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Civic Education for Youth
A discussion organized
by Nepal Foundation for Advanced Studies (NEFAS)
1 August 2006
Nepalgunj
Nepal Foundation for Advanced Studies held
a civic education discussion in Nepalgunj, in the Mid-Western
Region, for the second time on 1 August 2006. NEFAS's civic education
seminar series is aimed at bringing together teachers and other
stakeholders to discuss the experience of teaching the subject
in 10+2 classes. The seminars carried out in different parts of
the country in cooperation with Friedrich Ebert Stiftung of Germany
has played a crucial role ion updating the book developed by NEFAS
for teaching purposes. The book has been found useful not just
by schools to meet their civic education curriculum but also by
others including political workers and trainers within political
parties.
Teachers, political activists and other public
stakeholders including journalists were invited as participants
in the seminar and asked to comment on the presentations by
including their own experiences on the subject. The participants
were more preoccupied with the current political issues being
debated, like federalism and positive discrimination, rather
that with the contents of the book. Some even expressed fears
that the book might become redundant just as a similar book
prepared by another organization became.
The Nepalgunj seminar was different not just
because it had a larger number of women teachers participating,
but one even went to the extent of reading out a poem detailing
the hardships arising from exclusion. The seminar was chaired
by Chair: Dr. Janardan Acharya, a political scientist.
Before the discussions began, Prof. Ananda
Srestha, Executive Director of NEFAS, welcomed the participants
and introduced the theme of the seminar. He said that the main
objective of the discussion was to raise awareness among the
youth until a critical mass is reached to be able to impact
the governance process. He requested to the participants their
active participation and contribution to the presentation by
sharing their experiences.
Prof. Gunanidhi Sharma made his short presentation
saying that there is a new situation in the country where the
popular aspiration for peace and progress has come to the fore.
There is hope as well confusion about whether the nation will
be able to take the appropriate track to reach the destination.
The role of youth here is vital as they have the capability
to provide an exit to these concerns.
After the opening addresses, Shivaraj Dahal
made his presentation for discussion. In it he put the political
sector as the backbone of a social system that drives everything
else and called for cleansing efforts by all to make it contribute
positively to the society. He details the role of youth in this
process and complains about the deviations taking place among
the youth for lack of proper guidance. His thesis is that civic
education helps bring them back on track.
After the presentation, the floor was
open for discussion and following the replies furnished by the
presenters regarding queries raised by the floor, Chairperson
Dr. Janardan Acharya had a few words to say. "We talk of
responsibility to our society, and it is our duty to fill them.
The seminar has been fruitful for us and the participants must
have benefited from the interaction. I thank NEFAS for organizing
the programme in this town," he said.
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