Imagine Nepal Brochure

Appreciative Inquiry
for Peace and Development
An Initiative for Societal Transformation

From Negative to Positive

Nepal is a country of gentle nature, wisdom, beauty and strength. Yet, because of mismanagement, pervasive poverty, and inequity, we are caught in a downward spiraling crisis, a cycle of violent conflict and aggression?with heavy loss and destruction of lives, livelihoods, rights, and assets of all kinds and at every level. If we focus our thoughts on and analyze these events, news, and problems, we tend naturally toward negativity, despair, and hopelessness. But, many organizations like IMAGINE NEPAL are founded on the knowledge and experience that human beings equally share in the tremendous capacity to learn and shift their perception, thought, and action toward a positive, transformational alternative. In spite of the crisis and collapse of governance, an expanding network of Nepalese believes that positive transformation of our country is possible and is taking positive action toward peace and prosperity. In IMAGINE NEPAL, we focus our thought, attention, and inquiry on the best that is happening around us. There are great people doing great things. We look for, discover, appreciate, and analyze success?what's working?and then amplify it to create a positive future. The ultimate goal is equitable social transformation, sustainable development, and peace.

What is Appreciative Inquiry?

How can people inquire into their organizations or communities to discover, dream, design, and transform toward the best? What method would enable us to turn tension into enthusiasm, cynicism into collaboration, and apathy into inspired action? How can we analyze success instead of problems, and what difference does it make? These are some fundamental questions underpinning the innovative approach, Appreciative Inquiry (AI).

In the words of Prof David Cooperrider, “ Appreciative Inquiry is about the co-evolutionary search for the best in people, their organizations, and the relevant world around them. In its broadest focus, it involves systematic discovery of what gives “life” to a living system when it is most alive, most effective, and most constructively capable in economic, ecological, and human terms. AI strengthens a system's capacity to apprehend, anticipate, and heighten positive potential. It seeks, fundamentally, to build a constructive union between a whole people. It assumes that every living system has many untapped and rich and inspiring accounts of the positive. Link the energy of this core directly to any change agenda, and changes?never thought possible?are suddenly and democratically mobilized”.

Appreciative Inquiry has been used as a powerful transformative process in several countries worldwide. Examples include: transformational endeavors like Imagine Argentina , Imagine Uruguay , Imagine Chicago; global organizing forums such as United Religions Initiative and Business as an Agent of World Benefit (BAWB); igniting leadership at Environmental Protection Agency , US Navy; and organizational development and positive changes at multinational companies like Nutrimental, Hunter Douglas, GTE, British Airways NOKIA etc.

In Nepal , many organizations including GOs, NGOs, projects, community-based organizations, and other groups have used Appreciative Inquiry successfully in their programs and in organization or community development. Some of them are: Capital College and Research Center (CCRC), CARE Nepal, Center for Victim of Torture Nepal, Habitat for Humanity-Nepal, Karuna Management, Kathmandu 2020 , Mountain Spirit, National Appreciative Inquiry Network Nepal, Nepal Safe Motherhood Project, Nepal-UK Community Forestry Project, PACT Nepal, PLAN International, Pragya Management, SAGUN, the Department of Agriculture, The Mountain Institute, The UNICEF-Women's Right for Life and Health Project etc.

About the Program

Besides those already connected with IMAGINE NEPAL and other AI networks, hundreds of people in civil society, the social sector, the media, the professions, the justice system, business, federations and associations, political groups, human rights groups, and government, as well as well-wishers abroad are deeply concerned and engaged in thinking and action to bring peace and harmony in the country. The dream of IMAGINE NEPAL is also to build upon this solid foundation by attracting people from all sectors across the country to construct a shared vision, strategy, and national transformational movement for peace-building, reconciliation, reconstruction, and equitable development.

To channel the hopes, passion, energy, and capacity of such people, and to take a step forward towards building this movement, IMAGINE NEPAL is pleased to announce a 3-day summit: Appreciative Inquiry Application to Peace and Development: An Initiative for Societal Transformation. The summit will be led by the founding father of Appreciative Inquiry, Prof. David Cooperrider . In the summit, participants will learn the theory and practice of engaging groups and organizations in the Appreciative Inquiry positive change process, and will apply the process to transform the current situation of their program, team, organization, agency, or community, and ultimately country. Opportunities will be provided for participants to form reflection and action groups to explore themes of their choice. These might include characteristics and elements involved in, for instance: reconciliation; conflict transformation; reconstruction; risk, selflessness, and sacrifice; healing; social inclusion; empowerment; human rights; affirmative action; social justice; good governance; sustainable development etc.

In all such groups, participants would follow the Appreciative Inquiry methodology to discover what best practices or success stories actually entailed; how they were experienced by those involved; how change or transformation happened; and who championed the key values, behaviors, connectors , and roles that explain success. At the summit, the positive lessons learned from multiple discoveries across the different themes will be synthesized to reveal the unity of a transformational process grounded in best practice reality. Participants will go on to vision and design strengthened IMAGINE initiatives, and develop necessary action plans and commitments, including steps to replicate more such events in Nepal , in the districts, and in various sectors of society. To achieve these, the summit will cover the following topics.

Re-thinking human capability for change and development.
Introduction to AI.
Sharing the best examples of AI application around the world.
Working framework of AI: Four D cycle.
Inquiring the best that is happening for peace and development in Nepal and identifying the “positive core”.
Capturing the power of positive questions.
Power of imagination: positive image-positive action.
Embracing opportunities and possibilities.
Generating commitment for positive change.
Shared understanding to amplify actions.

Who can participate ?
The summit is designed for those who are keen to learn and apply Appreciative Inquiry for societal transformation, focusing on peace and equitable development. They include: policy makers and senior managers in government and non-government organizations, INGOs, the UN, and other international development assistance agencies; members of professional groups and associations; business executives; civil society, social and political leaders; consultants, change agents, and social entrepreneurs; teachers, educationalists, and intellectuals from Nepal and the region.

Program cost
The program participation will cost US$ 400 for international participants; NRs15,000 for institutional and non-Nepali participants (working and residing in Nepal ); and NRs7,500 for Nepali (individual) participants. The participants should bear the cost of lodging themselves. The organizers will help them find and book hotels if needed. Any net revenue collected will be announced at the Summit , and will be used to support IMAGINE NEPAL activities in Nepal as per Summit consensus and action plan.