My apartment in Tuzla is about a 10 minute walk to the LSN BiH office.

I am one week away from leaving for Tuzla, Bosnia. Wow, was time meant to

When I arrived through the airport in Sarajevo two weeks ago, it struck me that

On my first day at LSN BiH, I asked Plamenko to identify the biggest challenge

Last week, Mr. Derek Wolf arrived to the LSN BiH office to introduce the staff

In one of my previous posts, I mentioned that there was going to be a

Although this is a topic that’s not specifically related my work at LSN BiH, I

One inspiring artist that I met at the 2008 Regional Balkana Art Colony was Nermina

Being at the 2008 Balkana Art Colony in Mrkonjic Grad (a town in western BiH,

Now that I am back in New York and my fellowship has ended, I can

June 17, 2009, Basildon, UK: The Basildon Council has agreed to lengthy negotiations with the

June 11, 2009, Lima, Peru: The Peruvian Forensic Anthropology Team (EPAF) is urging restraint as

June 11, 2009, Malaga, Spain: “Water, Rivers, and People” — an exhibit focusing on the

June 11, 2009, Pyutar, Nepal: Police in Nepal have arrested a woman accused of beating

June 9, 2009, Basildon, England: The Basildon District Council is advertising for bids on a

June 8, 2009, Lima, Peru: The Peruvian Forensic Anthropology Team (EPAF) is demanding an investigation

June 5, 2009, Pyutar, Nepal: More than two months after a Dalit woman was severely

May 27, 2009, Mrsici, Bosnia: A new mass grave containing dozens of victims of the

20 maggio 2007 La prima cosa che voglio dire è che sono molto emozionata quando

May 26, 2009, Lima, Peru: Members of the Peruvian Forensic Anthropology Team (EPAF) recently participated

May 20, 2009, Washington, DC: The Advocacy Project (AP) has joined the Building Bridges Coalition,

May 19, 2009, Washington, DC: The Advocacy Project (AP) is pleased to announce Bayo Oyewole

May 18, 2009, Basildon, UK: The British House of Lords has refused to hear an

May 13, 2009, Washington, DC: The United States House of Representatives has passed a resolution

May 13, 2009, Manila, Philippines: The Peruvian Forensic Anthropology Team (EPAF) recently completed a series

May 12, 2009, Jerusalem, Israel: Palestinian and Israeli human rights activists are gathering this week

April 30, 2009, South Hadley, Mass.: The Advocacy Project (AP) university chapter at Mount Holyoke

April 27, 2009, Lome, Togo: African civil society organizations are challenging their governments to contribute

April 28, 2009, Washington, DC: Sadiqa Basiri Saleem, a prominent advocate for girls’ education in

April 20, 2009, Czech Republic: Roma communities in the Czech Republic are facing increased threats

April 17, 2009, Denver, Colo.: A photographic exhibit depicting a mass grave at Putis, Peru

April 17, 2009, Arlington, Va.: Members of the Nepali diaspora met recently at the Arlington

April 15, 2009, Ayacucho, Peru: The Peruvian Forensic Anthropology Team (EPAF) will host a workshop

April 9, 2009, Kathmandu, Nepal: The Asian Human Rights Commission has taken up the cause

April 7, 2009, Ayacucho, Peru: A photo exhibit depicting the efforts of the Peruvian Forensic

April 6, 2009, Washington, DC: The Bosniak-American Advisory Council for Bosnia and Herzegovina (BAACBH) is

April 3, 2009, Ayacucho, Peru: The Peruvian Forensic Anthropology Team (EPAF) is teaming up with

April 3, 2009, Washington, DC: The Obama administration has decided to seek a seat on

In Congo, there is nothing like a presidential visit to give evidence as to why

March 25, 2009, Washington, DC: This April, survivors from Darfur and five previous genocides will

March 25, 2009, Washington, DC: The Advocacy Project (AP) is inviting supporters to the University

March 25, 2009, Belgrade, Serbia: A controversial bill barring many types of discrimination is expected

March 13, 2009, Washington, DC: The Bosniak American Advisory Council for Bosnia and Herzegovina (BAACBH)

March 13, 2009, New York: Supporters of The Advocacy Project (AP) are invited to join

March 11, 2009, Huanta, Peru: The Peruvian Forensic Anthropology Team (EPAF) has begun the task

March 11, 2009, Washington, DC: Five Nepali organizations based in the United States have come

March 6, 2009, Washington, DC: The leader of a Bosnian women’s group is headed to

March 5, 2009, Occupied Palestinian Territories: The Alternative Information Center (AIC) is now taking applications

For the last three days, I have been working in outside of Bukavu (north of

March 4, 2009, Occupied Palestinian Territories: Civil society groups in the West Bank and around

March 4, 2009, South Hadley, Mass.: The Advocacy Project’s (AP) first university chapter, at Mount

This last week, I have been in Fizi Territory, which is the province directly south

February 27, 2009, Washington, DC: The voices of victims from the Bosnian region of Prijedor

Visit Congo for even a day, and you will see that one of the dominant

February 25, 2009, Lima, Peru: The Peruvian Forensic Anthropology Team (EPAF) has identified the first

February 24, 2009, Washington, DC: A multimedia exhibit on the Prijedor genocide will be shown

February 1, 2009, Washington, DC: A story is often more lasting, more true when told

February 17, 2009, Kampala, Uganda: Local entertainers, government officials and activists will join together in

February 19, 2009, Washington, DC: The Bosniak American Advisory Council for Bosnia and Herzegovina (BAACBH)

February 18, 2009, London, UK: The Peruvian Forensic Anthropology Team (EPAF) will screen a documentary

October 22, 2008, Washington, DC: A memorial quilt honoring those killed during the 1995 Srebrenica

After weeks of nervous waiting, I recently got the good news that a colleague of

February 12, 2009, Washington, DC: Nepali human rights activist Suvash Darnal laid out the case

February 11, 2009, Belgrade, Serbia: A group of human rights organizations in Serbia has sent

CAPTIONS FOR ABOVE PICS: 1. The DJs/medical staff 2. Surgeons with serious focus 3. View

One of the greatest challenges Nepal faces to development is their lack of health infrastructure,

CAPTIONS FOR ABOVE PICS: 1. Examination Room 2. Examination Table 3. Pessary Rings 4. Hospital

February 10, 2009, Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo: A coalition of 100 human rights organizations

February 10, 2009, Washington, DC: A change of government in Guinea has sparked hope for

February 2, 2009, Basildon UK: In another blow to Traveller families living at Dale Farm,

January 23, 2009, Basildon, UK: A day after a British Court of Appeal ruling paved

January 27, 2009, London/Stockholm: The International Action Network on Small Arms (IANSA) released a statement

January 27, 2009, Prague, Czech Republic: The Dzeno Association is speaking out after the United

January 23, 2008, Washington, DC: The Advocacy Project (AP) is co-hosting a discussion at Georgetown

January 23, 2009, Jerusalem: Israeli security forces invaded the home of an Alternative Information Center

January 21, 2008: The Advocacy Project (AP) will hold two events this week in support

January 21, 2009, Prishtina, Kosovo: The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has apologized to the

January 16, 2009, Washington, DC: The European Parliament passed a resolution January 15 calling on

Janaury 16, 2009, Jerusalem: The Alternative Information Center (AIC) has added its name to the

January 15, 2008, Washington, DC: Jose Pablo Baraybar, the director of the Peruvian Forensic Anthropology

January 15, 2008, Jerusalem: Nine Israeli human rights organizations held a press conference Wednesday calling

January 13, 2009, Kathmandu, Nepal: Reporters from the Jagaran Media Center (JMC) are joining other

January 12, 2009, Jerusalem: Defying the United Nations Security Council’s resolution calling for a ceasefire

A group of Palestinian women organizations are reaching out to the United Nations (UN) and

Alternatives International has sent this message to activists worldwide urging them to mobilize on January

January 8, 2009, Belgrade, Serbia: Women in Black-Serbia will hold a protest today at 2

January 8, 2009, Ramallah, Occupied Palestinian Territories: The Decmocracy and Workers’ Rights Center (DWRC), an

December 31, 2008, Colombo, Sri Lanka: eHomemakers, a Malaysian organization that helps women to create

January 5, 2009, Jerusalem: Supporters of peace in the Gaza Strip will meet at the

December 31, 2008, Basildon, UK: Young Traveller couples at Dale Farm are hurrying to get

December 31, 2008, Butwal, Nepal: The Jagaran Media Center (JMC) has successfully completed its first

December 31, 2008, Kathmandu, Nepal: Six months after a promise to provide 12,000 free surgeries

December 31, 2008, Washington, DC: Journalist Peter Lippman, who previously wrote a series of articles

The last month has been busy as usual, and I was actually fortunate enough to

December 16, 2008, Democratic Republic of the Congo: Dozens of human rights organizations – including

December 19, 2008, Washington, DC: ADIVIMA and The Advocacy Project (AP) have set a goal

December 19, 2008, Washington, DC: The Advocacy Project joined 21 other organizations today in signing

December 18, 2008, Belgrade, Serbia: Members of Women in Black-Serbia are reaching out to fellow

December 12, 2008, Sacramento, Calif: An AP Peace Fellow who worked on women’s health issues

December 3, 2008, Oslo, Norway – Governments began signing an international treaty today banning the

December 4, 2008, London, UK: Supporters of the Dale Farm Travellers gathered outside the British

December 15, 2008, Washington, DC: Bosnian Family (BOSFAM) Founder Beba Hadzic (below) was one of

December 11, 2008, Santa Fe, New Mexico: Advocacy Project Peace Fellow Heidi McKinnon, who recently

December 9, 2008, Washington, DC: In an op-ed piece published in the Christian Science Monitor

December 2, 2008, Nairobi, Kenya: At least half of Kenya’s street children are addicted to

December 2, 2008, Prishtina, Kosovo: The Kosova Women’s Network (KWN) has completed the country’s first

November 30, 2008, Washington, DC: The Advocacy Project (AP) recently exhibited the Srebrenica Memorial Quilt

November 30, 2008, Dhaka, Bangladesh: Officials at Plural Investments LLC, based in New York, have

November 26, 2008, Washington, DC: As 2008 draws to a close, The Advocacy Project (AP)

November 26, 2008, Beit Sahour, Occupied Palestinian Territories: In recognition of the United Nations International

November 20, 2008, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: Members of the World Peasants/Indigenous Organization (WPIO) are meeting

November 18, 2008, Washington, DC: The Advocacy Project (AP) honored its 2008 Peace Fellows Friday

November 17, 2008, Kathmandu, Nepal: The Nepali television series “Dalan,” which tells the story of

November 12, 2008, Washington, DC: A documentary film and photo exhibit depicting the exhumation of

November 10, 2008, Belgrade, Serbia: Three European human rights groups, including Women in Black-Serbia, have

November 4, 2008, Lima, Peru – The bodies of three civilians, victims of a 1985

November 7, 2008, New York: The United Nations First Committee on Disarmament voted overwhelmingly Oct.

November 4, 2008, Basildon, UK: The Dale Farm Travellers enjoyed a legal victory recently, when

“When Congo shakes, Africa trembles.” If you are interested in reading more about Congo’s “linchpin”

Given the history of eastern Congo, it is not surprising that Congolese are overwhelmingly honest

The red oval represents the amount of territory in eastern Congo which is threatened should

Speaking with my friend Celestin tonight, I could tell despite the static-filled connection that his

October 27, 2008, Basildon, UK: The Dale Farm Travellers are asking for letters of support

October 24, 2008, Lima, Peru: The Peruvian Forensic Anthropology Team (EPAF) will hold a photography

I wanted to write a quick word about one of Arche d’Alliance’s programs which I

Putis, Peru: Two weeks after completing the exhumation of the largest mass grave found in

Rabinal, Guatemala: Consultants hired by the Organization of American States have begun visiting Guatemalan villages

As I left Congo last January, the thoughts of everyone across North and South Kivu

This past weekend began with demonstrations across Congo recognizing the “Journee Mondiale du Refus de

The view from one house built in the Uvira mountains. In North and South Kivu,

Today (I am writing this Sunday, October 19) the MJA kids had a match against

October 20, 2008, Balle, Nepal: Upper caste residents in the community of Balle have tried

October 20, 2008, Balle, Nepal: Upper caste residents in the community of Balle have tried

I am very excited to be back in Uvira again, and am quickly getting acclimated

October 17, 2008, Nairobi, Kenya: A pioneering blogging project started by AP Peace Fellow Kristina

October 17, 2008, Washington, DC: The Advocacy Project (AP) is pleased to announce the addition

October 16, 2008, Nairobi, Kenya: The Undugu Society of Kenya (USK) held a forum earlier

Beit Sahour, West Bank: Civil society organizations and residents of the Occupied Palestinian Territories will

Delhi, India: Plans for a waste-to-energy plant at one of Delhi’s largest landfills could jeopardize

Belgrade, Serbia: Members of the women’s peace group Women in Black-Serbia are reaching out to

In the development and humanitarian aid fields, statistics can be a rather depressing reminder of

Lima, Peru: Twenty-three years after the brutal massacre of more than 50 people in the

Antigua: Representatives from Caribbean governments and civil society organizations called for the United Nations to

Washington, DC: A new report by the Violence Policy Center in Washington has revealed that

Basildon, UK: A British High Court judge granted an interim injunction Saturday night (Oct. 4)

Washington, DC: The Advocacy Project (AP) and the Bosniak American Advisory Council for Bosnia &

Lima, Peru: Three forensic experts from the Peruvian Forensic Anthropology Team (EPAF) testified last month

Antigua: Two Advocacy Project (AP) partners working on arms control issues will meet with United

Warsaw, Poland: Roma issues will have a presence at Europe’s largest human rights and democracy

London: The International Action Network on Small Arms (IANSA) is among those calling for tighter

Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo: Renewed violence in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo is causing

Washington, DC: The founder of India’s Chintan Environmental Research and Action Group, Bharati Chaturvedi, will

Washington, DC: The director of B’Tselem, Israel’s leading human rights documentation center, will hold a

Belgrade, Serbia: Women in Black-Serbia has joined several other human rights groups in condemning vicious

New York: The International Network on Small Arms (IANSA) has teamed with the newly formed

Washington, DC: An Oscar-qualified short film focusing on the lives of two Bosnians during and

Brussels, Belgium: The heads of two Roma rights organizations released a joint statement today to

Belgrade, Serbia: Members of Women in Black-Serbia say the Serbian state is resuming the practice

Washington, DC: The director of the Peruvian Forensic Anthropology Team (EPAF), Jose Pablo Baraybar, was

Delhi, India: A California environmental group is teaming up with the Chintan Environmental Research and

Panchkanya, Sunsari District: Residents of Panchkanya Village Development Committee (VDC) recently made their VDC an

Ayacucho, Peru: The first public exhibition of clothing and personal items from the mass graves

Butwal, Nepal: The Jagaran Media Center put a new spin on a traditional Nepali women’s

Ayacucho, Peru: The Peruvian Forensic Anthropology Team (EPAF) is planning to hold an exhibition Saturday,

Prishtina, Kosovo: The Kosova Women’s Network (KWN), an Advocacy Project (AP) partner, recently submitted recommendations

Lima, Peru: Two decades after the kidnapping and disappearance of 17 residents of the communities

Washington, DC: Two Advocacy Project (AP) partners that empower women through business are preparing to

West Bank: Two Israeli soldiers involved in the shooting of a bound and blindfolded Palestinian

Urlabari, Morang District, Nepal: After twenty five years of discrimination from upper-caste neighbors, a group

Mrkonjic Grad, Bosnia and Herzegovina: Dozens of artists and art students – both with and

Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo: Violence in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) continues

Ni’lin, West Bank: A 10-year-old was killed by Israeli forces on Tuesday evening during a

[youtube]TTOuVFQ0uAU[/youtube] Baglung, Nepal: A radio program that has provided a voice for disadvantaged groups in

[youtube]pLzu_CP4UBM[/youtube] Ni’lin, West Bank: Human rights advocates in the Occupied Territories are calling for a

El Salvador: Landmine Survivors’ Network-El Salvador (LSN-ES) recently won a $50,000 grant from the Gloria

New York: Delegates at the UN’s Third Biennial Meeting of States on small arms adopted

Belgrade, Serbia: More than 30 people from the Women in Black Network from Serbia traveled

Kathmandu: A Dalit family was recently exiled from their village in the Sihara District of

Kathmandu, Nepal: More than 1,400 people packed Kathmandu’s National Academy Hall on June 13 to

Sattarjhoda, Nepal: Groups of Maoist supporters recently attacked Dalit villagers building a road in the

Kaski District, Nepal: A 12-year-old Dalit boy is being hailed as a national hero in

Madrid: Romani women who survived coerced sterilization in Central Europe will speak about the issue

Crays Hill, UK: In an effort to create some goodwill with neighbors, Travellers at the

Prague: The Dženo Association, a leading Roma rights group, has released two research papers decrying

Croatia: The European Court of Human Rights issued a ruling last week upholding Croatia’s policy

Prague, the Czech Republic: The Czech National Party has unveiled a 150-page document detailing their

New York: The International Network on Small Arms (IANSA) will be hosting a panel discussion

Bangladesh: Three blind Bangladeshi children recently underwent cataract surgery to improve their vision, thanks to

I had yet to see a cow or buffalo give birth during my stay in

At the Undugu Society of Kenya Raphael teaches Harrison how to upload the photos he

In keeping with the spirit of Hannah‘s blog this week, and with the video we

Yesterday morning Yousef Amira, the 17 year old from Ni’lin who was shot twice in

The Unofficial Hospital Waiting Area One of the chapter’s of Raka battle with traveler’s diarrhea

On July 29, 2008, 10-year-old Ahmed Moussa, pictured here several days earlier, was shot in

When I was writing my last blog it was 3 AM, Hindi had left for

As part of the Landmine Survivors Network Jordan’s efforts to integrate disabled youth and survivors

In Ni’lin, children like these live under a constant threat of violence and unrest as

More than 4,500 people died in the Rabinal region alone between 1981 and 1983, and

I was all set to write about the West Bank municipality strike which just took

Members of the Dalit caste, the historically traditional “untouchables,” still face extreme discrimination and poverty

The women of the town of Ni’lin protest the construction of the separation wall through

These women and their children are beneficiaries of community-based rehabilitation efforts from the Blind Education

When the Chioxy dam was built, the Guatemalan government moved the families who lived along

This woman waits at a traveling clinic to be evaluated for a possible hysterectomy that

Delhi’s wastepickers provide an important service to the city by sorting the recyclable trash from

AP Partner, Supporting Kids in Peru (SKiP) advocates on behalf Peru’s many disadvantaged children and

The next day when I returned to the camp Parvati was there again wearing the

She caught my eye and waved me over, patting the bench next to her. I

Ever-decreasing land fertility in Eastern Nepal remains one of the most pressing issues for subsistence

After the Second Intifada, the Israeli government began building a wall separating the Israeli and

Before the second intifada in 2000, there were 125,000 Palestinians working in Israel. This number

July 11th marked the 13th anniversary of the Srebrenica massacre, which saw the deaths of

The German NGO, Solidarity Service International (SODI), has been working with local authorities for the

Wastepickers account for approximately 1% of Delhi’s population, yet they are shunned and harassed by

Living under Israeli occupation is not easy for anyone in Palestine, but it is especially

Every summer, Survivor Corps Jordan (formerly the Landmine Survivors Network) organizes a summer camp where

In Western Nepal, two women walk to Sharangkot, a small hill with views of the

Street children are ever-present on the streets of Nairobi, despite the efforts of organizations like

This past week I took my first real trip to Jerusalem for a meeting with

It is difficult to navigate Delhi by foot because many of its sidewalks are buried

The Women’s Affairs Technical Committee (WATC) in Ramallah, Palestine launched a book called “Northern Sanabel”

Apparently I’ve unintentionally caused a lot of intrigue about the “business proposal” from Sanjita I

This past week has been intense – to say the least… The plan was for

Survivors of the Rio Negro massacres offer testimony to consultants from the Organization of American

The International Commission for Missing Persons (ICMP) is still working to identify victims of the

Palestinian farmers who have cultivated land that has been in their family for generations are

African peasants that have migrated to Kampala, Uganda to escape poverty, danger and discrimination still

Within the first few days of my arrival last summer as I wandered in and

I met with Sanjita the day I landed in Kathmadu, and was surprised how small

Blind and visually impaired children from the School of the Happy World, run by BERDO,

I have received quite a few questions and comments from friends, family, and the Advocacy

Chi Vu snapped this picture of dawn near Da Nang while on an overnight train

The Undugu Society of Kenya (USK) has opened schools to educate Kenyan youth as part

For those living in the resettlement village of Pacux in Guatemala, natural resources are hard

The people of Bosnia and Herzegovina are moving on and attempting to rebuild their lives

A mother explains the effect of the wall in the lives of her children. Since

On January 5th, 2008, the CoI began holding public sessions of inquiry into Case No.

It feels surprisingly great to be back in Nepal – the key part of that

This week I am working on a video project for the DWRC to be presented

A man and a boy scavenge for recyclable trash at the Bhopura wastepicker colony where

I have only been at work for a week and I already feel like I

I am finally settled in Ramallah and I must say that of all the Advocacy

Kabul, October 12, 2005. I spend my first day in Afghanistan in the company of

Kabul October 13, 2005. My first visit is to the suburb of Kart-i-char, where Omid

Kabul October 13, 2005. I have been assigned to deliver some important letters on this

Janadgur Basiri arrives at 4:00 A.M. in the cold and dark, with his oldest son

Fatima Zahra school, Jalalabad, October 16: The school of Fatima Zahra is named after one

Fatima Zahra school, Jalalabad, October 16: I have to visit all the classrooms at Fatima

The climate in Sri Lanka is generally wetter in the southwest and drier in the

Since the entrance of civil society, the lawyers for the SLA and the police Special

The presence of legal counsel appearing at the CoI Sessions on behalf of civil society

** All photos in this blog from Ajaya Shah** You may, or may not know,

Sri Lanka hangs at an uneasy nexus of intertwined inflationary pressures. Incredibly, neighboring countries that

The shared holiday of “Singhalese – Tamil New Year” stretches over two days with April

At the beginning of March, the CoI began concurrent public sessions of inquiry into Case

Civil society faces an uphill struggle in challenging the current human rights situation in Sri

In November 2006, the Presidential Commission of Inquiry to Investigate and Inquire into Alleged Serious

One thing you quickly realize at Dale Farm: there are lots of kids around, with

Local elections for Batticaloa and surrounding areas will be held on Monday, March 10th, 2008.

Richard Sheridan produces photos of himself taken some years ago. They show a man who

By their very nature non-profit organizations are persistently concerned with the need for continual fundraising

Perhaps Dale Farm comes down to this: 500 newcomers could easily be absorbed in a

I arrive in Sri Lanka thinking of New Orleans under water, bloated corpses floating in

After the Tsunami struck, the survivors were collected from villages surrounding Batticaloa and brought to

We leave early for Batticaloa, the coastal town where the Home for Human Rights is

A tidal wave of money flowed into Sri Lanka following the Tsunami, and every day

We arrive at the Batticaloa office of the Home for Human Rights at 11.30 and

I have always assumed that any mischief in this aid operation would come from the

Cheddipalayam is one of many fishing communities that lay in the path of the Tsunami,

Our friend Grattan belongs in a long and honorable line of non-violent resistors. He cannot

In the village of Nasivanteevu we finally come face to face with war. This is

Every village has an elected rural development society, and many agencies deliver their aid through

It is now nine months since V. Thangumani, also know as Viji to her friends,

We enter Dale Farm under a gate of barbed wire, past a large banner which

Our first call in Colchester is to Grattan Puxon, the indefatigable supporter of the Dale

I’m reminded of the newspaper article I read on arrival about the weakness of civil

I arrived today in the English town of Colchester, east of London, to pick up

Although it might not be expected at first, it seems that everyone in Sri Lanka

Two weeks ago Sri Lanka commemorated its independence from the British in 1948 with annual

I just left Gaighat and after a relatively uneventful bus-ride I arrived back in Kathmandu

Before launching into the conference, here’s a little background to explain what “Madheshi” is, as

Continued from Help Withdrawn… Dismayed by the letter from the Ministry Mr. Appa contacted the

The conflict in Sri Lanka has periodically intensified and abated over the past two decades

Mr. Appa (not his actual name) attended a meeting convened by the President’s office through

Continued from Legitimate Expectation… The Court of Appeals issued its final judgment in favor of

Happy New Year! Aurudu – Sri Lankan New Year: April 13th

Even though the ceasefire agreement (CFA) has already been mostly ignored by both sides, one

Preceding the dawn of the new year every politician staked a claim that this would

NESPEC (Nepal Social Development and People’s Empowerment Center) is a human rights organization at the

At some point during the Dashain Festival in Gaighat, a friend said to me, “you

Chaot is a festival that is particularly important within Nepal’s Madheshi community who originated from

As the end of the year rolls around, organizations and people rush to wrap up

The conflict throughout Sri Lanka seems to be fundamentally a political struggle; not in the

Civil society in Sri Lanka faces the imposing challenge of cultivating the growth of alternatives

A few weeks ago I visited the Hill Country, a wide region roughly centered on

I had an amazing opportunity to join my friends from NESPEC as they traveled for

We arrived in Siddipur to conduct the project kick-off meeting after a 3 hour motorcycle

Throughout Sri Lanka and even in Colombo people must always consider the risk of being

Aside from the familiar traffic, everyday travel by Sri Lankans in Colombo and its surrounding

In the middle of the fall festival season comes the biggest of Nepali festivals. During

[I couldn’t think of topical images to accompany this blog. So instead I’ve inserted random

Coincidently, the “great festival” of Dashain was held shortly after the election tragedy. On one

The impact of the conflict in Sri Lanka on day to day routines might be

Due to an extremely fortunate coincidence, I arrived in Sri Lanka during the early morning

I’ve repeatedly heard a similar line of rhetoric in speeches given by members of marginalized

Fall is festival season in Nepal, and things have definitely begun to kick into high

Since moving to Kathmandu I’ve spent most of my time helping the Madheshi Women’s Advocacy

There are two kinds of voting currently consuming the thoughts and energy of the Nepali

1. We are Madheshi women. We are Dalit, Tharu, Rajvarrshi, Meche, Hindu, and Muslim. We

Through the helpful web of foreigners in Nepal I became acquainted with a temporary Kathmandu

During our trip to Harriya I was able to learn more about the work of

These past few months in Nepal have been and on going process of having my

Rajendra Sunar walks about a kilometer to his metal workshop most mornings after breakfast at

One of my expeditions recently was to a school in Bardiya District. I posed with

With my time in Nepal coming to a close, my pace and style of work

I have been blessed with an adopted mother in Nepal (which everyone at NESPEC loves

This bus struck and killed a local villager working in the fields. A mob burned

On my first day in Nepal there was a banda. Banda means strike. I have

Sidestreets flood after every heavy rain even though the worst of this particular flood has

A drainage ditch in front of a line of shops is covered in trash and

I have mentioned previously that my recent time away from Nepalgunj coincided with the worst

In order to fully understand this particular blog, as well as my summer work in

A group of the volunteers and I at the Karnali Bridge.

As I hinted in my previous journal, once I met the volunteers on their tour

This gigantic spider (maybe crab is a better description) suddenly appeared on my wall –

Bijay is one of my best friends from the volunteers. He was an active photographer

In Mahendranagar three performances had been planned. The first would take place at the market

A crowd gathers to watch the COCAP street drama in Dhungadi (souther-western Nepal).

I have spent much of my summer engaged in various meetings and discussions aimed at

Uhsa Pandey is the COCAP Focal Point Facilitator in Mahendranagar. She and Jeff have been

As I had meetings scheduled with International NGOs (for the second time since I never

After my arrival in Mahendranagar, Jeff, Songyee and I had a little time to discuss

Jeff is the Advocacy Project Peace Fellow working with COCAP in the far-western region of

I have found that in Nepal it makes little sense to plan too far ahead.

“Bhalighary Khalo Pratha is a system where the various services of Dalits are supplied in

As the end of my fellowship nears, it is only fitting that I finally see

[youtube]RXYzlE3-Qjw[/youtube] I made a third video while riding on the back of a friend’s motorcycle.

Throughout my time in Nepal I have learned a lot about the country, myself and

Karuna Giri in front of one of the sewing machines she uses to teach women

I sat down with my male colleagues (yes, again, all men) to negotiate our communication

With a great proposal about voter awareness in hand (written as the product of our

1. I have been really overwhelmed by all the responses to my last blog –

I am currently in Kathmandu for meetings and it turns out I left Nepalgunj just

My room in Nepalgunj is in a nice house with a very kind family. The

For more of my pictures visit my flickr.

Recently, during a slow day at the office some excitement came through on the radio.

Frequently my conversations in Nepal involve a lot of gesturing from both sides. The less

It’s hard to feel motivated to do much of anything in this weather. With the

While most of our meeting in Indrapur was taken up by discussion related specifically to

All meetings in almost every situation in Nepal start with mass introductions. Every person present

For more of my pictures visit my flickr.

Fresh off of my visit to Kali Nagar village, I returned to the office on

It took a couple of tries to actually get on the bus to head out

Over the course of the week in Kathmandu, COCAP slowly unveiled its expectations for their

Last Friday night I stayed out late for the first time in Nepalgunj, late in

Following Nayan, we soon arrived at a local house. A few of the boys had

I bought two packs of cigarettes the other day, Marlboros with the red and white

With one final sleepless night and plenty of last minute scrambling, I was ultimately able

On my second full day in Kathmandu Anil once again came to the hotel to

During my many conversations with COCAP volunteers and staff over the last week I have

It has not taken me long to settle into somewhat of a routine here in

I am, as a photographer, undeniably timid. I do not like asking people to take

Once the rain had started it did not want to quit. To return to Nepalgunj

While much of my time recently has been spent making visits to COCAP member organizations,

Rain moves in slowly in Nepalgunj. In the mornings the sun shines down relentlessly, sending

By the time our meeting with the aguwas broke up, the sun had set. It

behind us is the village phone booth.

There’s a song on the radio with the lyrics “that girl’s got mad crossing the

Our efforts to bring the 4 members of COCAP’s Eastern Region together had repeatedly failed.

Dipek is on the bike. Balkrishna and Nayan are Tharu villagers from the village Kali

[youtube]dMgi_YDnfr4[/youtube] I have made a second video. This one about the rain slowly moving in

On Friday morning I received a surprise phone call. It was my friend Dipek Bhatterai

Occasionally in the late afternoon a few friends from work and I will go get

Day 2 of the meetings started early again. We began with very general discussions to

I have already introduced the trio of Loxmi, Santi and Pipa in a previous entry.

While I work for COCAP, the COCAP focal point is actually housed in the office

For more of my photography, visit my flickr. Technorati Profile

The State Department warns American citizens traveling abroad to avoid local political manifestations and any

[youtube]AkwAv9Naets[/youtube]

As I near the halfway point of my stay, I thought I would give a

This post is a bit of a digression but I thought I’d expound on some

I had this great idea. I was going to go to Kathmandu to meet with

for more of my pictures from Nepal visit my flickr.

This is the kind of traffic Durbar Square sees on a non-banda day!

Members of Suhayatra Nepal in their Office.

Final adjustments are made on my new bike while the owner looks on.

My days in Kathmandu have been a mix of finding my bearings in the city,

Link to COCAP’s site Before I left many people asked about the organization I’d be

Welcome to my first official blog entry! As you can imagine I’m very excited and

I heard a requesty for a picture of Krishna Karki, my colleague at COCAP. Here

I just wanted to write a quick note that I have neglected blogging for a

The kid in red is definitely giving me ‘The Look’

Santi Karki, Krishna’s younger sister and I. Nitin (7 yrs old) took this picture and

Some of Krishna’s neighbors in Mayurbasti. The man in the hat asked for the photo,

We arrived in Gaighat in the middle of a rainstorm. Of course, I couldn’t distinguish

The Nepalese people are nothing if not politically active. In my first 3 weeks in

I was asked an excellent question based on my last blog, “Why do the people

Nepalgunj is located in Banke District, which is a part of the Mid-Western Development Region

On my way home from dinner the other evening, I ran into a traffic jam

Nepalgunj has one major road. Sukhet Road stretches from the base of the hills in

“So,” Zlatko asks, “what kind of music do you listen to?” “Oh, you know, a

The distance from my house to work is probably two miles. For the first few

Nepalgunj is located in the south west of Nepal in Banke District. It is one

I can’t believe it has come so fast—my fellowship has officially come to an end

Every morning begins the same: at 9:00 am a red Yugo drives down the small

This was the bridge damaged by the Maoists during the civil war. This bridge was

Jeff and I completed the journey from Kathmandu to Nepalgunj in just a shade under

[youtube]dPofXW5f8N0[/youtube] This is a short video I made in Kathmandu. It is the first one

Apparently, “bad” is spelled “baad” (not that English transliteration is ever accurate). More information, which

Well it seems the stars have aligned against us and held us in Kathmandu for

I knew at some point between Dubai’s Terminal 2 and getting off in Kabul I

A few days ago our house hosted a small get-together amongst other development worker friends.

It is almost time for us to leave Kathmandu. The work that COCAP wants us

Jeff an I witnessed a protest the other day. We later learned the protestors were

Patan’s Durbar Square. For more of my pictures visit my flickr.

My communication with COCAP about plans for my arrival hadn’t been great, though I had

Last week, eHomemakers’ Ching Ching was invited to speak at the eAsia 2007 conference. Delegates

Having lived in California prior to my fellowship here, I was lucky to be surrounded

Rural Romance—A term used by Nalaka Gunawardene of TVE Asia Pacific to describe the development

Reading my last few journals here you might get the impression that it has been

Technorati Profile

Despite what I had been told, Kabul Airport turned out to be a walk in

One of the exciting things about Kathmandu is the unpredictability. Around every corner, down every

For more of my pictures from Nepal visit my flickr.

With my first impression of Kathmandu being a peaceful and quiet one, at 10 am

My first full day in Kathmandu started early. Having fallen asleep at around 5 pm

July 11, 2005 will mark the tenth anniversary of the 1995 Srebrenica massacre in Bosnia,

The countdown has begun. I’m leaving for Nepal in a few days. I’ve been doing

Three years ago, a Polish newspaper, Gazeta Wyborcza, republished a story originally written in 1989

As part of AP’s effort to support its partners around the world, Alex Goldmark, a

December 15, 2006 Tomorrow is my last day at Bosfam. I know the normal reaction

November 30, 2006 If T.S. Eliot had been from Tuzla, I feel certain he would

November 23, 2006 Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. It’s all about friends and

November 16, 2006 The Bosnian word for guest is “gost,” pronounced almost exactly like the

November 9, 2006 This past weekend I spent three days in Sarajevo, and if I

October 26, 2006 Life at Bosfam has taken on a new tenor this week; Ramadan,

October 19, 2006 It is important never to underestimate the power of humor as an

October 12, 2006 At the end of my first week in Bosnia and Hercegovina, I

October 5, 2006 Autumn has arrived in Bosnia on my second full day in Tuzla.

Last weekend the International School of Kuala Lumpur hosted its annual “International Festival,” a celebration

While trying to develop Salaam Wanita’s business plan, I’ve come across great examples of sustainable

When you’re eating authentic banana leaf South Indian cuisine, ordering in Malaysian and surrounded by

At a Google seminar I attended last week on behalf of eHomemakers, a young gentleman

I’ve been with eHomemakers for a little more than a week now, although it feels

Sri Lanka is inhabited by two peoples, Sinhalese and Tamils, who both claim to be

“In the eastern Nepal again, one priest has declared that he would not speak a

Life is completely paralyzed in Nepal for yet another day. People are living amid fear

Nepalese are seeing dark days in his history for last seven days. With the ongoing

The second day (April 7, 2006) of the 4 day long general strike called by