In order to fully understand this particular blog, as well as my summer work in general a quick lesson on the structure and history of COCAP is in order. COCAP was founded by Dinesh Prasain 6 years ago to coordinate the activities and campaigns of human rights and peace building NGOs operating in Kathmandu. As it grew and took shape, COCAP gained a strong reputation for its unique ability to mobilize a strong and large force of committed volunteers in a short period of time. With this strength COCAP was included in many of the most important civil society movements in Nepal.

During the 2006 People’s Movement COCAP played an important role in documenting the human rights abuses that occurred as well as removing injured protestors and police from dangerous areas. Their action helped keep the movement relatively peaceful and cemented their role as one of the most significant peace and human rights organizations in Kathmandu.

With their reputation growing, COCAP’s membership expanded to more than 40 NGOs most of whom were based outside of the Kathmandu valley. This fact started the COCAP board thinking about how to better incorporate all the regions of Nepal into the network. It was decided to create four focal point offices in the various regions of Nepal to serve the interests of the member organizations outside of Kathmandu. In November of 2006 four facilitators were hired to work at the four focal point offices. Fast forward to June 2007 and cue the Advocacy Project Fellows to enter stage left.

AP sent four Fellows to COCAP this summer and each was placed in a focal point office. I have been based in the mid-western focal point centered in Nepalgunj. Our mission was to help strengthen the focal point and help the facilitators strengthen the network regionally through collective actions plans and any other methods we could come up with.

While there is no doubt that we have made progress this summer on our goals this summer, at times that progress was slow. There are a number of structural problems within the focal point system that combine with the absence of a unified vision of the mission and role of the focal points within the COCAP structure to limit the focal point facilitator’s potential effect. As these new offices are less than one year old this type of confusion is understandable, but it has made some of our work here very wearying. Perhaps the most frustrating aspect of the arrangement is that nobody communicates well between the focal points and with Kathmandu regarding their confusions.

Once all four of us AP Fellows had reached the similar communication that more communication was needed, the idea was introduced to have a meeting in Kathmandu with all of the important focal point staff involved. We were successful in pushing for this meeting and during the last few days of July it took place. I think it was revealing to all those who participated, and all of the problems and difficulties being experienced by the focal point staff are now out in the open. An action plan was made to continue developing the focal points and I think Kathmandu now has a more clear understanding of what they have to do to support the focal point staff and COCAP members outside of Kathmandu. While the meeting was somewhat frustrating for us AP Fellows as we suddenly found ourselves on the sideline of discussions we had a real active interest in and opinions about, I think progress was made within COCAP, and that was the ultimate goal of the meeting.

With this meeting behind us I think we have been able to focus a little more on the tasks we can complete before our fast approaching departures. All four interns have produced Collective Action plans for their respective regions, the first COCAP Focal Point Newsletter should be coming out at the end of this week, we have supported local member organizations through the writing of brochures, profiles and proposals, we have made recommendations to COCAP on a path to improve the effectiveness of the focal points and, of course, we have all had wonderful and meaningful experiences in Nepal. I think all frustrations fade from memory when I think about the people I have met, the things I have learned and everything I have seen and experienced in this complex, troubled but altogether captivating country.