With the briefing and logistics settled in week 1, the SI STEER’s second
reading session kicked off with the understanding of Nepal’s history, geography
and its development state. We were given two readings – Trajectories of democracy and restructuring of the state. by Hachhethu,
K. & Gellner, D. N. (2009) and Arguments
for a better world: Essays in honor of Amartya Sen, Vol I – Ethics, Welfare,
and Measurement. by Foster, J. E. & Handy, C. (2009) – to look through
and digest before we come together for discussion on 7th Feb.
Although the readings looked daunting at first (both contain over 10
pages worth of information), most of us managed to finish them and came
prepared with extra online research and questions that needed answers. In the
first article, Hachhethu and Gellner (2009) gave a detailed recount of how
democracy came to Nepal and the challenges Nepal faced dealing with democracy.
The second article argues that external capabilities – gained through one’s
relationship with family, friends and people – are important concepts for
formulation of policies such as providing training in Information and
Communications Technology (ICT) for the people.
Dr Kankana led the discussion by assigning each group to summarise a
specific period of the democracy timeline that Nepal has undergone. They
include:
·
The Dawn of Democracy in 1950s
·
Reinventing Democracy after 2002
·
Establishment of the Republic
·
Inclusive Democracy
It was an insightful discussion as the groups were able to clarify any
doubts we had with each other and reinforces our understanding of Nepal’s
development. From the Rana oligarchy before 1950s to the Communist revolt in 1972,
we learnt how Nepal struggled with different regimes and political ruling that
has led to what Nepal is currently today.
After the discussion session, two groups were due to give a presentation
on Contemporary Nepal. The first group, Sin Yeou and Sze Hao, presented on Nepal’s Geography and
Environment. We were amazed to learn that there were three distinct ecological
belts running through Nepal. They separate the country into three broad
physiological areas: The Terai region, The Hill region and The Mountain region.
Because of its unique geographical location, Nepal is probably one of the only
country where provide us with topography ranging
from subtropical lowlands to alpine glaciers.
Next, the second group, Jing Qi and Stella, took the stage
to give us a brief overview of Nepal’s current social, economic and political
situation. It was heartening to hear that Nepal has improved its literacy rate
and aims to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, although much
work still needs to be done regarding ethnic clashes and political instability.
Currently, Nepal is a federal secular parliamentary republic with three major
political parties governing the country. It is also important to note that
social, economic and political aspects are inherently linked together, and in
order to accomplish developmental goals, all three aspects have to be well taken
care of.
That’s it from me for the second
reading session. Next up, our Project Director, Benson, will be giving us a
Design Thinking Workshop!
Sin Yeou
