A Voice For the Voiceless
The Advocacy Project helps marginalized communities to tell their story, claim their rights and produce social change. We recruit graduate students to volunteer as Peace Fellows with partners.
- Africa
- Asia
- Afghan Women's Network
- The Blind Education and Rehabilitation Development Organization
- eHomemakers
- Home for Human Rights
- Jagaran Media Center
- Oruj Learning Center
- Association for Empowerment of People with Disabilities
- Backward Society Education (BASE)
- Backward Society Education Profiles
- The Love Blanket Project
- Chintan Environmental Action and Research Group
- Women's Reproductive Rights Program (WRRP)
- Europe
- Latin America and the Caribbean
- Middle East
- North America
- Outreach Partners
- Criteria for Partners
The Impact of Service
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Backward Society Education (BASE)
BASE
Backward Society Education
Issue: Child Labor
Region: Asia
Location: Tulsipur, Nepal
Background
This history of BASE is the history of the Tharu people, who are one of more than 100 indigenous groups in Nepal. Beginning in the 1950s, Tharus were driven off their land by higher caste settlers and forced to work as kamaiya, or bonded laborers. Their children were forced to work the land of the landlords with little or no compensation instead of attending school. Due to their lower caste, successive generations of Tharus faced social, economic, and political discrimination. Bonded labor is now outlawed in Nepal, but former bonded laborers and their children continue to be marginalized and denied basicrights, including the right to education.
Recognizing that education is the key to uplifting marginalized people, BASE fights against exploitation through education, social mobilization and community development under the slogan “Education First”. BASE’s programs also focus on other need-based areas including health, disaster preparedness and relief, cultural preservation, environmental sustainability and gender equity.
BASE was conceived in January of 1985, during the Tharu New Year (Maghi) Khyla meeting. A small group of Tharu youth urged Dilli Bahadur Chaudhary, a social activist and member of the Tharu community, to establish a rights-based development organization for their community, giving rise to the Charpate Club. The youth conducted a literacy class for Tharus and developed plans for income-generating activities. Initially, they supported the club with donations from relatives and their own savings.Recognizing the need for sustainability, the youth began to perform community works projects including masonry, vegetable farming and Tharu cultural shows. After earning 700 rupees (less than USD $10), the club purchased books, pencils, slates and chalk for literacy classes. Through these classes, taught by the light of an earthen kerosene lamp, illiterate Tharus continued to learn for many years.
After the restoration of democracy in Nepal in 1990, the organization was renamed as Backward Society Education (BASE) and legally registered in Dang province. BASE has been extremely successful in mobilizing more than 200,000 members, including not only Tharus but also other indigenous people such as the Dalit (“untouchables”), economically poor communities, ex-kamaiyas, child laborers, disaster-affected people, and victims of armed conflict in the eight districts of Rukum, Salyan, Dang, Banke, Bardiya, Surkhet, Kailali, and Kanchanpur.
Meet the volunteers who work for Backward Society Education.
Telling The Story
Photographs:
View the BASE's photo gallery
View the photos of Peace Fellows Chantal Uwizera and Maelanny Purwaningrum on Flickr.
Dilli Chaudhary - BASE Founder and president
Girls from one of BASE's Child Friendly Villages learn about creating the Love Blanket. (Photo by Maelanny Purwaningrum.)
Videos:
Check back soon for a video on Backward Society Education!
Peace Fellow Blogs:
2012 Peace Fellow:
Alexander Kelly
2011 Peace Fellows:
Chantal Uwizera
Maelanny Purwaningrum
2010 Peace Fellows:
Karie Cross
Adrienne Henck
2009 Peace Fellow:
Kan Yan
Quilting and Other Projects:
The Love Blankets
To generate international awareness and support for BASE’s anti- child labor initiatives and to promote the fight against child labor, BASE collaborated with Child Friendly Villages across southwest Nepal to produce the Children’s Love Blanket. The Love Blanket is an international advocacy tool that represents a Child Friendly Village’s commitment to end child labor and promote children’s rights, including the right to education. The Child Friendly Village is a unique concept developed by BASE to make villages child labor-free and to ensure access to quality education to all children.
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| The First Love Blanket | The Second Love Blanket | The Third Love Blanket |
Taking Action - BASE's Work
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| 2011 Peace Fellow Maelanny Purwaningrum poses with two girls who worked on the Love Blanket with BASE. |
- To develop community awareness and leadership through rural community participation, organization and mobilization.
- To develop human rights awareness among the people and to promote people’s participation.
- To assist communities by making health and family planning services effective, while considering the preservation of the environment.
- To provide educational aid and advice, with a focus on literacy, to exploited ethnic groups for their intellectual development.
- To preserve disappearing cultures through cultural education.
- To develop relationships with civil society for the purpose of human and socio-economicdevelopment.
- To assist rescue efforts in times of natural disaster.
- To launch programs to increase the earnings of exploited ethnic groups by utilizing their own labor and skills.
Support Backward Society Education to reduce Child Labor in Nepal:
You must insert a dollar amount to donate.
Contact BASE
Visit the Backward Society Education's website
Mailing Address:
Backward Society Education (BASE), Project Office
Tulsipur Municipality-6 Dang, Rapti Zone Nepal
Telephone Number: 0977-82-520055, 520312
Fax Number: 0977-82-522212
Email: base-nepal@ntc.net.np Back