assert their rights and advocate for the implementation of the UNDRIP provisions particularly on their rights to land and territories. Key activities include the production of supplementary materials on UNDRIP for further trainings and translation into Nepali language, education on UNDRIP provisions, skills training on advocacy including strategy planning for lobby and advocacy and support to carry out campaign and advocacy.
Project Summary
The proposed project will develop the capacity of indigenous people on the promotion of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). The goal of the project is to empower indigenous people to promote and defend their rights as enshrined in the UNDRIP. The immediate objective of the project is to enhance the awareness of indigenous leaders and activists on the UNDRIP and build their capacities on lobby and advocacy, so that they are empowered to effectively assert their rights and advocate for the implementation of the UNDRIP provisions particularly on their rights to land and territories. It is expected that XXXXXX and its partner organizations will engage with relevant human rights mechanisms in addressing the issues and concerns of indigenous communities in their community. Key activities include the production of supplementary materials on UNDRIP for further trainings and translation into Nepali language, education on UNDRIP provisions, skills training on advocacy including strategy planning for lobby and advocacy and support to carry out campaign and advocacy. There will be participatory assessment of the project results, achievements and impacts, and to elaborate on lessons learned. Documentation of lessons learned and good practices on the conduct of the trainings and advocacy strategies will be done accordingly.
The direct beneficiaries of the project will be at least 40 indigenous leaders, activists, women and men, and youth. The indirect beneficiaries will be other members of communities, which the trainees are part of, and thus hundreds of indigenous peoples.
The proposed timeline of the project is 2 years. The total budget for the proposed project is around $xxxxx.
Purpose of The Proposed Project
- To raise awareness on UNDRIP, HR Advocacy and WCIP outcome documents at community level
- To conduct campaigns and advocacy at local and national level
- To conduct intercommunity exchange visits
Desired Out Comes:
- Long Term Outcomes
- Indigenous community’s capacity strengthened to advocate and claim their rights, protect their cultural integrity, distinct identity, bio-diversity and defining their own development plans in Nepal
- Indigenous communities of Nepal are able to freely exercise and assert their collective rights and are able to protect and preserve their territories and cultural integrity
- The Government of Nepal will recognize the rights of indigenous people and integrate the provisions of the UNDRIP into their policies and programs
- Short Term Outcomes
- Indigenous leaders and community capacity strengthened on UNDRIP, HR Advocacy and WCIP outcome documents through trainings to advocate and demand their rights at policy and stake holding actors
- National Indigenous Women Federation and its 35 indigenous community partner organization are able to effectively assist in raising awareness of their communities on the UNDRIP, WCIP outcome document and in building their capacity for advocacy work
- Stronger network and solidarity among indigenous people’s human rights defenders working collectively for the advancement of human rights of indigenous peoples in Nepal.
Project Activities
The proposed project plans to conduct Training of Trainers at the central level Kathmandu and local intercommunity trainings at community level and organize awareness raising activities on the UNDRIP and human rights advocacy. In particular one 5-day training of trainers, at least 30 one-day community level trainings including inter-community level awareness trainings, at least 3 community level and a national level lobby & advocacy campaign, at least 3 inter community exchanges visits and a lesson learned, experience sharing dissemination program at central level will be conducted.
- Translation and publication of supplementary materials on UNDRIP and WCIP outcome document
- A consultant will be hired to work on translation and publication of supplementary materials on UNDRIP and WCIP outcome document in close coordination with the AIPP and XXXXXX for local adaptation.
- Five-day Training Manual Development on UNDRIP and WCIP outcome document
- A consultant will be hired to develop 5-day training materials to include positive national laws relating to rights and welfare of indigenous peoples and advocacy and community actions in relation to the exercise and assertion of their collective rights using the UNDRIP as a framework. Two hundred copies of materials will be published to use during the training as well as for the future reference materials for community level trainings, advocacy and campaigns.
- Five-day Training of Trainers on UNDRIP, HR Advocacy and WCIP at central level to 40 indigenous leaders
- A 5-day TOT will be conducted at central level. A total of 40 participants from XXXXXX partner organization representatives will benefit from these trainings. XXXXXX lead trainers and facilitators will take a lead in preparing and facilitating this activity.
- At least 30 one-day community level trainings on UNDRIP, HR and WCIP outcome document to various indigenous communities
- The trainees from XXXXXX partner organizations will be the main resource persons for the conduct of community trainings in their respective community. There will be at least 30 community trainings with around 20 participants for each community training. The local trainings will be conducted in communities identified in the advocacy plan from the central level TOT. The training will be of one day and packaged according to the actual needs and issues related to/faced by the communities.
- Conduct of campaigns and advocacy at indigenous community level
- This activity will mainly deal with assisting the XXXXXX partner organizations in planning for their campaigns and advocacy to promote the UNDRIP, WCIP and prepare documentations on issues that their communities are facing to bring the issues to national level. This will involve the conduct of dialogues with relevant local governing bodies and press statements on arising issues faced by the communities, community mobilizations, conduct of press conferences and other campaign and activities. XXXXXX partner organizations will take the lead in preparing and facilitating this activity.
- Conduct of campaigns and advocacy at the national level
- This activity will mainly deal with XXXXXX and its partners in planning campaigns and advocacy to promote the UNDRIP, WCIP and prepare documentations on issues that the communities are facing for submission to relevant national agencies. This will also involve the conduct of dialogues with relevant government agencies, preparation of petitions and press statements on arising issues faced by the communities, community mobilizations, conduct of press conferences and other campaign and advocacy activities. XXXXXX will take the lead in preparing and facilitating this activity at national level and at least 65 persons will participate in this program.
- Inter community exchange visits and workshop on UNDRIP, HR advocacy and WCIP
- Inter community exchange visits will be conducted at the community level that will involve the representative of the XXXXXX partner organizations as well as indigenous people from the community. At least 3 inter community exchange visits will be conducted during the project period consisting of 10 persons in each group will visit different communities to share their actual experience, culture, traditions, rights, advocacy, discuss issues and practices and raise awareness on UNDRIP, WCIP.
- Lesson Learned, experience sharing, case studies and project report dissemination program in the conduct of the capacity building, awareness raising, campaign and advocacy activities
- Prior to end of the project, XXXXXX will conduct one-day meeting with its partners to share lessons learned, challenges to project implementation and how they were overcome, and to identify the next steps. A dissemination event will be held at the end this workshop to share lessons learned and recommendations with all related organizations and its representatives. Around 65 persons will participate in this dissemination event.
Risks Assumptions and Risk Management
There could be risks when the partners and the communities start to strengthen their campaigns and advocacy work to defend their lands and territories. The timetable for the implementation of activities in the communities will be given flexibility. The Key assumption is that the solidarity and unity among the current member organizations will remain within XXXXXX. It is of utmost importance that the solidarity is strengthened and become intrinsic. In order to do this XXXXXX will facilitate joint advocacy and implement programme to strengthen organizational capacity of its members. During each advocacy processes, each of the member organizations will take lead in the relevant issues and activities that they work on. XXXXXX will be working closely with the Human Rights programme in monitoring the activities. Another biggest and probable risk relates to the continuation of a stable government and finalization of constituency drafting by constituent assembly CA.
Risk is that continuing political instability will inevitably affect and could delay project implementation and assessment is medium and we will follow the following strategies to mitigate the risks. In order to deal with this situation XXXXXX will ensure that they are sensitive to the political setting and will try to identify early signs of tensions through its member organizations and act accordingly.
Opportunities
The proposed project could open new avenues for further advocacy and networking particularly on the promotion of the UNDRIP for the XXXXXX and its affiliates indigenous community organizations and the communities they are working with. This initiative will also contribute to the expansion and strengthening of the indigenous peoples HR defenders’ network that the human rights programme of AIPP is convening in Nepal. The network will be the platform for solidarity and generation of support to National Advocacies in Nepal.
Monitoring Outcomes and Learning
The training evaluation will be conducted to determine the results of the training at four levels. It is expected that the evaluations at the different level will reveal the level of achievements of the project objectives, identify the lesson learned and determine the impact of the project. Advocacy plan will be prepared after the regular monitoring inclusive of community participation to the various activities and follow up work. The results from all the monitoring will be compiled and analyzed and regularly shared at all level.
Organisational Background
XXXXXX is an umbrella organization of Nepalese indigenous women’s and it is established as a federation in 1999 and registered in to District Administration Office (DAO) Kathmandu, Nepal in 2000. XXXXXX is also affiliated with Social Welfare Council Nepal in the same year 2000. Currently 34 indigenous women organizations and 51 district Coordination Councils (XXXXXX/DCCs) are affiliated with XXXXXX. Since last 15 years XXXXXX has been working for ensuring the right of indigenous women and establish their dignified and respectful life. Indigenous women of Nepal have been experiencing not only gender base discrimination but also ethic discrimination and they are systematically excluded by the state and other communities. In the sense of this reality, XXXXXX was established and had been working for achieving the gender equality and equity through securing constitutional, political, legal, socio-cultural, economic and traditional right of Nepalese indigenous women.
Traditionally and culturally indigenous women are decision makers in family and society and often play role for peace building and reconciliation. However, their roles and contributions are not recognized and counted by the state. Laws, policies and practices are highly marginalized, excluded, deprived and discriminated to indigenous women. Despite of this fact, indigenous women retain all knowledge, skills, culture value, decision making role and traditional institution as well. So, women leaders from different indigenous organizations established XXXXXX as a federation to fight against caste and gender-based discrimination within indigenous and non-indigenous communities.
In Nepal, indigenous women have bitter experiences of innate structural patriarchy and dominated political systems. Social exclusion based on gender has for centuries been an imperative part of society in Nepal. Likewise, social exclusion based on ethnicity has been another reality in Nepal. Thus, indigenous nationalities women face social exclusion not only being as women but also because of their ethnicity. Women comprise more than 50% out of which 38% are indigenous women. It is a fact that, the state has not yet recognized to indigenous women. So, they have been deprived from policy making and decision-making processes and have been including them under the general term “Nepali Women”.
Sustainability
If this is a long-term project, please tell us about the steps your organization is taking to ensure continuation of its work beyond this grant.
The proposed project is expected to run beyond the project phase by extending XXXXXX network to more indigenous communities and people in Nepal. The capacity building training activities will be conducted at two folds – at central level in Kathmandu and community level at affiliated indigenous women organization communities. The continuous use of training resources including human resource in the form of trainers/resource persons and training materials will be ensured. The project is also expected to heighten the lobby and advocacy work for the recognition and respect of indigenous people’s rights by States through collaboration and advocating in the current constitutional building process of Nepal as well as ensuring constitutional, legal, political, socio-cultural, religious, economic and customary rights of indigenous women in Nepal.
