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A SUMMARY REPORT
Imagine Nepal (IN) believes that positive
transformation of the society is possible through the
enhancement of positive attributes inquiring and tapping
strengths, positive potentials and imagination of people.
It has embodied Appreciative Inquiry as its key philosophy
and approach. From September 9-11, 2005 it organized
a summit on “Appreciative Inquiry for Peace and
Development”. The summit was facilitated by Prof.
David Cooperrider.
The invitation for the Summit went to a wide range
of people and there was a overwhelming response of two
hundred and twenty people. Representatives from all
level of society participated in the workshop and these
include, politicians, government officials, police and
army staff, development workers from I/NGOs, students
and teachers, business sector, artists and general people
with the enthusiasm to learn and apply Appreciative
Inquiry.
Despite the varying background of the participants
there was high level of engagement and interaction throughout
the workshop.
What happened during
the Summit?
The program began with an informal opening during which
the President of Imagine Nepal, Mr. Dhruba Acharya welcomed
all the participants and Professor David Cooperrider
for their availability and commitment to participate
in the program.
The workshop process was a mixture of AI theory and
a range of exercises around the 4-D cycle. In fact,
the program was designed as an AI Workshop cum Summit.
During the first day David highlighted the significance
of positive imagination and the power of affirmative
dialogue and pulled out examples from current trends
around the world. The process moved further into a one
to one AI interview around peace and development. After
the AI interview some participants shared their experiences
of using AI in areas of increasing quality health service,
organizational development, improving urban environment
and beauty, tourism development and transforming villages.
During the afternoon of the first day, participants
made groups of eight (staying together with interview
partner) and shared each others’ responses to
the group. As an outcome of the group sharing participants
identified key emerging themes and identified stories
of positive peace building. Towards the end of the day
each group shared their finding on the specific question
assigned to the group.
The focus of the second day was to move from the Discovery
Stage to the Dream Stage of the 4-D model. Prior to
involving participants in the Dreaming/visioning exercise,
David explained how Positive Images influenced Positive
Action discussing the theories on Placebo Effect, Pygmalian
Effect, Imbalanced inner dialogue etc. As part of the
Dreaming/visioning exercise participants engaged in
crafting the vision for the kind of post conflict Peaceful
Nepal they wanted to see. After active engagement in
the visioning activity, the groups were then ready to
enact/present their vision to the larger group. While
listening to each of the group’s vision, David
asked the participants to listen for common grounds
and key messages. The key themes that the participants
imagined for 2020 were:
• Unity among diversity-harmony
• Inclusive democracy
• Critical mass “positive mind”
• # 1 tourist center in the world
• Prosperous Entrepreneurship and opportunity-double
digit economic growth
• New tools for massive participation
• Nepal’s identity and story-heritage and
history
• Development through local resources
• Discrimination free
• Indigenous knowledge
• Hydropower development, technical expertise
to others
• Green forestry
• Social security
• No donor dependence
• International partnerships for mutual benefit
• Diversity Nepal
• Corruption free society
• Decentralized development
• Humla---linkages remotest villages
• Start from what you know! Strengths you have
• Quick service delivery systems—non bureaucratic
• Reaching the millennium target
• Secular state
As the final activity of the day, participants voluntarily
proposed initiative and invited participation from the
wider group. During the final day the proposed initiatives
were clustered together to make altogether 17 areas.
Then participants were encouraged to select the areas
they were most interested to work in and wanted to make
contribution.
During the presentation of the vision and action plan
there was lot of creativity and enthusiasm in the hall.
One could definitely feel a positive energy flowing
inside the hall.
What were the outcomes
of the workshop?
Some of the key comments expressed by participants
during the last reflections were:
• Bring a new level of hope and enthusiasm that
a better future for Nepal was possible.
• Reassured the power of AI and positive imagination
and dialogue and this workshop has validated this principle/approach
• Generated excitement, hope that dreams will
not die away and will need to commit to action
• Challenge the current perception towards managing
large-scale changes.
• Bring clarity on the key principles and theories
of Appreciative Inquiry
• Generated a strong message for peace and development
• To change the world change yourself
• Create a forum for people to initiate a positive
dialogue for working towards peace and development.
• Set up seventeen different groups to work for
peace and development
Action plans:
On the last day participants formed 18 different
groups and identified 18 projects to be implemented.
They are summarized as follows:
Tourism Group -1
Vision:-
To make Nepal as no. 1 Tourist Destination in the world.
The group intends to:
• Organize an AI summit involving all the stakeholders
of Tourism Industry
• Strengthen the capacity of wide range of stakeholders
in the Tourism Industry
CHHAHARI GROUP - 2
Dazzling documentary to be shown internationally
We would like to produce a documentary of the Nepalese
AI community showing the power of intangible assets
already existing what has already manifested- this summit
and all the many projects as a vehicle to be shown to
the international community to raise conscious awareness
of what a small group of committed people can do hopefully
inspire major funding for further development.
The group intends to:
• Work towards creating breakthrough results
by the year 2020 in the various socioeconomic aspect
of Nepal taking the nation to new heights of peace and
development.
WOMEN EMPLOYMENT PROJECT
OF GROUP - 3
Nepal is a country known for its rich, culture, caste,
religion, linguistic and ethnic diversity where people
live in harmony, respect and dignity. Each individual
enjoys full socio-culture, economic and civics' rights,
political rights.
The group intends to:
Increase women's access to social, economic and political
dimensions through working together with NGO/CBO/Civil
Society using the AI approach in one district of each
region of Nepal.
ASPIRATION OF GROUP - 5
LET THE APPRECIATIVE
DIALOGUE CASCADE ACROSS THE COUNTRY
The Nepalese people cherish the unborn child as the
centre point of the human life cycle that spirals out
from the nurturing family to the protecting community
and enabling nation.
Appreciative dialogue keeps the system vibrant as it
cascades from the home, through the community and streams
out across the country, gathering the voices of all
the people to resound in the hearts and minds of our
leaders.
The image of the unborn child guides us in all our decision-making
processes and actions, enabling us to ensure the welfare
of all our people and to capture the aspirations of
present and future generations.
The group intends to:
• Practice the art of positive dialogue at different
levels starting from own self, family…. so that
it is part of everyday life.
PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT
GROUP - 6
Nepal is a peaceful democratic country with functional
good governance. All Nepalese are enjoying basic individual
rights, having per capital income at par to other contemporary
developed countries.
People here are proud to be citizen of dignified Nepal.
The group intends to:
• Initiate dialogues between key players for
peace and good governance in Nepal so that a wide range
of development initiatives can begin accelerating the
development of the nation.
NATURAL RESOURCES GROUP
- 7
VISION:
Peaceful and Prosperous Nepal through sustainable development
and management of resource.
The group intends to use AI approach to:
• Identify the local resources in the community
through participation.
• Develop a positive human change for optimum
utilization of local resources.
• Create positive attitudinal (behavioral) change
in people for self-empowerment.
Imagine Initiatives Group 9
Establishment of Imagine Initiatives to start positive
Societal Transformation.
The group intends to:
• Inquire into the life giving and nurturing
forces of Nepal that can fuel imagine initiative all
over the country, which will contribute towards peaceful
and sustainable development of Nepal.
CONFLICT AS ON OPPORTUNITY
GROUP -10
Nepal is leading the world in conflict transformation.
The past conflict of Nepal (1994-2010) has transformed
the country into a corruption less, discrimination less,
democratic, peaceful and prosperous country. Women and
minority groups are in decision-making level.
The group intends to:
• Work towards bringing positive transformation
to the current conflict through initiating peace dialogues,
mass awareness raising, campaigning for peace etc.
CONSTIUTIONAL REFORM
& VOICES OF PEACE OF GROUP 11
People's Constitution of Democratic Nepal
The people's constitution is a document formulated
& sanctioned by all group in Nepali Society inclusive
of women Dalit, Adivasi Janagati, Madeshi, differently
abled & other socially & regionally, excluded
and disadvantage groups through a mass participatory
process that connects and builds upon the strengths
of Nepal's full cultural linguistic and religious, regional
diversity.
It guarantees, affirms & makes inalienable all
fundamental rights, provides social justce and eliminates
all forms of exploitation and discrimination.
To meet the changing needs and aspiration at present
and future generations, this people owned constitution
is dynamic and amendable. With power in the people's
hands the constitution provides the means for the people
to hold power proportionately and to determine and exercise
their own development priorities.
The group intends to:
Work towards bringing together people representing
all groups of the society and enroll commitment to formulate
and sanction people’s constitution that represents
and recognizes the diversity of the Nepali society.
INCLUSIVE EDUCATION GROUP
- 12
Education for all the children of the society
The group intends to:
• Initiate innovative changes in the current
education system that will make education inclusive,
scientific and accessible to all.
APPRIECTIVE INQUIRRY
IN EDUCATION GROUP 13
Nepal as a best AI practicing country has potential
of attracting AI learners from different parts of the
world. It has potential to open GLOBAL UNIVERSITY. All
students are studying in AI Schools. Colleges, they
are building positive, friendly society with peace and
harmony, many foreign AI students/re-searchers/ faculties.
AI practioners and other learners are associated in
GLOBAL UNIVERSITY.
The group intends to:
• Work towards establishing GLOBAL AI UNIVERSITY
• Beginning a range of initiatives to incorporate
AI in existing education at systems.
PRACTICING AI IN ORGANIZATION
GROUP 14
VISION
The organization becomes a model organization to give
equal respect, values, opportunity to create transparency,
friendly happy, learning and sharing positive harmonically
environment by applying in real practice to achieve
its mission, vision and goals.
The group intends to:
• Apply and practice Appreciative Inquiry in
Organizational Development i.e. human resource management,
leadership development, strategic planning etc.
AI HISTORY OF NEPAL GROUP
15
Vision: A book on AI History of Nepal
The group intends to:
• Write a book on AI history of Nepal that captures
the best of the past history of Nepal.
ACCESS FOR PEACE AND
DEVELOPMENT OF GROUP - 16
All seventy five districts and neighboring countries
of Nepal are linked through network of national highways
which is of high safety standards, all these roads are
under the management of local communities with support
from local government. Communities / private sector
have constructed feeder roads, link roads and other
means of transportation like cable cars, trams, steamers
path. Effective flow of people and goods has generated
economic opportunities through creation of market centers,
use of local raw materials and resources. Standard of
living has increased and has brought.
The group intends to:
• Work towards cultivating a culture of high
safety traffic standards in streets and highways and
developing a network of transportation that gives rise
to the economy of the South East Asia Region.
GROUP NO. 17: DREAMING
TOGETHER - Peace building through
Youth initiative
Nepal is known as a Model harmonious country ensuring
equity and civil rights and respecting diversity of
different groups (caste, ethnicity, religion, region,
gender, class)
Youth in Nepal are united in a movement for the challenges
of a globalize world and to bridge the gaps between
privileged and unprivileged young groups.
Youths appreciate and respect their peers through dialogue,
sharing dreams and mentoring each other in the field
of education, health, civic sense and personal carrier
development. They aim to be socially responsible entrepreneurs.
The group intends to:
• Work with young people through unlocking their
potential and enabling them to become resourceful and
responsible citizens of the country.
GROUP NO. 18: HEALTH
2020
People are accountable & realize their rights for
quality & responsibility health services. Health
service is available to all citizens of Nepal through
partnership of families, Communities, Govt. civil society,
Pvt. sector & external partners.
The group intends to use AI to:
• Bring a significant positive change in the
current health system of Nepal involving all the stakeholder
including HMG Health Ministry
• Achieve a high standard of health services that
is accessible and available to all levels of the community
through developing skilled personnel and excellent services.
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