About us
Established in 2008, Samata Foundation (formerly introduced as Nepal Centre for Dalit Study) engages in policy research and advocacy for the rights of marginalized peoples, particularly the Dalit community, with the goal of promoting inclusive democracy and ending discrimination in Nepali society and politics. The foundation works to redefine the Dalit movement in the current political transition as well as in the long run. It firmly believes that real change can only be brought by disseminating knowledge, encouraging civic participation and preparing individuals from marginalized communities to become leaders of the next generation.
Nepali society has historically been plagued by the politics of exclusion. However, the decade-long people’s war and the 2006 people’s movement, followed by various movements launched by marginalized communities, have propelled the agenda of inclusion into national debates and paved a path for addressing the deeply entrenched problem of exclusion. Social groups that faced centuries of oppression are now demanding their rights, and Nepal’s political elites are being forced to acknowledge them despite resistance from some quarters. But even as inclusion has become a key agenda among those desiring change, knowledge and information about the longstanding and complex phenomenon of exclusion remains inadequate. This gap hinders the efforts of concerned organizations and policy makers.
Samata Foundation hopes to fill this gap by conducting action-oriented research, advising policy makers, training the next generation of leaders, forming a resource centre, and producing and disseminating literature on the issues of marginalized communities, with a focus on the Dalit community.
GOAL
Samata Foundation aims to end discrimination and promote inclusive democracy in Nepal by conducting research, advocacy and building capacity of the next generation of leaders from marginalized communities, particularly the Dalit community. The foundation is committed to ensuring equitable justice, rights and development for all marginalized communities.
OBJECTIVES
The objectives of Samata Foundation are as follows:
- To ensure that national debates in the current political transition, particularly the constitution writing process, effectively address the issues of marginalized communities, specially dalit
- To assist in drafting policies aimed at including historically marginalized groups in all spheres of Nepali society
- To serve as a vital resource centre by producing academic literature, comprehensive studies, policy reviews and media articles on the issues of marginalized communities
- To inform policy makers through policy briefs and train political and civil society leaders representing marginalized communities
- To create a global network for the Dalit movement through local and international campaigns against caste discrimination
- To end caste discrimination by disseminating knowledge and empowering marginalized communities through training, workshops and scholarship schemes
- To share its findings with government and non-government organizations and offer policy recommendations on issues concerning marginalized communities
- To gradually expand the scope and outreach of the current activities so as to become a leading think-tank capable of taking high-level initiatives and influencing national policies regarding the Dalit community
Board of Director
1. Padam Sundas
2. Dr. Madan Pariyar
3. Dr. Sumitra Manandhar
4. Thakur Dhakal
5. Suvash Darnal - Managing Director
Staff
Suvash Darnal – Managing Director
Mr. Suvash Darnal is a prominent human rights advocate with a focus on Dalit Rights in Nepal. Mr. Darnal has been a very active civil society youth leader in the country. He is the founder chairperson of Jagaran Media Center which advocates for the protection and promotion of rights of the Dalit community in Nepal. Likewise, he served as Chairperson for the Collective Campaign for Peace (COCAP) which is a network of individuals and organizations involved in peace building. He has conducted numerous research projects in the field of Dalit rights, of which some prominent papers have been published. He has authored and several books and publications including Dalit in Constitution: conversation with Dalit CA member (Nepali) and The Land of our Own: conversations with Dalit Member of constituent Assembly (English) in 2009 and co-edited the Politics of Reservation and Special Rights in 2007. He has been an executive committee member of Action Aid International, Nepal and Advocacy Project, Washington DC. Till date, Mr. Darnal has received prestigious fellowships from London School of Economics, National Endowment for Democracy and others.
Dr. Narendra Mangal Joshi – Program Coordinator/ Research Director
With work experience of more than six years in various national and international organizations and with experience in handling different independent projects, Mr. Narendra Mangal Joshi has a Ph. D. in Development Studies with a focus on community based natural resource management. He has more than a dozen publications in national and international journals with relation to the institutional dynamics of community based natural resource management, food security, rural livelihood, conflict and natural resource management, civil society and peace building. His research interests include social dynamics of excluded communities, the role of civil society in development, the constitution building process and excluded communities rights, and and the relationship between climate change and rural communities.
Research Fellow
J B Biswokarma
With experience of more than half a decade in Jagaran Media Centre (JMC), JB Biswokarma is currently receiving his Masters Degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from Tribhuvan University (TU). He served as a reporter for Mulyankan, the monthly magazine and continues to write raising the voices of marginalized communities. He is an executive committee member of the Federation of Nepalese Journalist (FNJ) based in Lalitpur. His publications include Dalit and Media, published both in a Media Journal and Books by Martin Chautari. He also co-edited books entitled Dalit Human Right Situation 2008 and Dialogue with Dalit CA Member (2009). His research work includes Dalits in Community Radio: Policy, Leadership and Program and is undertaking research on the topic of Democracy and Social Inclusion.
Arjun Biswakarma
Arjun Biswakarma comes from an academic background of English Literature and has started journalism while being active in the Dalit social movement. He worked as an editor of the bi-monthly magazine Pratibodh for two years. Previously, he also served as a reporter for Muktibodh bi-monthly. These magazines are aimed at supporting and empowering the many marginalized communities, who were discriminated socially and paralyzed politically under the so-called autocratic kingdom of Nepal. He worked as the central committee member of DLF, Nepal (Dalit Liberation Front of Nepal). Being a fellow of the Foundation, he is undertaking research on the issues of social inclusion of marginalized communities with a focus on the Dalit movement and globalization.
Rajan Kumar Pariyar
Mr. Rajan Kumar Pariyar has a master’s degree in Anthropology from TU. He has working experience as a project officer for Nepal National Dalit Welfare Organization (NNDSWO) and served as an assistance field researcher on various research issues. His master’s thesis entitled "Relation of Parental Occupation with Children Education: an Anthropological Studies of Dalit Squatter's of Pokhara City" was awarded as the best paper in the 2007 in the national level seminar. He also writes frequently on contemporary Dailt issues. He also brings to life the pains and outcries of the Dailt community in the form of poem and literature. Currently, he is carrying out research on the Impacts of Globalization on the Traditional Occupation of Dalits.
Bhola Paswan
With an academic background in Political Science and a career in professional journalism, Mr. Bhola Paswan worked for Jagaran Media Center as a Human Rights Reporter for five years and has also been reporting on the issues of discrimination of untouchables in the rural villages of the Tarai. He began his career in journalism as a reporter for Nawajagrati weekly and gradually started reporting for National Daily. His significant contribution on the field of journalism was sanctified with his receiving of the Sancharika Equity Award in 2007. He is actively involved in the Haruwa and Charuwa land right movements. He is affiliated with nearly half a dozen community based organizations. His research interests focus on Political Participation and Livelihood of Terai Dalits.
PARTNERS AND AFFILIATION
Samata Foundation has been working with various organizations at the local, national and international levels.