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.
