IPPNW-Students Nepal

IPPNW South Asia Regional Student Seminar

Conflict in south asia: Role of health students on conflicts & crisis management

Kathmandu, Nepal
December 24th-25th, 2005

With the effort of the student chapter, Physicians for Social Responsibility, Nepal (PSRN), a one day seminar of IPPNW South Asia regional students was successfully conducted at City Hall, Kathmandu on 24thDecember 2005. Delegates representing student chapter of Indian doctors for Peace and development (IDPD), friends from Sri-Lanka, Pakistan, Maldives and India studying in Nepal and friends from different medical and health science institutes from Nepal participated in the programme. The Indian deligation, led by Abhinav Singh, comprised of five other member from different parts of the country. The seminar was centered on the contemporary issues of Conflicts in South Asia. Master of Ceremony was Sanjeev Raj Neupane. The seminar was conducted in 3 sessions in a day.

SESSION ONE: Inaugural session

The session was chaired by Mr. Prakash Paudel, MSR, PSRN and Prof. Dr. Mathura Prashad Shrestha, Chairman of the PSRN took the seat as chief guest. Dr. Krishna Khanal, a renowned political scientist, Dr. Somnath Aryal, Dr. Sarad Onta, General Secretary PSRN, Dr. Mahesh Maskey, Vice- President IPPNW South Asia, and Mr. Khagendra Bikram Dahal (International Medical Student Representative) were other dignitaries present.

Miss Alina Shrestha extended our warm welcome to all the foreign delegates and the participants on behave of the student chapter.

Mr. Paudel highlighted the students’ activities in this region and said that this program is an opportunity to interact and discuss among ourselves and plan for the future in order to foster our regional activism. Talking on the relevance of the theme issue of this seminar he said, the seminar will empower us understand conflict through the lens of peace, justice and possible transformation as an opportunity for better change and development and help explore our role in this process as responsible health professionals. Mr. Khagendra informed about the IPPNW international congress in Helsinki in September 2006, and asked the students to come up with new ideas and concepts.

Dr. Maskey stated that the very topic chosen showed the medical students were rising above professional level. Opining on the day’ topic, he said the society is now at the verge of change. Conflicts are not always negative, but often indicate something crying to change that needs better treatment. We, while learning clinical skills, are also learning to deal with conflict which in true sense will train us to work and sustain hope when no more hope seems around. Bidding farewell to 2005 and expressing his best wishes for New Year, he presented a brief 25-Year history of IPPNW and its achievements in those years. He said that the South Asia is a priority region for IPPNW and always there to back up the students activities.

Prof. Dr. Krishna Khanal gave his speech on the overview of conflict. He started saying that conflict is a universal phenomenon that it exists even within oneself and every self, and with out conflict actually change is seldom possible. Its only when conflict turns into violent that it creates problem. Prof. Khanal categorized the conflicts of South Asia into four groups as: interstate, intrastate, politico-ideological and mob conflicts. Touching only briefly the existing regional conflicts, he focused on the present Maoist problem in Nepal. Right from ‘How the Maoist party took to arms?’ he meticulously dissected the at present status of the Palace, the Political parties and the Maoists-which are to determine the fate of Nepal and Nepalese’s present and the future. Finally he ended by describing how the Maoist conflict has been transformed from one party to multiparty movement against the autocratic king, referring to the recent Maoist – Party 12 points agreement for “Democratic Republic of Nepal”.

Prof. Mathura Shrestha highlighted on “shifting paradigm in conflict”. His lecture was divided into 5 headings:

Revision of history
Paradigm related to public and private sector
Paradigm related to globalization
Nuclear free world and
Paradigm related to conflict in Nepal

Giving a comprehensive and clear opinion on these topics, he emphasized that the etiology of conflict should be understood well first, if it’s to be resolved. Conflict and peace are two sides of a coin and should be understood in relative terms, said Dr. Shrestha warning that “dead or inert peace is more dangerous than the worst type of armed conflict”. He suggested the students not to be domesticated by the institutions and said that universities belong to people, students and then teachers. “So a wave of change in the thoughts, feelings and acts should be set into motion right from the universities to the streets”, he said, the question is what we want- “paradigm shift” or “paradigm paralysis?” The choice is ours…

SESSION TWO: paper presentation by students

A total of 8 papers centered on conflict genesis, analysis and management were presented in the session. The vigorous and enthusiastic interactions and question-answers after each presentation were the most attractive part of the session and were highly appreciated by most. Moderators were Nabaraj Mainali and Prakash Paudel.

Abhinav Singh, IDPD representative, was the first speaker in the paper presentation. He spoke about the "Condition and Relations of South Asian countries". He stressed the need for better coordination between the countries of the region. He also pointed out the need of strengthening of SAARC & SAPTA, and the role of India in it. He said that the time has come for these countries to join hands to fight against militancy, fundamentalism, fasism, poverty, corruption, unemployment, illiteracy, etc.

Pushkar Raj and Sangita presented a paper on "Conflict and Health with Special Reference to Nepal". They said that there is a prevaling air of uncertainty in the country, combined in many areas of fear and intimidation and what they want is conflict resolution. In their paper, Subarna and team said that conflict has exposed people to disease, deprivation and death. Students of MCOMS stressed the need for investing in community health. They also said that the humanitarian sector should be spared by warring parties.

Hema Bhatt and her team said that the impact of armed conflict can't be fully understood without looking at the related effect on women, families and community support systems that provide protection and a secure envirnment for development. Madhur basnet and her team presented paper Maoist insurgencyin Nepal: a road map to Transformation. Dinesh, Rabin and Sandesh gave a presentation on "resolution ,management, and transformation of conflict : its strategic implication in Nepal". In their paper they emphasised the importance of attending to the structural conditions which give rise to large scale violence.

The last paper was presented by Pradeep from India,"on the structure of conflict,its type,regionog south asia affected and methods to control it. The Indian deligation which comprised of Abhinav Singh, Hemant Sharma, Vikash Kumar, Rakesh Kumar, Mehtab Alam, and Pradeep were fascilitated with a momento of Kumari Devi, the Living Godess of Nepal by Dr Sharad Onta, Gen Sec PSRN.

SESSION THREE: Organizational Meet

The meeting was focused on how to enhance students’ activities and expand their co-ordination in regional level. Mr. Subhash Paudel forwarded an E-Networking model which would keep the Student Chapters from South Asian countries connected. An ad-hoc committee membered by Mr. Pradeep Kumar from IDPD student chapter and Mr. Subhash Paudel from PSRN student chapter was formed for E- Network.

Finally the seminar was concluded with the following resolutions:

The Kathmandu Pledge for Peace

We, South Asia regional students,

Stand for the peaceful and non violence resolution of conflicts through transformation in South Asian countries. .
Demand for the elimination of nuclear weapons from South Asia and whole world.
Decided to accelerate and solidify the IPPNW campaign in South Asia with the following proposed activities:

To develop interacting regional WEB network
Organizing student exchange programme in South Asia

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