Tag Archives: Ujwal thapa

Looking for bridge-builders

change, leadership, , , , , , ,

Are we in dire need of “bridge builders” in Nepal?

A Bridge builder builds and safe-guards a bridge across to connect Nepal to the “nation builders”. They are individuals who plunge, who risk in difficult times like now, to become a bridge between “the coming era of nation builders” and the fading era of nation destroyers. Only, through the bridge-builder’s safe-guards and sacrifices, the nation builders can come together to build Nepal into a dignified prosperity.

Bridge builders are a unique species, true patriots.  They help bring about the era of nation builders.  You might ask why don’t we bring the nation builders here right away. Nation builders cannot come to Nepal right now. Why? Because even though they have the will and the ability to significantly impact their environment, they  need a relatively conducive environment to thrive. Nepal is not there yet. Nation builders include entrepreneurs, doctors, technocrats, community activists, policy makers, scientists, etc etc.

Bridge-builders make this possible. It requires men of courage, will and willing to sacrifice it for improving the environment until the nation builders can take over. What we lack now, are bridge builders. Are you one? Will you become one?

Here are some of your roles as a bridge builder:

  • be an uncompromising and tireless campaigner for consensus and an integrator.
  • advocate each Nepali to search for their own “identity” and “sense of purpose” in their community.
  • advocate for each Nepali to be cleaner on their personal conscience.
  • be a bold and pacifying voice for the oppressed, helpless, affected and confused Nepalis.
  • lead by example and be a strong moral force in his cause. Become a stronger moral compass for others to follow.
  • advocate and organize a peaceful resistance to violent systems.
  • have compassion for your enemy even while you seek to completely destroy this system in which the enemy flourishes.
  • forsake the traps of self glorification and cheap popularity. Focus only on “bridge-building.”
  • become a truth worshipper. This is the source of power of a “bridge builder”.
  • inspire Nepalis to the path of nation building along the lines of “अहिंशा” (non-violence) , compassion, and moral integrity.
  • bring together other bridge-builders to build this bridge and guide them to be safeguards.We need to build a critical mass of bridge-builders.
  • organize teams of nation builders ready to take over from the transition.
  • and finally be ready to engage in self sacrifice to build and safeguard this bridge.

Hopefully you will be one of the rare ones, that will build this bridge into a new Nepal.

Happy Father’s day. Make your father proud.

“A man’s soul is an endless universe plus one more. Be aware, be dazzled.”

little ways YOU can help change the political landscape in Nepal

change, , , , , ,

We always complain about the need for political change in Nepal. I agree 1oo% with you. But If you are expecting some one to magically overthrow the corrupt ones, and re-build the political systems in the right path, I would argue that this is almost impossible right now.

So  how do we contribute to a positive political change here, in  small yet effective ways ?

Change does not happen magically; it comes through small yet persistent efforts of Nepalis like you and me.

Here is one way to start changing the political dynamics in Nepal. How about supporting existing “common sense” political leaders of Nepal who have a better track record; who also have potential to change things inside their parties and outside? Here are some ways how to.

# Next time, pledge your active help to your favorite leader.
# Whether it is 1 hour a day, campaigning for them or if it is 1000 rupees a month to help in his/her campaigns or make them more recognizable.
# Write to them personally expressing why you support them. Commend them on their small successes. Give them this positive energy to risk more.
# Open fan pages and detail their stories and causes they are working on. Make them heard !

Here is the premise:

In less than 2 months, Nepali Congress is having its new leader selection after a long time. How about supporting Gagan Thapa for the next President of that party. I am sure,  he is looking for active support from Nepalis like you.

Lately, Nepal Communist Party (Maoists) is having internal discussions to bring new leadership through a new party general convention (which is yet to happen after 19 years). Find a progressive leader in there and encourage them to be more powerful within their party!

Currently UML is having leadership crisis, support one of the ones who are visionary and wants to risk more for positive change in Nepal. Rabindra Adhikari or RamKumari Jhaakri ?

or Abhisekh Pratap Shah and Raj Kishor Yadav from Madhesi Janadhikar Forum?

Same goes for all other political groups you support. Every one of them is having an identity crisis and you can help change this by giving weight to progressive leaders within.

We will never magically find a new perfect leader for Nepal to lift us from this mess. But we could start by  encouraging some of the “common sense” leaders to start taking bigger risks with your active support!

Name your own common sense leader below ?


Common sense questions for Nepal’s rulers

common sense, , , , , , , ,

Dear Rulers
You have been ruling us for some time now, some of you, for 5 or 10 or 15 or even 20 years now.So we want you to answer a few questions below.

  • Why are 601 constituent lawmakers needed when at the end only 3 or 4 politicians decide everything for them?
  • Why do you stop hydro-power companies from investing here, if you talk about hydro-power as a major export and development catalyst for Nepal? (we go 14 to 18 hours without electricity a day each winter)
  • Why do you talk about democracy, when you issue “whip” to your members to only be allowed to vote along party leaders lines?
  • Why do you talk about us youths as Nepal’s future, when we are clearly the “present” of the country? (82% of Nepali are under 40)
  • Why do you call other countries to help and beg for aid if you don’t want any foreign interference? (30% of economy runs on aid)
  • Why does Bagmati still stink when over 25 years, there are 100’s of organizations and government bodies working to solve it?
  • Why do you talk about transparency when your parties don’t reveal who funds you?
  • Why do you treat our remittance workers like third grade Nepali, when they are responsible for $3.5 Billion income?(nearly a third of Nepal’s income?) (have you seen us stand on passport lines in offices, insulted in airports, extorted by your cronies etc)
  • Why are 1200 Nepalis stuck with going abroad every day for a job despite our two neighbors, India and China growing at near 10% each year?
  • Why did you come together to launch a revolution in Nepal 4 years ago if “gaas, baash ra kapaas” (गाँस, बास र कपास” is still your slogan on random walls? (prices are up yearly 20% since you took over?)
  • Why do we Nepali need you anymore?

Thank you again for helping answer these questions.
Sincerely Nepal’s,

…………………………
A Nepali. (Insert your name)

If you have your own questions for our rulers, write in the comments below. Thanks.

when looters become rulers

change, , , , , , , , , , , ,

Here is a movie theme. Begins like this:

डाकुहरु (looters) take turns looting and pillaging a village. The village is sucked high and dry repeatedly. Then a scuffle breaks out among the looters over who gets to loot and pillage the village this season!

The villagers are on their knees, begging for survival. The looters just can’t agree until the very last moment….  Meanwhile the village awaits fearfully.

Lo! A decision has been made. They have decided to let the sucked dry village live but on ONE condition only.
That they be allowed to rule the village unconditionally and with impunity, for one more year.
The villagers all agree! A sigh of relief is heard everywhere, some rejoice the breakthrough! Some are seen thanking their looters for saving  the village from “certain” disaster!
A large quiet majority sit mute, maybe out of fear or disunity. ” ke garne  के गर्ने ? “

Final scene: The Looters rule the village again while another group of looters scheme for their downfall. The villagers are glad to have survived another year ???

THE END. (This Film repeats again……and again……… and again in the Cinema hall near you )

The  Nepali audience claps.”what a beautiful tragedy-comedy”, some one shouts!

My question to you is, Will you save this village from the looters, or will you rather rewind back and watch this film show again and again?
Doesn’t this sound like Nepal right now?

One man is more than enough capable of changing the environment around.
If Gandhi and Mother Teressa have shown us this in neighboring India, what are we all waiting for in Nepal?
If Deng Xiaoping in China  has shown how to bring millions of chinese from poverty to prosperity, there you go!
If they can do it, we can do it better !

Lets be the change we strive for. Right now, we are all afraid and frustrated. But when we face our fears, we will win, each of us.
Life is risk. Are you going to live your life, dead or alive?

For those of you daring enough, here are some possible starts. (which I hope inspires you to start initiatives, your own way)

Start a group or a club in a political cause you belief in? If you are against bandh, open one up, or join a anti-bandh group. Find like minded people around you.  Take  a stand. Be pro-active (not passive). Change begins small!

Write, Write, Write  (first anonymously comment in news papers, then a small article, then a analysis, then write comprehensively proposing your solutions ). Remember no one is a born writer or a problem solver. Everyone learns by practicing. Your pen reaches more people than you ever imagine.

Practice convincing your views to your friends and near circle. If you can’t convince your group, you cannot convince the mob that is out there. This is the hardest hurdle !

Don’t be afraid to take sides but remain true to your views. If your views change over time, that is fine. It is natural.  Just don’t ever remain under obligations that contradict your morals! You are here to lead, not to play politics.

You are unique, go do it your own ways if you want ! No other way is better than your way! If you want to follow, follow your conscience!

We are all capable of leading in our own circles. So lead the way in your own small ways!

So What  will you do today?

some more ideas in this article. “The common sense movement in Nepal”

Swedish IT social entrepreneur in Nepal, Bjőrn Sőderberg

philosophy, social entrepreneurs, , , , , , ,

Bjőrn Sőderberg, 28, is a young social entrepreneur with three successfully running companies, two in Nepal and one in Sweden.

In search of something exciting, challenging and different from that of Sweden, Bjőrn Sőderberg came to Nepal as a volunteer when he was 19 years old and lived in Bal Mandir. During his stay, he saw the potential for exciting new things in the hands of the young people in the country. In contrary to the trend of the youngsters finding their way to the U.S and abroad, Bjőrn started off in Nepal with a paper recycling (Watabaran Pvt. Ltd.) and IT outsourcing venture (Websearch Professionals Pvt. Ltd).

Despite the Swedish Government urging its citizens not to travel to Nepal for security reasons, Mr. Sőderberg was determined and he started approaching for loans in banks for the initial capital of $20,000. But through his struggle in the initial days, what he learnt was exciting!

——> Lesson No: 1,  One does not need money to be an entrepreneur, s/he needs customers. You don’t spend money to start a company; you start a company to earn money. And with this learning in mind, he went to Sweden and confirmed two clients by promising them to deliver the same service they were already getting, but in half the price. His first two customers was his market research. In his way of doing things, he believes more in learning by doing rather than trying to focus too much in theory as he says “Most people believe you need to follow a certain process and make business plans to start a company. But the matter of fact is you don’t need websites, business plans or brochures to start your company, just start making money. Once you have your first customer, you have your market research, you have your company.”

Speaking of the struggle people go through to find that one bright idea to start up a venture, he points out that having a good or a great idea is not a guarantee of the success of the business.
—–> Lesson No. 2, Having the drive and the guts is more important than the idea itself.

The passion associated with the work can naturally make any idea a good one. The old formula is if you enjoy your work, you don’t even feel you are working. Adding more on innovation, idea and entrepreneurship, he explains that Entrepreneurship is about getting an idea and working very hard to realize it because it takes time to build up a business. And thus during that time, an entrepreneurs must have two qualities; patience and work hard.

While most people are apprehensive about starting up a business for the fear of failure, he takes a different approach saying,

—–> Lesson No. 3, “Never be afraid to fail. Rather be afraid of never failing. Those who never fail have never tried anything new and never be afraid of creating new things. Because creating new things and translating new ideas to action, even if they are small ones is what entrepreneurs do.”

Some Questions & Answers

What are the problems in starting up a business in Nepal?

Corruption is one of the major discouragements in starting up a business in Nepal. Bureaucrats try to squeeze money out of you here which a different scenario than in Sweden.

Do you think foreign investors are safe enough to invest in Nepal?

Given a few things, a safe environment for foreign investment can be created in Nepal. Some are:
Documents should be in English.
Load shedding should cease.
Hindrances from involuntary Bandhs and strikes should stop.

Have you faced or felt any conflict between the social contribution and economic aspects of a business?

I haven’t faced many clashes as such. I provide scholarships to talented students to study in KU and ask them to work for me for 4 years. Besides, I am always trying to take the middle way in finding profitability and contributing to the society.

In a certain business situation like “If a client asks more and more services and in the end refuses to pay the prices pointing out it was very high, what can one do in such situation”?

To avoid unprofessional situations like these, making everything about the deal clear beforehand is important. Give your client a sample or a prototype of your service and product and ask them to test it. If they like it then mention your prices. But remember some clients are unworkable and sometimes in those cases you have to let them go.

Previous speakers at “E4N’s Last Thursdays” have been:

Ambica Shrestha of Dwarika’s Hotels and Resorts

Ajay Ghimire of Vibor Bank

Ashutosh Tiwari of Himalmedia

Bal Joshi of Thamel.com

Gyanendra Pradhan of HydroSolutions Nepal

Ichhya Raj Tamang of Civil Homes Group of Industries

Jonas Lindblom, a Swedish investor of Isadora Cosmetics on Durbar Marg

Karna Sakya of Kathmandu Guest house

Kiran Bhakta Joshi of Incessant Rain Animation Studios

Mahendra Shakya of Momo King

Min Bahadur Gurung of Bhatbhateni Supermarkets

Tashi Sherpa of Sherpa Adventure Gears