Question: Why you chose Nepal as the first country for research?
Answer: As of 2015, there are 39,763 NGOs in Nepal and those are NGOs affiliated with the Social Welfare Council (SWC) (see list of NGOs affiliated with SWC). It means this number could be higher if we include non-affiliated organisations, international organisations, charity organisations, and faith-based groups, among others. Despite the mushrooming of development-related NGOS in Nepal, the country does not fare well in development indices (see, for example, UNDP Human Development Report 2016). Nepal is currently classified as one of the least developed countries in the world according to the United Nations (UN). This implies a gap between policy and practice made worse by endemic corruption in the government. We strive to bridge this gap by promoting the inclusion of local peace perspectives into peace policies and projects.
Question: What do you do with the interview data that you collect?
Answer: The interviews we do, including the videos we record, are all done upon verbal mutual agreement with our interview participants. They are posted in our website and social media accounts.
We transcribe these interviews and analyse local perspectives collected from field research to write reports for dissemination to related stakeholders. These reports raise the question: Do peace policies and projects complement local peace aspirations? In order to answer this question, our reports include a demographical analysis of the area where the interviews were collected, an examination of peace projects done or being done by national agencies and non-governmental organisation, and a comparative analysis between the impact of those projects and local peace aspirations. These analyses are meant to inform policy design and implementation. We also aim to translate every report we produce into the local language for the local communities to participate in peace discourses.
In addition to these reports, our field research and interview data are also used to inform our community outreach activities. We plan and implement small-scale activities targeted at a specific peace component that local communities consider relevant or of priority. For example, if education is a recurring theme in the interviews, we plan and implement community outreach activities related to education.
Question: How do you see your organisation in five years?
Answer: We see our organisation expanding its operations to other developing countries within the next few years. Collecting peace perspectives is a continuous process as population demographics and socio-economic contexts change. Our vision is to encourage experts, policymakers, and development workers to consider and incorporate local peace perspectives when crafting policies and implementing projects.
Question: How safe is your main donation scheme (PayPal)?
Answer: PayPal is known to be a secure method of sending money because it encrypts your bank details. This is a safer way compared to directly providing those details to a merchant or website.
Question: I do not have a PayPal account. Can I use my credit or debit card?
Answer: Yes. PayPal accepts credit or debit card even though you do not have a PayPal account. Just click the “Continue” link within the red box as show below.
Question: What are others method for sending donations?
Answer: You can also send us donations through bank transfer or Western Union money transfer. Visit our Donate page for more details.
Question: Where is your organisation registered?
Answer: Our organisation is registered as a non-profit charity organisation in Nepal. Once we start our operations in other countries, it will be registered as an international organisation in Nepal and in other countries.
Peace Perspectives 