Flame Of Hope Nepal

Flame of Hope Nepal Campaign Update Spring 2015

Flame of Hope Nepal partner with The Wall of Hope working under Campaign continues strong in 2014 and 2015. Human Rights Film Focus Nepal continued to bring the Campaign to schools and colleges, while taking a leadership role in organizing a “Girl Power Conference” in October, celebrating International Girl Child Day. The four day conference had sixty two youth participants from thirty one districts. A ratio of two girls to one boy was established, with a participation goal of the young people coming from many different backgrounds. Sight impaired, Bhutanese refugees, transgender youth, and other minorities were represented at the conference. HRFFN distribut Wall of Hope materials, including flex and cd program material to each participant to organize Wall of Hope in their communities and schools. HRFFN took the initiative in bringing together a large coalition of organizations that organized the conference, including UNICEF, PLAN Nepal, CWIN Nepal, CARE Nepal, VSO, UNESCO, UNFPA, Women Lead Nepal, UNHCR, and others. The conference was formally recognized as being sponsored by the government.

In November, the Wall of Hope Campaign took on new dimensions. An advocacy component was added in the form of a petition drive. Nearly 4,000 signatures have been collected so far, and over 1,100 “personalized” hand-painted petitions have been collected which will be delivered to members of the government. Another element that complements the campaign is the creation of hand drawn art with personal messages about stopping violence against women. The “mini” Walls of Hope are then taken to owners of businesses and taped to their store’s front windows. HRFFN has had some success in bringing in the Chamber of Commerce as partners on this project, and hopes to expand their role in the coming months.

The Wall of Hope Campaign also launched a five year program in November, timed with the Sixteen Day United Nation s Campaign To Stop Violence Against Women. This is an effort to get more “messaging” out on the streets proclaiming that violence against women is not tolerated by the overwhelming majority of people, organizations, and businesses. HRFFN is very grateful for the participation of the Embassy of Australia, the United Nations, the Embassy of the United States, the British School, CIWEC Clinic, the European Union, the 1905 restaurant, and others who helped launch this project.

The Wall of Hope Campaign visited on average two to three schools per week in November and December. The Campaign made a presentation to 13 principals from A Level colleges, receiving new support and requests for participation. In late December the campaign went to several schools in Pokhara. A Level principals in Pokhara invited the Campaign to come to their schools in March or April. Students participating in an advanced English program sponsored by the United States Embassy participated in another embassy initiative, the American Corners library program.

Mt.Kailash School
Shree Bishnu paduka S.school
S.O.S H.G.S.S
Kanya Mavi School

HRFFN continued partnering with CWIN Nepal to bring the Wall of Hope Campaign to government schools. Kanya Mandir School, Pashupati Mavi are School some of the schools that have participated. The government girls school, has the largest Wall of Hope. Volunteers took five days to complete the project.

The HRFFN team made presentations in December to the leadership and membership of Amnesty International, as well as staff and student leaders from Nobel College at a special breakfast. Nobel College later invited HRFFN staff to be special guest at their new student orientation, attended by 270 students.

Media continued to cover the Wall of Hope Campaign through the end of 2014, starting with several stories in English language and Nepali dailies. There was a photograph in Republica of a Wall of Hope that they had just created. Artistic coordinator Rachiv Dangol was interviewed on Janani Radio .an all women radio station in Pokhara. A youth program on NTV aired a special report about the Wall of Hope Campaign which was filmed at Little Angels School. A story ran in a publication out of Surkhet when Wall of Hope took its Campaign there in late January.

American Corners and ACCESS program.

Following the very successful launch of collaboration with the US Embassy’s ACCESS and American Corners programs in Pokhara in late December, 2014, HRFFN brought the Wall of Hope Campaign to Dhangari and Surkhet in January. Schools visited in Dhangadii included Stepping Stone school and Gurukul school the American corners libraries hosted students from several communities in both and Surkhet and Dhanghadi.

HRFFN organized a training in March with VSO, Volunteer Service Organization, with 35 volunteers from Nepal and the UK participating. A training/event was also held at Ullens School with eighty students from the Ullens IB program. IB students will be taking the Wall of Hope Campaign to several communities the last week in March.

International Women’s Day was marked by HRFFN with a special event at the Nepal Human Rights commission. Over 100 students from four schools filled the NHRC meeting room for a program that included remarks from the Chairman, Anup Raj Sharma, and Mona Ansari the only female member of the NHRC. HRFFN and Sarangirestaurant (ganndharba restaurant) collaborated with a special screening of The Sari Soldiers on March 8^th, International Women’s Day. The audience, made up of Nepalis and European tourists, praised the film afterwards, and owners of Sarangi restaurant (ganndharba restaurant) plan on screening it against soon.

Chairperson of National Human Right Commission (NHRC) MR. Anup Raj Sharma and Member Mona Ansari and with their staff

The March issue of The Nepali Man magazine was devoted to gender violence issues and had a special feature about the Wall of Hope Campaign. See their facebook page for the story and interview. facebook.com/tnm.magazine. HRFFN thanks TNM for speaking out on VAW and encourages other men to follow the lead of this publication.

Photographic documentation about the Wall of Hope Campaign can be found on the HRFFN Facebook Page. HRFFN now estimates that over 400 schools have, in some form, participated in the Campaign, and that roughly 20,000 students have been impacted by the Campaign. With its partner, Youth For Human Rights, the Wall of Hope Campaign has now distributed over 17,000 pamphlets of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to students.

HRFFN is sincerely grateful for support from the embassies of the United States, Switzerland, Australia, and our friends in Europe and the United States. HRFFN is equally grateful to the following volunteers who provided support for the Campaign: Jarina budhacharya , Lila Gurung, Subarna lama, Kritee khana, Cheeme Sherpa, Saraswati Nepal, Sujina Shrestha, Shiwani Manadhar, Jyoti Joshi, Sital Mahat, all volunteers.

Finally, HRFFN extends thanks to all of our partners: Human rights film focus Nepal, Women Lead Nepal, Children of Peace, Youth For Human Rights, Women’s Learning partnership, Butter Lamp Films, and The Sky Movies.

Girl power conference

Wall Of Hope Flex From UN House

Wall of Hope Flex from Australian Embassy

Petition from Cambridge public high school

Wall Of hope activity with American Corner Dhangadhi

One of the wall of hope from Babylon National H.S.S

Wall Of Hope with VSO volunteer from Baglung

Screening of documentary in Kasthmandap College

Celebrating Internatinal Women Day in Chapali

Following an educational program, this Wall Of Hope was painted at Ecole Victor Hugo Manjushree Vidyapith (VHMaVi), projet de Sarue. Community organizers have painted three Walls of Hope and plan on painting 10 more in Chapali