On November 11th and 12th, WOREC hosted a regional people’s assembly, entitled Conflict, Displacement and Migration - Challenges for Peace and Development. This two-day regional workshop in the eastern region of Nepal was an opportunity for communities to voice the ways in which they are being impacted by the conflict, as well as to empower communities to communicate their vision of peace. At the workshop, communities, NGOs and various levels of government came together to share their experiences, ideas and opinions on the inter-linkages between peace, development and displacement. Experience has indicated that true human and sustainable development cannot be achieved in the absence of peace, and neither can this development be realized in the context of mass population displacement.

At the People’s Assembly, participants took part in 5 issue-based symposiums addressing issues such as the impact of conflict on youth and women, challenges for safe migration and the role of the media in promoting peace. Out of these symposiums, the BIRAT Declaration was drafted, a Platform for Action for sustainable peace, and communities were mobilized to compel the government and Maoists to work towards peace.

The BIRAT Declaration…[click here to see the full text]

Regional People's Assembly on Conflict, Displacement and Migration:
Challenges for Peace and Development