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Research : Institiutions, Governance and Conflict Transformation
Between 1996 and 2006, Nepal faced a deadly armed conflict between the state and the rebels. Consequently the escalated armed insurgency pushed the government administration nearly dysfunctional to cater its functions. It has caused enormous consequences politically, economically and socially.
Hence, since the second phase (July 2005 to June 2009), research activities of the Nepal Research Group are much focused on institutions, governance and conflict transformation. In the third phase mainly research activities are operational under the following projects with the involvement of senior researchers, Post-docs, PhD and masters students as well as other researchers. The Nepal Research Group is actively engaged in the study and research of conflict transformation and peace building with the following research activities:
Contested rural development – how rural poor access livelihood means between market pressures, state ambitions and the emergence of customary, religious and orthodox-political movements (3rd phase) |
Dr U. Geiser and Dr. Ramakumar (TISS)
Rural development is facing enormous challenges. Hence, there is an urgent need for development researchers to reflect not only on development strategies' effectiveness, but on their guiding paradigms, underlying assumptions and implicit meanings as well. As a matter of fact, many local, grass-root realities continue to be by-passed by modern development, and to be dominated by customary norms and deep-rooted relations of power. In seemingly separate developments, we witness the emergence of multiple movements fundamentally opposing state-led modernisation, and proposing alternative development paths – often labelled as anti-modern or anti-democratic by state, donors and market agents.
This research project takes such movements as a first entry point into a constructive-critical reflexion on potentials and shortcomings of present development approaches. Conceptually, the project approaches these contestations on meanings and practices of rural development dialectically through two strands of theoretical thoughts, i.e. Political Economy/Agrarian Question, and Postcolonial/Subaltern. Through their interplay, they are to shed light on research questions such as:
Who's access – are movements arguing for, and/or practicing strategies that address problems faced by poor? Who is considered as poor, and how are social stratifications addressed (gender, caste, ethnicity, religion)? Why (no) access – what are the arguments raised by such movements in their critique of mainstream development actors (state, private sector, donors) and their normative orientations? How to improve access – what are the more tangible visions (and practices) of these movements for providing better access to means of livelihoods, and how do they perceive the role of state and private sector in this? Challenges to contemporary development – what are the implications (and lessons-to-be-learned) of these contestations on contemporary practices of development practitioners? Research will be conducted in India, Nepal, Pakistan and Bolivia.
The role of the private sector in peace promotion: an assessment of the benefits, limitation and determinants of corporate engagement in peace (3rd phase) |
Dr A. Iff and Dr. B. Upreti
The goal of this research project is to contribute to a better understanding of the advantages, disadvantages and determinants of corporate engagement in peace promotion. Private business actors have in recent policy debates been identified as a (potentially) important player in conflict prevention, conflict settlement, and peace building. There are numerous examples of peace support projects that have been realized by or in partnership with the private sector. Yet, there is still little academic research in this field and knowledge on the positive and negative impacts as well as factors that influence corporate support to peace is scant.
This project aims to add to the existing research in this area through both theoretical and empirical inquiries. The theoretical research will draw on and feed into conflict and conflict transformation theories as well as (global) governance theories and research on corporate social responsibility (CSR). The research will, in addition, generate useful insights for national and international companies and peace practitioners who consider collaborating with the private sector in the field of conflict transformation. So far, there is much insecurity among private companies on what their role may be in peace promotion and little knowledge exists among NGOs and governmental organizations about how to effectively engage with private actors in this field. The proposed project seeks to provide practical advice for these actors.
Role of Tourism in Conflict Mitigation and Peace Building: A Case study of Nepal (continued from 2nd phase) |
P.K. Upadhaya (PhD), Dr. B. Upreti, Dr. S. Sharma, Prof. Dr. L. Goetschel (Swiss Peace/Basel University)
Tourism was one of the major hard hit sectors by the ten years of conflict. The research on tourism, conflict and peace addresses the relationship between conflict and tourism and potentials of the tourism sector in peace building. Research of Dr. B. Upreti focuses on exploring the relationship between armed conflict, peace and tourism in Nepal with special reference to hotel sub-sector.
Social and territorial impact of armed conflict induced displacement and the livelihoods of IDPs in Nepal (PhD research of Anita Bhattarai) |
Anita Ghimire (PhD), Dr. B. Upreti,Dr. S. Sharma, Dr. Y. Pedrazzini, Dr. S. Thieme
In Nepal, the issue of IDPs is contested, controversial and politicized. The trend of conflict induced internal displacement in Nepal is from rural to urban areas. This research analyzes the livelihoods of the internally displaced people in the urban areas; the pattern of interactions between the IDPs and urban population and integration of IDPs in urban setting; the interactions (social networks, remittances, etc) with the left behind families and the village community; the impact of rural to urban migration on the social and territorial stability of the urban areas; the effect of displacement (problems and opportunities) on women and women headed households and the gaps between the present policy on IDPs and international laws regarding IDPs, analyzing the potentials for the mitigation strategy and make recommendations to national and international agencies.
Small arms, insecurity and urban violence (continued from 2nd phase) |
Dr. B. Upreti
Use of small arms in violence and crimes has exponentially increased in rural and urban areas. The transaction and use of small arms associated crimes are massive in the southern border of Nepal because of the open border and special relations between criminal gangs and armed traders of India. After the expansion of the Maoist insurgency, a competition between the government of Nepal and Maoists burst out in collecting arms and circulating them to villages. This research explores the relationship between proliferation of small arms and urban violence and their implications in urban security.
Geographies of violence and rural livelihoods in Mid-Western Nepal |
Sara Bryne (PhD), Prof. Dr. B. Korf (DSGZ), Prof. Dr. U. Mueller-Boeker, Dr. B. Upreti and Prof Theo Rauch
This research seeks to investigate how geographies of violence – understood as spatially and temporally dynamic governable spaces of power, order and control – shape the vulnerabilities, but also capabilities of social groups to secure and improve sustainable livelihoods in Nepal’s Mid Western hill and adjacent lowland regions of Nepal. There is reason to consider the current situation as the continuation of a complex entanglement of violence, fear and vulnerability that penetrate livelihoods, part of which preceded the Maoist insurgency in the form of structural violence. In providing a fine-grained analysis of local political dynamics, livelihood strategies and the broader political dynamics, this study will provide a socially and spatially differentiated analysis of the impact of the Maoist insurgency on rural livelihoods in Nepal.
Conflict transformation and peace process in Nepal (continuation from 2nd phase) |
Dr. B. Upreti
This project focusses on conflict analysis, peace building, conflict transformation and state restructuring and state building issues.
Syntheses and comparative research |
In addition, complementary research for synthesis, capitalization and dissemination of the research will be performed and facilitated from RCO in all the above mentioned three themes.
