Peace and Partnerships

Shanti Griha realizes that peace building needs to take place at the grassroots. And as it is, the grassroots that we deal with, we do what we can to support peace efforts in the area. The kinds of problems that we encounter, for example, are: villagers sharing the same water source but arguing about who is paying how much and how much water is being used; discrepencies in treatment of people of so called different castes and financial status; and lack of trust between stakeholders when projects are implemented.

In order to build harmony in the area, we call thematic meetings, allow grievances and dissatisfactions to come out and address them so that villagers understand each other better. Sometimes villagers talk to us about the problems that they are having and sometimes we see the problems as we work together. We realize that these problems can only be solved through greater understanding of human beings, tolerance, and the willingness to compromise and cooperate. Since Shanti Griha’s sole aim is to contribute to the lives of those who are most in need, its personnel have worked hard, put their lives at risk, negotiated, and traveled in some of the most insurgency affected areas. This year, too, Shanti Griha organized sharing sessions that have involved up to 90 people from five nations in understanding and calling for peace in the present circumstances. Shanti Griha looks forward to a Nepal that is reconciled with itself, that is stable and at peace.