Every country has problems and Nepal has certainly seen its share these past fifteen years – most notably the conflict between Maoist fighters and the Royal Armed Forces. When I first heard about the Nepal peacebuilding seminar I felt excited for the chance to visit this beautiful and altitude-abundant country but also felt ill-equipped to understand all the various aspects involved in this conflict. I needed some quick education so I began viewing some films (which you can also watch for free at http://www.nepalupclose.com/Videos.aspx) on the Nepal civil war.

After watching a few documentaries about Nepal I noticed a re-occurring sentiment. Several Nepalese made statements like “We’re all women; I don’t know why we don’t help each other” and “All my neighbors know what happened to me, but they don’t say anything.” The war in Nepal has obviously destroyed trust, but it seems there are additional factors that are impeding progress to peace and true conflict transformation. Of course I am interested in researching the incorporation of Maoists into the government, new programs for disarmament, or other similar issues that dominate international headlines, but now I see it’s just as or even more important to dive deeper into the cultural and structural aspects of Nepalese life such as gender and religion that are hindering cooperation even now after armed conflict has ceased. I guess making peace involves more than just putting the guns down.