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Robert S. Kittel Director of Education, UPF - Asia Two Paths to Peace Dr. Robert S. Kittel Director of Education, UPF - Asia Universal Peace Federation New York, USA II | TWO PATHS A PEACE INITIATIVE OF ANOTHER KIND | III IV | TWO PATHS TO PEACE Table of Contents Acknowledgements ............................................................................................VI Abbreviations ............................................................................................................ VII A Peace Initiative of Another Kind .............................................................VIII Krishna V. Rajan, Former Ambassador of India to Nepal Purpose and Focus ............................................................................................... 1 The Basic Principles of Peace ............................................................................ 6 I. PEACEMAKING: PARALLEL TRACKS ...................................................... 11 Building a Climate for Cooperation ................................................................. 12 General Elections ............................................................................................... 47 Birth of a Democratic Republic ....................................................................... 53 Protecting the Peace Process ............................................................................ 58 SUPPORTING THE PEACE PROCESS ............................................................ 82 The Challenges of Coalition ............................................................................. 82 H.E. Madhav Nepal, Prime Minister of Nepal Inspiring Youth to Help Build Peace ............................................................... 84 Hon. Ek Nath Dhakal, Member of Parliament Need for Tolerance ............................................................................................. 86 Rt. Hon. Sher Bahadur Deuba, Prime Minister (1995-97, 2001-02) Peace Depends on Us ........................................................................................ 87 Hon. Sahana Pradhan, Minister of Foreign Affairs Promoting a Culture of Heart .......................................................................... 88 Hon. Taranath Ranabhat, Former Speaker, House of Representatives Practicing the Principles of Peace .................................................................... 89 Hon. Chitralekha Yadav, Deputy Speaker of Parliament Rewriting the Constitution and Communism ................................................ 92 Interview with Chandra Prakash Gajurel Member, Central Committee, Communist Party of Nepal-Maoists A PEACE INITIATIVE OF ANOTHER KIND | V II. PEACEBUIDING: CIVIL SOCIETY INITIATIVES ................................ 97 Teaching Universal Values ................................................................................. 98 Reconciling Ethnic Divides ............................................................................... 99 Educating for Peace .........................................................................................101 Learning Peace through Service .....................................................................104 Youth Ambassadors for Peace ........................................................................107 Climbing for National Unity ...........................................................................108 Summary of Service and Educational Programs .......................................114 OUR NEXT STEPS ...............................................................................................119 Drafting a New Constitution ..........................................................................120 Building Consensus ..........................................................................................122 ABOUT THE AUTHER .......................................................................................126 APPENDIX .............................................................................................................128 VI | TWO PATHS TO PEACE Rev. Sun Myung Moon, the Founder of Universal Peace Federation, speaking in Kathmandu, Nepal on Nov. 22, 2005 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS It is with sincere appreciation I would ing in the foreword for this book; Joy like to acknowledge the following peo- Pople along with her colleague Mike ple: the providence of God working in Balcomb for coming up this the idea Nepal; the founders of UPF interna- of the project, as well as helping with tional, Father and Mother Moon and editing, layout and design; for the Am- their entire family for their parental bassadors for Peace who made impor- heart and unconditional sacrifice for tant contributions featured in sections the sake of world peace; Drs. Chris- of this book; Dr. Shree Krishna Yadav topher and Julia Kim, the former Re- and Prof. Dr. Shree Ram Prasad Upad- gional Directors, for the nearly quarter haya for reviewing the draft and sug- of a century of investment in Asia; Dr. gesting beneficial changes; Mrs. Ginger and Mrs. Chung Sik Yong, the current Nicholls for the tedious job of editing; Regional Directors, for their practice Robert Brown who spent a month in of sincerity, devotion and true love Nepal laying out the book and falling education; Dr. Thomas G. Walsh, Sec- in love with Nepalese people; to the retary-General of UPF international, UPF team in New York that worked to for supporting this project; Hon. Ek produce this book; and Arjun Gaudel, Nath Dhakal, the Chairman of UPF- K.P. Bhatterai and the entire staff and Asia and Constituent Assembly mem- membership from the Peace Embassy ber, for his leadership and patriotism; in Kathmandu and throughout Nepal Amb. K.V. and Mrs. Geetha Rajan for for their selfless service, including the their love for Nepal from which came gate-keeper,Tek Bahadur Tamang—to valued guidance, advice and support of all, including those unnamed, my sin- these many years and especially in writ- cere and deep appreciation. II | TWO PATHS VIII | TWO PATHS TO PEACE A Peace Initiative of Another Kind itarianism by the state and police justi- fied? Is Maoist violence itself justified when there is proven mal-governance, corruption, and insensitivity in the par- liamentary system leading to exclusion, marginalization, deprivation, and hu- man rights abuse on a massive, institu- tional scale? Is there any point (as The Washington Times recently questioned Krishna V. Rajan about peace deals with Nepal’s Mao- Former Ambassador of India to Nepal ists) in trying to sign a peace treaty with violent, ideologically motivated groups The tiny kingdom of Nepal, nest- which believe in armed confronta- ling at the foot of Mount Everest, has tion to bring about their definition of caught the attention of the world by change? the manner in which it has been trying, And, was the Universal Peace Fed- for more than a decade, to grapple with eration (UPF) right in investing so an ideologically anachronistic, often much hope, energy, and resources in brutally violent, and increasingly wor- an open-ended peace initiative in Ne- rying (for many in Nepal and much of pal which pitched “irresistible force” the outside world) extremist left-wing (faith) against an apparently “immov- insurgency. able object” (the Maoists)? The Maoist insurgency in Nepal has I vividly recall the moment when raised many questions. Some at least we—a small group from the UPF in- would have a degree of relevance to cluding Robert Kittel, Ursula Amala other nations aspiring for peace, de- McLackland, Ek Nath Dhakal, then mocracy and economic progress. It has leader of UPF-Nepal (now an Hon- been said that there is no such thing orable Member of Nepal’s first Con- as a perfect democracy; democracy is stituent Assembly), and myself—first a utopia where the perennial challenge discussed, on the margin of an Inter- is how to manage the inevitable disap- national Leadership Conference in pointments, frustrations, grievances, Seoul, Korea in March 2005, UPF’s and resentments of those who feel that growing success in Nepal despite the they deserve a bigger share of the cake. great political turbulence sweeping that Is a democratic state left with any country. other option but to deal with such a Ek Nath and I had the same thought threat by the use of force? When it almost simultaneously: the UPF mes- seems to be failing, is a dose of author- sage must be urgently applied to ease A PEACE INITIATIVE OF ANOTHER KIND | IX political tensions and end the growing sake of others was thus heard with violence in Nepal. We agreed to launch interest and attention but also some a series of conferences devoted to skepticism—these lofty ideals must common challenges to peace and de- have seemed to be somewhat far re- velopment in the South Asian region, moved from the reality of the situation deliberately inviting leaders from all in Nepal, marked by tremendous ten- the political parties with whom I had sion, bitterness, and hatred, with con- closely worked as India’s Ambassador flicts being reported regularly in differ- to Nepal, in the hope that the existing ent parts of the country. As one senior trust and communication deficit could Nepalese politicians told me, shaking be eased progressively in a positive and his head in disbelief, “Why are you politically neutral environment. We had walking in where angels fear to tread?” no illusions about the complexities of the subtext in this being, “Don’t do the task that lay ahead. The situation this. It will fail. It will discredit you as looked hopeless then, and there ap- an organization, however well
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