GROWING DEMOCRAC Newsletter of the Deepening Democracy Project • August / September 2011
SPREAD AWARENESS Mr. Hem Raj Lamichhane, Executive Secretary General of ADDCN.
‘Growing Democracy’ have talked with Mr. Hem Raj Lamichhane:
I
believe that true democracy is a question of including all people in local democratic practices; from the remote mountain villages and from every corner of Terai. Everyone must participate equally - no matter which gender, caste or level of education« After several years as Executive Secretary General of ADDCN (Association of District Development Committees of Nepal), Mr. Hem Raj Lamichhane
- and Democracy will Flourish is certain that this vision of local democracy is the only right path for development. And the vision is not as unrealistic as many people think: »A milestone was definitely the decentralization of state power through the Local Self -Governance Act in 1999. It showed that there was political will to establish local democracy. There are of course still challenges and a lack of practical action to decentralize and devolve authority to local bodies. But the law is there, and MLD/LGCDP (ed. Ministry of local development/ Local Governance and Community Development Programme) supports its practical implementation«
Despite the shortcomings Hem Raj Ji sees many opportunities in the local democratic rules and regulations if combined with the will for democracy in civil society. »I am very optimistic. There is a lot of work to do before enough people are speaking out, but these days even marginalized people are to some extent aware of the resources available in VDC’s. I am amazed how progressive the local self-governance rules and regulations are in this country. When the gap of unawareness about democracy is filled I am convinced that local democracy in Nepal will bring enormous benefits to everyone«
›› What is the Deepening Democracy project about? Deepening Democracy’s first aim is to show that a VDC level Participatory Democracy, which benefits the citizens practically, is possibly by combining existing rules and regulations with best practices within participatory methods and democratic empowerment. We will show this in 16 VDC of Morang, Sunsari, Nawalparasi and Palpa. Deepening Democracy’s second aim is to mainstream this way of Participatory Democracy to other actors working for local democracy - first of all the MLD/LGCDP. - Deepening Democracy is about building the Will and Skill for Democracy!
Rajkumar Trikhatri
W
Project Manager of Deepening Democracy
elcome to this first edition of “Growing Democracy” – the newsletter of the Deepening Democracy project. The newsletter will be published every second month and is part of our public communication with people and organisations who are interested in development of local democracy. We believe that it’s time to utilize and translate the existing laws on local governance into democratic action at local level. Constitution or not – the focus should be to capacity build citizens and officers to practice local democracy in cooperation and mutual trust. We sincerely hope the newsletter will contribute to an enhanced understanding, engagement and cooperation in the challenging but rewarding task of growing a local democracy.
The citizens of the VDCs are surrounded by a wide range of opportunities for practising VDC level democracy - influencing local governance and holding local office holders accountable. The Local Democracy Tool Box series will give a short introduction to these opportunities and the basics of growing a local democracy. The tool of this newsletter will be: VDC Social Audit (SA). Other issues of the newsletter will take up other ‘tools’ for democracy such as Settlement Level Planning, Citizen Charter, the Right to Information, Democratic Representation etc.
Tools for Social Audit The Deepening Democracy has developed the following materials and training packet to support anyone who wants to make real participatory and inclusive Social Audits of high quality in the VDCs: • A Facilitator’s Handbook describing in detail how to mobilize and prepare people and officials for the event, how to run the SA itself and how to follow up. The handbook is well illustrated and has various formats, icons etc. (120 pages) • A Resource book explaining the rules and regulations relevant to Social Audit, Public Audit and Public Hearing in easy Nepali (16 pages) • One film showing good VDC SA practices (20 minutes) • 19 posters • One SA song
Other Tools for Democracy Mobilising
Social Audit, Public Audit and Public Hearings working procedures. See http://www.mld.gov.np
Free
Rules and Regulations:
We also have materials for the other tools for democracy. All in all we produce Quality over 100 posters, 30 films, 11 handbooks etc. The materials are mobilising, quality, fun and free!
Fun
›› Editorial
Tools for Democracy
Please contact us for further information about the materials.
›› Local Democracy Tool No 1: VDC Social Audit
VDC Social Audit - the Annual VDC Health Check Up Once a year every one of the 3915 VDCs must invite all citizens of the VDC for a public meeting. On this occasion all the VDC government institutions – such as health posts, VDC offices, schools, agriculture extension services etc. must report to the citizens on their activities, successes and shortcomings. During the meeting citizens can ask questions and get answers. Finally the meeting makes a list of actions to be taken to improve the services etc. of the VDC. This is a good way for the VDC officers and the citizens once a year to check if our VDC is working as well as we would like it to. This is how it ought to be – but often it doesn’t happen or isn’t done well. The Annual VDC Social Audit is not just about reporting, discussions and action plans; it is equally and more importantly about building the long term understanding of and capacity Is your VDC Healthy? for local democracy. Such meetings, if done well change the attitudes of both citizens and officers and establishes a democratic tradition that expresses and instittionalise a new relation between people and the state. Democracy then becomes a habit and a way of thinking. It becomes culture and that is the best foundation for democracy and the best guarantee that it is not later lost again whether to corruption or king.
Tips on Social Audit When supporting the process of VDC Annual Social Audit: • Study the rules and regulations • Brief the district authorities • Work with VDC/IPC and VDC Secretary • Make the Social Audit Committee manage the process • Help officials make precise and interesting reports • Help citizens prepare questions and proposals • Assist the facilitation • Ensure the commitments are precise and recapped at the end of the SA • Ensure follow up from citizens and VDC side
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›› My Democracy I used to think that the VDC wasn’t for me - but there are some good laws. We need to be active and use the opportunities
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O
ne day I and my friends - we heard from the neighbors that there was some VDC meeting - a Social Audit. We didn’t know much about the VDC and what it was doing. Anyway - we decided to go for the meeting - just to see friends. Most of the meeting was boring, but we did learn one important thing. And that was, that out of the VDC money at least 20% (ed. now 35%) must be used for people like us - women, dalit, children etc. That was a surprise. So on the way back we discussed if this was really true. We also discussed with other people from the village.
›› Follow the project by
becoming friends with our two amazing democracy teachers... I am Buddhi! Meet me on Facebook: ‘Buddhi Laxmi’ buddhi.laxmi@facebook.com
Ms. Dhanisara Kumal, Kaseni-7 Palpa
And finally we decided to try and make an application. We didn’t have any community house so we had to run the early child class, the literacy class and the monthly Kumal meeting outside, which was not so good especially in the monsoon. So if the VDC would pay for cement etc. and also the builder, then we could do the rest - digging and carrying. We had community land. So we wrote an application for money for a community house. This was the first time we applied for VDC money and I actually didn’t think we had much chance of getting the 30,000 Nrs.
But then after some month we got a letter saying that they had accepted the application and that we would get the money. We were quite surprised - and happy - of course. And then from there it was easy. I mean, it was some hard work but it was also nice to build something together. So I think especially we young people should get information about the rules and regulations. We tend to think it is all useless with the government. But now we have a nice community hall with tin roof where we can have meetings, classes etc. even when it is raining.
›› Upcoming Democratic Events August
• • •
Facilitator Training on Social Audit Implement Social Audit REFLECT activities
September
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Facilitator Training on Local Services and on Settlement Level Planning Implement first phase of Service Improvement Activities REFLECT activities
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›› How to Contact Us?
.... or by going to our web site:
www.actionaid.org /nepal/ deepening-democracy
Kathmandu Office:
ActionAid Global Platform, Gyaneswor. 00977-1-4433820; 4436477
District Offices: SRDCN (Social Resource Development Centre - Nepal) Palpa - 075 521626
Sahamati Nawalparasi - 056 502090, 502373
UPCA (Under Privileged Children Association) Sunsari - 025 521838
SIUAN (Santhal Indigenous Upliftment Association of Nepal) Morang - 021 621941
Supported by
I am Khabari Lal! Meet me on Facebook: ‘Khabari Lal’ khabari.lal@facebook.com