INTRODUCTION

Nagarik Aawaz (NA) is a social organization championing community peacebuilding by

harnessing the energy of youth and women, creating safe spaces, and investing in the

institutional capacity of local structures for trust-building and non-violence.

NA was established in 2001. It was registered as NGO within the district administration office in

2002 and began its strategic work in peacebuilding. Over the past 18 years, NA has been able

to create pillars of peacebuilding. It has been able to heal, teach and encourage more than

3000 youth and women.

VISION
A just and peaceful Nepal

MISSION
Encourage, capacitate, and engage every part of society

NAGARIK AAWAZ'S
PILLARS OF PEACEBUILDING
Investing in the leadership and well-being of youth and women, and
contributing to sustainable peace.

Creating safe spaces for shared ownership of problems and for finding a
path to healing, constructive dialogue, and non-violent solutions (for example,

through our Peace Centre and related program).

Collaborating with networks, government structures, and local community

groups because peace is not possible in isolation.

Bringing together individuals, groups, communities, local peace structures,

practices and cultures for trust and relationship building.

Listening to the voices of local people, who need to be at the heart of

peace-building in their communities.

Providing psychosocial & healing support for stable mental health and the
promotion of inner peace.

NAGARIK AAWAZ | ANNUAL REPORT 2018-2019

MESSAGE FROM THE
FOUNDER
Rita Thapa

2017-2018 has been a significant time of personal

transition.  I fulfilled my commitments with the Tewa

Center after 7 years and moved to coordinate the

innovative and new Peace Building Memorial & Learning

Center (PBM&LC) of Nagarik Aawaz.  It is wonderful that

the leadership and team at NA have fully owned this

project with great commitments.   I am honoured to be

trusted to guide and hold the PBM&LC as it comes to

fruition over 5-8 years!  Yes, it is a very big initiative!  But

with everyone's support and cooperation, NA, I pray will

demonstrate another milestone in durable peacebuilding! 

NAGARIK AAWAZ | ANNUAL REPORT 2018-2019

MESSAGE FROM THE
BOARD CHAIR
Dr. Chhatra Amatya

It is with great pride and joy, I wrote these few words as the

chair of this unique organization, Nagarik Aawaz. The sapling

planted by the founder Rita Thapa in 2001 and nurtured directly

by her until 2008 as its Chief Executive Officer has grown to be

a sturdy tree laden with fruits and provides shelter to those who

seek peace and happiness.

Recently in April 2018, we Celebrated 17 years of Perseverance,

Dedication, Collaboration, Coordination and Solidarity. Nagarik

Aawaz has able to create its own peacebuilding core values

from its experience in strategic peacebuilding. With this core

values, Nagarik Aawaz is set out to create the dream project of

Peacebuilding Memorial and Learning Center.

I would like to thank the whole Nagarik Aawaz family and team

for all its contribution. Especially, CEO Susan Risal, for leading

Nagarik Aawaz team in the ever-changing and demanding

context of Nepal.

Finally, I would like to express my gratitude to all our donors for

believing and trusting in Nagarik Aawaz, sustainable peace and

non-violence.

Wishing peace, sanity, and prevail.

NAGARIK AAWAZ | ANNUAL REPORT 2018-2019

MESSAGE FROM THE
CEO
Susan Risal

The term transformation holds its own characteristics. It relates to

the multiple levels of changes occurred among individual and

socio/political levels after experiencing various social contexts. If

we look at it from the lens of conflict transformation,

transformation relates to changing people's perceptions,

attitudes, values, and emotions. Transformation builds trust and

relation among a divided society after a devastating conflict. If

we see the transformation at the level of socio-political level, it

relates to the changes occurred in institutional, structural, and

societal level. As human beings, our attitudes and behaviours are

shaped by social context and we want to believe in the fact that

our social context taught us. And we believe in those facts until

we are benefitting from this social context and does not

experience any harm from it. There are many incipient injustices

prevalent in our society. But as mentioned above due to our

shaped mindset and our way of framing the worldview we don’t

realize that there are injustices happening in our social structure,

which needs to be transformed.

NAGARIK AAWAZ | ANNUAL REPORT 2018-2019

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Youth For Change 2

Changemakers for Peace and Reconciliation 3

Local Capacities for Peace 4

Women Leaders in Action 5

Women Peace Table 6

Peace Building Memorial & Learning Centre 7

Other Highlights 8

Our Board 11

Our Team 12

Trainings and International Exposures 13

Our Donors 14

Financial Update 15

NAGARIK AAWAZ | ANNUAL REPORT 2018-2019

 OUR PROGRAMS
01 NAGARIK AAWAZ | ANNUAL REPORT 2018-2019
 YOUTH FOR CHANGE
Since January 2015, the ‘Youth For Change’

program has been funded by Kurve Wustrow,

14
Germany. The program aims to engage fourteen

conflict-affected youth and marginalised

communities to foster resilience and social

Peace Volunteers
transformation. This year, our main focus has

been on making the Peace Centres sustainable

by handing them over to local stakeholders.

5
Peace centers
Multiple trainings have been conducted. These

5
included training on 'Psychosocial Counselling for

Female Health Workers' and 'Peace-building,

areas of Lalitpur Leadership, and Motivation'. 5 youth peace

volunteers were given the opportunity to visit a

project and meet with peace volunteers in the

512
Terai region, which contributed to their learning.

Review and planning meetings were held in all

five areas, with community groups and

Peace initiatives

19662
people reached
stakeholder present throughout. NA also ran a

one-day workshop with the YPVs on 'Challenges

and Opportunities on Sustainability of the

Community Peace Centre'. Many psychosocial

orientations and individual counseling sessions

127
were conducted during the year. These were

invaluable in teaching individuals resilience skills

psychosocial orientations and helping those with depression and anxiety.

85
individual counseling
 YPVs also started providing psychosocial

orientations to school students, which has

resulted in improved communication between

sessions
teachers and students as well as the

establishment of counseling rooms in four

schools. This program is planned till 2019 with

possible extension in the future.

02 NAGARIK AAWAZ | ANNUAL REPORT 2018-2019

 CHANGEMAKERS FOR PEACE
AND RECONCILIATION
The project is being implemented in the then

Laxmipur, Goltakuri and Fulbari VDCs of Dang and

6
Devichour, Ghusel and Ikudole of Lalitpur. Nepal

Women Community Service Center, Dang is

Peace ambassadors

90
partnering with Nagarik Aawaz (NA) to implement

activities in Dang whereas NA works directly in the

project areas of Lalitpur. The objective of the

Peace volunteers
project is to create community mechanisms where

conflict-affected, marginalized and earthquake-

2
affected communities can come together, build

trusting relationships, and identify their pressing

districts

3
issues in a safe and supportive environment. The

program nurtures a sense of togetherness, with

participants working together to advocate for their

wards
rights. ifa, Germany funds this program. CMPR has

been implemented in the areas mentioned above,

648
starting from February 2017 to December 2018 with

a strong possibility of renewal for 2019.

Peace initiatives

20000
people reached
Peace Centres in the respective project areas are

central spaces from which peace ambassadors and

volunteers design community-level peace

awareness, peace campaigns, peace initiatives and

psychosocial awareness/orientation programs. One

Peace Ambassador and up to 15 peace volunteers

60
are engaged in each Peace Centre. They work with

supervision by the program team and in

coordination with line agencies at the local level.

individual counseling
sessions Youth and women are the primary focus of the

program. The creation of safe spaces for youth to

express their opinion to decision-makers and

broader society ensures that they have the

opportunity to be heard. 

03 NAGARIK AAWAZ | ANNUAL REPORT 2018-2019

 LOCAL CAPACITIES
FOR PEACE
24
Peace volunteers
This program, funded by Miserior Germany, has

been running since April 2017 in 2 districts of

the Terai region called Siraha and Kanchanpur.

LCP aims to build and sustain the local

2
capacities for peace among women and young

people of the Madesh communities and to

districts

4
encourage social justice, conflict

transformation and peacebuilding.

VDCs each
LCP plays an important role in mitigating

conflict in the Siraha and Kanchanpur

communities. So far, Peace Centres have been

525
established in both districts and youth have

been mobilised as Peace Ambassadors to run

community Peace community peace initiatives in the Centres. All

activities staff, partner board members and Peace

Ambassadors have been trained in various

17000
capacity building training run by NA. A review

and planning workshop were also run. NA has

received excellent feedback from the

direct beneficiaries

60
individual cases dealt with
community- and district-level stakeholders. NA

has also been conducting regular field visits to

monitor and support to project.

04 NAGARIK AAWAZ | ANNUAL REPORT 2018-2019

 WOMEN LEADERS
IN ACTION

55
This program is funded by the Foundation for Just

Society. This program aims to contribute to the

movement building of 55 women peace activists

participants
and improve their social status as leaders in their

respective communities. The program also aims

7
provinces
to further advance their skills and provide

supervision for their activism. Furthermore, a

4
platform is created whereby they share their

knowledge and grow their networks with other

VDCs each conflict-affected families and communities

through program-funded community peace

initiatives.

47
community Peace
Women participants have been trained on

Conflict Transformation, Peacebuilding and

activities Mental Health/Psychosocial Care. Key women

activists took responsibility for selecting less

privileged women from their province and

mentoring them. After meeting discussion

revealed the vulnerability of women victims of

torture and sexual violence, NA conducted Focus

Groups Discussions with these groups to identify

their needs. 5 women activists have been

provided with a monthly stipend to attend to

their medical needs.

After they were trained, participants have begun

identifying the contextual needs of their

respective communities and conducting their

own peace initiatives. These women also

expressed that political parties asked them to

give their name for nomination in the local

election. This is a big achievement for Nagarik

Aawaz as these women’s recognition is

improving day-by-day.

05 NAGARIK AAWAZ | ANNUAL REPORT 2018-2019

 DEEPENING WOMEN'S
PEACE TABLE IN NEPAL
250
conflict-affected
Conflict-Affected Women are in need of

frequent follow-up and facilitation for which

women reached NA has been conducting Women's Peace

Table (WPT) in all seven provinces with the

6
help of Peace Women across the Globe. This

program has been running from July 2018

and will run up to December 2019 with a

Women Peace financial partnership with 1000 Peace
Tables to date
Women Across the Globe.  

Six WPTs have been conducted in four separate provinces. Conflict-affected women have

expressed that WPT has been a safe space for sharing their pains and an opportunity to

share their concerns and pains. They have expressed that they feel good and connected

after meeting other conflict-affected women like them. Conflict-affected women have

expressed that all the three levels of government should take responsibility for ensuring they

receive justice and respect. Local government authorities have shown their commitment to

work on the issues and problems of the women.

As Nepal entered in the new federal system, its mechanisms to support the conflict-victims

are becoming weak. Moreover, there are shrinking spaces for women to express their needs

and concerns. This program has played an important role to provide safe space to conflict-

affected women, share their pain, document it and make institutions of new federal Nepal

listen to them.

06 NAGARIK AAWAZ | ANNUAL REPORT 2018-2019

 PEACE BUILDING MEMORIAL
AND LEARNING CENTRE

Nagarik Aawaz aims to build a Peacebuilding Memorial & Learning Center (PBM&LC) as a
durable peacebuilding entity by the end of 2025, led by Rita Thapa. The center will serve two
main functions; as a space to remember, heal and learn from Nepal’s armed conflict, and as a

space in which to facilitate ongoing peacebuilding efforts. It will provide a much-needed forum for

the discussion of injustice and a space for remembrance and healing; Existing communities and

future generations will learn about the past at the Centre and use these learning to inform

commitments for a peaceful future. The PBM&LC will be a vibrant space which connects with other

peace centres across the region and globally.  We currently estimate the entire project costing a

total of USD $2 million.

An Expert Group has been formed, and a Master Plan of the PBM&LC was submitted. Community

and stakeholder orientations have been organised and a fundraising booklet has been put

together. The service block building has been designed and NA has started the process of

selecting the contractor. We are fundraising 100,000 NPR from Nepali friends and $1000 from

international friends. We are also requesting soft loans from close circle groups. 

07 NAGARIK AAWAZ | ANNUAL REPORT 2018-2019

 OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
Peace Endowment Fund
Nagarik Aawaz has created a Peace Endowment Fund to

support sexually tortured conflict-affected women and

their families. Women Leaders in Action (WLA) and the

Women Peace Table (WPT) have been providing the

recommendations and references for selecting the

beneficiaries of this initiative. There are 15 conflict-

affected women who have received medical support worth

2000 per month for the rest of their lives from this fund. 

Peace Kitchen
A Philanthropic Initiative of Nagarik Aawaz that provides

healthy food to people who really need it. Started in 2003,

this kitchen is done every Thursday. The food is cooked by

conflict-affected youths and funded by individual donors.

In its 13 years, Nagarik Aawaz has been able to conduct

764 peace kitchens.

Equal Power Equal Rights

This initiative empowers women to advocate around

political rights and social justice, and establish a new

identity for themselves as social activists. An orientation

program has been conducted starting in April 2018.

08 NAGARIK AAWAZ | ANNUAL REPORT 2018-2019

 Merchandise for Peace
Nagarik Aawaz received a small grant from Global Giving

UK to start an enterprise of its own. NA is producing high

quality branded merchandise to sell at its various

programmes. The profits from the sales will go to

supporting our initiatives like peace endowment fund and

peace kitchen.

South Asian Young Women Leadership

and Mentoring Initiative
Bishnu Maya Gharti is working as a Young Woman Leader

in Jharuwarasi. Ms Anita Gautam is an understudy/shadow

of this initiative. The issue they are working on is “Women’s

Access to Resources and Control over Decision Making”.

There are a total of 14 young women leaders in

Jharuwarasi. These CYWLs are provided orientations on

patriarchy, femininity, masculinity, power, leadership and

more. These women will soon start running the awareness

sessions in their community.

Cross-Cultural Training
Peace is not possible in isolation. Hence, the efforts of

peacebuilding need echoing to have a strong belief in it.

Therefore, we need to come together and cheer!

WE STAND TOGETHER FOR PEACE: Nagarik Aawaz hosted

a massive two-day event to bring together 177 youths from

5 programs to tell and hear their stories of community

peacebuilding. They exchanged their stories through songs,

dance, drama and poems to express their struggle,

strength and efforts in their journey of peace. The program

was honoured by our founder, members and executive

board members.

09 NAGARIK AAWAZ | ANNUAL REPORT 2018-2019

 Nominee in Tomorrow's
Peacebuilder Awards 2018
Nagarik Aawaz was nominated as a top nine finalists in

Tomorrow’s Peace Builder Award 2018 of Peace Direct

among the 300 applicants in the category of 'Non-Violent

Action'. Dr Chhatra Amatya our Board Chair attended the

three-day-long conference in Washington DC to represent

Nagarik Aawaz. We like to give our gratitude to Peace

Direct for nominating Nagarik Aawaz in this award and

giving us the space to share our experiences. It was a

great pleasure to meet amazing peace builders from

around the world and learn from their efforts.

Celebration: Seventeen Years in

Peacebuilding
This year, Nagarik Aawaz (NA) completed its Seventeen

years journey in peacebuilding. In this occasion on April

2018, Nagarik Aawaz celebrated its achievements it was

able to bring the youth and women of Nepal. Along with

achievements we awarded individuals who supported in

our peacebuilding journey.

Annual Dashain Lunch 2018

Many people enjoyed the Dashain together as a family at

the Dashain Lunch provided by the Peace Kitchen. More

than 270 people feasted and more than 30 took food back

with them for their family members. We served them rice

(60 k.g), Chicken curry (60 k.g) dal, potato, & Cucumber

pickle, and curd. We served them as much as they could

eat and even enough to take back as well. None of the

food went to waste. We could see peace in their eyes and

happiness brought in their faces from a stomach full of

delicious food. The whole Nagarik Aawaz Team was

present along with the board members and Volunteers

from Youth for Change.

10 NAGARIK AAWAZ | ANNUAL REPORT 2018-2019

 OUR BOARD

Dr. Chhatra Amatya Purna Shova Chitrakar Jyotshna Shrestha

Chairperson Vice Chairperson Secretary

Ms. Roshani Karmacharya Dr. Aruna Upreti Shobha Basnet

Treasurer Member Member

Sandhya Bhatta Basnet Sukhmaya Bohra Sharad Babu Shrestha

Member Member Member

OUR MEMBERS
Trustee
Ms. Rita Thapa – Founder, Dr. Chhatra Amatya,

Ms. Edwina Morgan, Dr. Ava Darshan Shrestha, Ms. Shobha Basnet

Advisors
Dr. Bishnu Raj Upreti, Dr. Vijaya Laxmi Shrestha,

Dr. Chandra Bhadra & Ms. Sukhmaya Bohara

Life Member
Ms. Rita Thapa (Founder), Dr. Chhatra Amatya (Chairperson), Ms. Shobha Basnet,  

Mr. Deepesh Pradhan, Ms. Meera Arjyal, Ms. Srijana Thapa Pathak, Ms. Meena Gurung, Ms. Riva Thapa, Ms.

Moushumi Shrestha, Ms. Mohinee Maharjan,

Ms. Sukhmaya Bohra, Dr. Vijaya Laxmi Shrestha, Ms. Bina Pradhan, Ms. Sarita Lohani,

Mr. Sharad Babu Shrestha, Mr. Narayan Picton , Ms. Neelam Kafle,

Ms. Roshani Karmacharya , Dr. Ava Darshan Shrestha,

Ms. Bandana Rana, Dr. Sridhar Khatri, Dr. Chandra Bhadra, & Ms. Neeta Pradhan Joshi

General Members
Mr. Badri Sapkota, Mr. Hari Bahadur Dhami & Ms. Susan Risal

11 NAGARIK AAWAZ | ANNUAL REPORT 2018-2019

 OUR TEAM

Anita Gautam Antina Ranjit Bishnu Maya Gharti Ganga Sagar Rai
Ast. Program Officer Psychosocial Counselor Ast. Program Officer Sn. Communication &

Documentation Officer

Govinda P. Acharya Hari B. Dhami Kaushila Thapa Manoj Pandey

Program Field Supervisor Program Coordinator Ast. Finance and Admin Program Manager

Assistant

Nisha Thapa Pingala Basnet Pramila Thapa Prasansa Karki

Communication Program Field Supervisor Officer Support Sn. Program Officer

Associate (Intern)

Saraswoti Nepali Shikha Bhattarai Sudip Sigdel Susan Risal

Office Support Finance Officer Psychosocial Counselor Chief Executive Officer

(In Alphabetical Order)

12 NAGARIK AAWAZ | ANNUAL REPORT 2018-2019

 TRAININGS & INTERNATIONAL
EXPOSURES

Theory of Change Training, Nepal

Nagarik Aawaz team received a two-day training on Theory

of Change on September 27-28, 2018.

Kurve Partner Meeting, Germany

Nagarik Aawaz CEO, Susan Risal, and Senior Program Officer,

Prasansa Karki, participated in Kurve’s partner meeting which was

held in Germany as a part of the Youth for Change program.

Program Manager, Manoj Pandey, participated in an international

training on non-violence in June-July, 2018.

Psychosocial Counselor, Antina Ranjit, participated in an

international training on program management and defending

human rights in March 2018.

Tomorrow's Peace Builders Awards Ceremony,

United States of America
Chairperson, Dr. Chhatra Amatya, represented Nagarik Aawaz as

one of the nine finalists for the Peace Direct Tomorrow’s Peace

Builders Award. NA was selected from 300 applicants. This

award celebrates the innovative work of locally led organizations

in peacebuilding. The event was part of three day long peace

conference in Washington DC, US.

Composite Heritage Training, Bangladesh

Field Program Supervisor, Govinda Acharya, and former Senior

Admin/Finance Officer, Sanjeeb Raghubansa, participated in

MTOT on Composite heritage organized by ISD, India which was

held in Bangladesh in August 2018. CEO Susan Risal played the

role of facilitator in the same training.

13 NAGARIK AAWAZ | ANNUAL REPORT 2018-2019

 OUR DONORS
Nagarik Aawaz expresses our deepest gratitude to all of our donors. Without you, Nagarik Aawaz
would not exist; you love and support stress the importance of our work. This gives us the strength to go the

extra mile and work even harder. We would like to thank each and every one of you. Love and peace!

Peace Kitchen Donors

Allison Dikila Lama Kripa/Pranav Karki Rati/Neelima/Kumidini Shreejana Thapa Pathak

Ambika Joshi Dinesh Raj Sharma Kumudini Shrestha Karna Shubhra Neupane

Amita Tamrakar Dr. Aruna Upreti Laxmi Maharjan Rita Thapa Sirikan Rangkaew

Amodini Thapa Durga Gunta Lele Peace Center Riva Thapa Smriti Karki

Anima Shrestha  Esme Looza Stationeries Roshani Karmacharya Subarna Giri

Anita Gautam Fiona Meena Gurung Roshani Thapa Subha Pandey

Aryak Ranjan Baral Gabi Spiel Meera Arjyal Rosy Gurung Suk Maya Bohara

Badri Prasad Sapkota Ganga Sagar Rai Merita Kansakar Rupa Aryal Sunita Shrestha

Bijaya KC Hari Bhakta Joshi Naudha Samani Subedi Susan Risal

Bimala Shrestha Hari Devkota Neelima Rai Iyer Samjhauta Nepal Swagat Raj Pandey

Bina Pradhan  Ivy Thapa Nilima Kafle Sandhya Basnet Tsering

Bina Sharma Jagdish Upadhyaya Nita Pradhan Saraswati Nepali Urmila Shrestha

Bishnu Upreti Janaki Shah Pampha Basel Sarita Karki

Chanchala BK Johanna Sell Pratima Thapa Saru Subedi

Deepa Dixit Jyotshna Shrestha Rama Shrestha Shikha Bhattarai

Deepa Pokharel Kaushila Thapa Rameshwor Upadyaya Shobha Basnet

PBM&LC Donors
Ava Darshan Shrestha Govinda Acharya Mira Jyoti

Bishnu Maya Gharti Han Verschure & Marilyn Iterbeke Pradumna/Johanna Thapa

Café Cheeno Jyotshna Shrestha Pratima Thapa

Deepak Dewan Louise Davis Rita Thapa

Dr. Chhatra Amatya Lynne Brennan Roshani Karmacharya

Ganga Sagar Rai Mike Susan Risal

Soft Loans of PBM&LC

Anita Gautam Hari Bahadur Dhami Rita Thapa

Anitna Ranjit Jyotshna Shrestha Roshani Karmacharya

Ava Darshan Shrestha Kaushila Thapa Sandhya Basnet

Bishnu Raj Upreti Meena Gurung Shobha Basnet

Ganga Sagar Rai Prasansa Karki Suk Maya Bohara

Institutional Donors
Foundation for Just Society Kurve Wustrow Sankalpa

Global Fund for Community Foundation Misereor Urgent Action Fund

GlobalGiving, UK Michael Lund & Barbara Franzel Lynne Brennan

Global Fund for Women  Peace Women Across the Globe

ifa-Germany RBC Trustee

14 NAGARIK AAWAZ | ANNUAL REPORT 2018-2019

FINANCIAL UPDATE

15 NAGARIK AAWAZ | ANNUAL REPORT 2018-2019

16 NAGARIK AAWAZ | ANNUAL REPORT 2018-2019
 Breakdown
of Expenses

Admin Cost
5%

Program Cost
95%

17 NAGARIK AAWAZ | ANNUAL REPORT 2018-2019

#JUSTPEACE
www.nagarikaawaz.org.np
naawaz@ntc.net.np
info@nagarikaawaz.org.np
01-5229046, 01-5229147
Dhapakhel Road, 23-Lalitpur, Nepal

@naforpeace

@nagarik_aawaz

@nagarik_aawaz