Foreword
This book is one of the products of the People’s Documentation Project for Peace in Nepal, launched by a group of individuals living in Nepal with the aim of documenting ordinary people’s lives from a variety of perspectives – from different genders, ages, classes, ethnicities/castes, religions and regions – in order to offer diverse views and to avoid domination of the perceptions of particular groups. In Nepal, very few stories and messages are documented by ordinary people, making it difficult to learn lessons from history through their perspectives. This project aims to empower the people by involving them in a documentation process, and to utilize the collected material to provide lessons for future generations. Participants choose the topics themselves, and can document them using any medium, including by writing essays, diaries and poems; drawing; and photography.

Shanti Thapa Magar, one of the co-authors of this book, is an ex-employee of Shanti Sewa School, a primary school which is run by an NGO called Shanti Sewa Griha (SSG). SSG was established to provide services to people affected by leprosy as well as to handicapped people. In March 2005, Shanti left the school for some months and when she returned at the end of the year, she was surprised to see many more students at the school who had been affected by the decade-long conflict between State security forces and Maoist rebels.

In the past, Shanti, like many other residents of the capital Kathmandu, paid little attention to the conflict because she believed that it only affected the remote areas of Nepal. However, after meeting with the conflict affected students and interviewing some of them, she could not ignore it anymore – the conflict became her own concern.

Yet Shanti faced difficulties interacting with the children, who were deeply traumatized after fearful experiences in their villages. She was often confused about how to conduct interviews and then how to use the information she had collected; it was painful for her to continue listening to the children’s stories knowing she had no plans for the information. Still, she used several methods to encourage the children to express themselves creatively, such as via drawing and writing poems.

By June 2006, when the group for this project was re-assembled in order to compile the collected information, Shanti understood well that documentation is important both for victims of conflict and for others who are unaware of it.

This book describes the lives of children who escaped the conflict in their villages, mostly in Mid-Western and Western Nepal. Shanti asked them to write about their experiences and conducted interviews to verify the information. Afterward, she selected seven stories that are typical about migration from villages during the conflict, such as losing a guardian to death by crossfire, abduction, displacement, sexual exploitation and the closure of schools. I hope that after reading the children’s experiences, readers will better understand how they suffered due to the conflict; how they are coping with their new environment in Kathmandu and how we can support them as neighbors, friends and citizens living in Kathmandu.

This modest work is a joint effort of the authors and children at Shanti Sewa School. Mr. Krishna Sarbahari worked very efficiently as an editor cum author. The sponsorship of the Niwano Peace Foundation, Japan, has permitted us to publish this book and to continue the documentation process. Last but not least, the patience of the management and children of Shanti Sewa School should be highly acknowledged.

Masako Tanaka
Coordinator
People’s Documentation Project for Peace in Nepal
September 2006

Acknowledgement
I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to work as a teacher at Shanti Sewa School from May 2001 to March 2005. I was able to share my knowledge and skills with my dear students and myself received valuable coaching and training from some extremely talented colleagues from different parts of the world. When at the end of March 2005 I had to leave Nepal for my personal work, I reluctantly left behind my adoring students and precious companions.

Although far from Nepal, I thought often about my students, friends, leprosy patients and all those people linked to Shanti Sewa. The children were especially very close to my heart; I felt that I had established a spiritual connection to them. I returned to Nepal at the end of October 2005 and during this new phase an honorable person in my life, Masako Tanaka sister, always encouraged my will and strength. She showed me how to always walk on a pathway of illumination. She also suggested that I write a diary, which I began to do.

One day after I returned, I went to Shanti Sewa School to meet my ex-students and friends and found that the numbers of students had increased. My colleagues told me that these students had been displaced from rural areas by the conflict. Masako sister and I discussed these children, and decided that we would keep records about them.

Although both of us were unsure how we would use this material, I started collecting information about these conflict-affected children and interviewing some of them. Whenever I heard a child’s dreadful life story I wanted to help them immensely, but unfortunately I was only able to share their sorrows. Although I was unable to help them economically, I think that they felt relief when they shared their hidden sorrows with me.

At the same time, Masako sister urged me to take photography training, which I did, thanks to her support. During this time, I encountered a group of boys who had become street children because of the conflict.

Masako sister and I had planned to visit Humla and Jumla districts to interview conflict victims, including children. But we realized it would be more effective if the people themselves wrote their stories. So, we began encouraging both adults and children to document their lives. We also taught children how to use a camera and encouraged them to take photos in order to further share their experiences with the world.

Because of my involvement in the People’s Documentation Project for Peace in Nepal, I got the chance to visit Dang and Surkhet districts with Masako sister, where we met conflict victims. During our discussion programs, we talked with children, women and youth. Most of the participants were very keen to cooperate in the peace-building project.

That visit to Dang and Surkhet gave me spirit and courage to complete the Project, and when I returned to Kathmandu I redoubled my efforts. While writing this book I learnt many things about my country, its places and the lives of its people; I had never seen Nepal’s map so clearly. Also, I used to think that because the place where I was living was safe, the rest of the country must be so too. I learned that the reality was different. The more I discovered about my country, the more curious I became and the stronger became the bond that holds me to it. Nowadays, if I hear any bad news about Nepal I feel pain in my heart.

There is a saying: “Today’s children are tomorrow’s future.” If Nepal’s children have seen their brothers, sisters and parents fighting and killing one another, what kind of future can we expect? What effect will this have on their innocent hearts and minds? We can only imagine. Thousands of Nepalese children continue suffering because of the conflict.

The lucky children get a chance to study at Shanti Sewa School. It is our duty to show them the path of light with lots of love and admiration, so they can start new lives. We must also help them realize their rights, including the right to an education.

This book is our contribution to creating peace in Nepal. In that vein, I would like to request that all readers begin to see children and schools as “zones of peace”[i]. Of course, it’s also our responsibility to speak up on behalf of those children who are displaced and deprived of education and proper care. As individuals we should all do what we can to create peace.

Finally, I would like to heartily thank the SSG family for allowing me to write about the School. I am especially thankful to Masako Tanaka sister for involving me in this project, to Krishna Sarbahari for editing my writings and to Prem Prakash Chaudhary for his help with typing.

Shanti Thapa Magar
Boudhanath, Kathmandu

September 2006

[i] Children as Zones of Peace (CZOP) is a campaign by Child Rights Organisations.