Project focus

The main focus of PBI-Nepal is the provision of protective accompaniment to human rights defenders and organisations facing difficulties in carrying out their work. As such, team members physically accompany local civil society activists at risk, deterring potential threats and encouraging increased efforts for the promotion of peaceful solutions to armed conflict and for the respect of human rights. Accompaniment is only provided after an assessment of the request and of the current situation. Furthermore, it is contingent upon networking with local authorities.

Based on the political situation, impunity for past human rights violations will be one of the major issues and obstacles within the current peace process. For thousands of the most vulnerable members of society, victims of the conflict and their families, peace without justice is not peace. The current political climate, which talks of leaving the past behind and looking toward the future, excludes victims from the peace process. Therefore, victims are starting to bond together and raise their voices. This fight for justice is making them vulnerable to threats and violence from the primary parties to the conflict, the Army and Maoists, as well as from vigilante and other armed groups, which continue to operate. As a result, PBI-Nepal will focus, in particular, on these groups and human rights organizations working with them. Especially in the regions with little international presence, there is a high demand for protective accompaniment/protection. To meet that end, the project currently focuses on the Central and Midwest Regions of Nepal.  Though, as the political climate in Nepal is a constantly fluctuating one, PBI will continually analyze and respond to requests from human rights defenders and victims throughout Nepal.