An informed journalist who does no harm

December 26, 2015

"Woman burns her boyfriend alive," a local online news portal ran a sensational news that went viral in the social media, immediately triggering a series of abusive comments about the woman in question. The news spread like wildfire, all demonizing the woman sex.

What followed was angry protests from women's rights activists against the 'media malice' against women. "The news insults the entire women's lot, as it makes a gross generalization," they said. "The media should be condemned."

Most of the media went on sensationalizing the news further. Some went on to write "woman burns man for unrequited sex". This further infuriated the women's rights activists in particular. The truth about the incident, however, was still far from clear.

One of the journalists, Rudra Subedi was not happy with the way news was being crafted and the way the NGOs were slandering the entire media fraternity. A big confrontation was impending.

"I was not convinced from any angle that the news was true," Subedi said. "Many were behind cheap sensation without checking the ground reality as it was a very sexy news to make a quick sell."

Subedi's investigation with the help of the police led to a revelation that the woman did not burn the man for sex but instead the inebriated man attempted rape with her 13-year-old daughter (from earlier husband) and he got burnt with an oil lamp in a fracas.

Subedi's investigation and the balanced news that followed did not only save the woman from being socially outcast, it also helped douse the fire that was burning following the wrong news. Subedi also cautioned the NGO activists not to criticize and demonize the entire media.

"I would have followed the insensitive bandwagon had I not oriented on Do-No-Harm approach," said Subedi, who had just attended a Do-No-Harm training from UNDP's Conflict Prevention Programme (CPP). "As a chair of the Federation of Nepalese Journalists in Banke, it quickly clicked in my mind that it is the right time I should orient my fellow journalists on Do-No-Harm and gender-sensitive approach."

Under Subedi's leadership and facilitation of Fedeartion ofNepalese Journalists, over the next one month, around 200 journalists from the local radio, FM, television and newspapers were oriented on gender-sensitive reporting and DO-NO-Harm approach.

Thanks to the DO-NO-HARM approach. It has enabled quite a few journalists like Subedi to play crucial and proactive role in promoting peace journalism which helps maintain social cohesion and avert potential conflicts at troubled times. [Story by Kamal Raj Sigdel, Photo by Laxmi Prasad Ngakhusi]

अमेरिकामा; नायिका केकी अधिकारी र गायिका नलिना चित्रकारको फोटो खिच्नेहरुको घुँईचो लाग्यो

।।

चर्चित गायिका: नलिना चित्रकार र गायक: रन मगरको आवाजमा रहेको एउटा बिल्कुलै नयाँ शैलीको गित "क्यामेरामा हैन मेरो फोटो" को म्युजिक भिडियो हालै मात्र अमेरिका पुगेकी नायिका केकी अधिकारीको बेजोड अभिनयमा अमेरिकाको न्यूयोर्क,रोचेस्टेर सिटिमा छायांकन गरिएको छ ।

पछिल्लो समय एसिड प्रकरण संबंधि भिडियोको "ओईलिएर झर्न दिन्न" र अर्को समसामयिक रमाईलो "सेल्फी हाँनौला" बोलको गित लेखेर चर्चा बटुलि रहेका युवा गितकार: डि.पी. खनालले फेरि पनि यो फरक शैलीको "क्यामेरामा हैन..." बोलको गित लेखेका हुन् भने सोही "सेल्फी" गितका शसक्त गायक तथा सँगितकार: शँकर थापा"स्माईल"को सँगित र युवा सँगित सँयोजक: उदय राज पौडेलले यसमा सँगित सँयोजनको काम गरेका छन् ।

अमेरिकामा बसोबास गर्दै आएका गायक : रन मगर र चर्चित गायिका: नलिना चित्रकार को यूगल आवाजमा रहेको यस गितको म्युजिक भिडियोको निर्देशन भने : प्रजित रानाले गरेका छन् । नन्दु तरालीको प्रस्तुति रहेको यस् भिडियोमा अर्जुन देवसनले छाँयाँकन तथा सम्पादन गरेका छन् ।

काँशी कँडेलको फोटोग्राफी र ग्रीस तमु को ड्रेश डिजाईनिङ्मा बनेको यो म्युजिक भिडियोम नायिका केकी अधिकारिको साथमा गायक : रन मगर स्वयं र मोडेल: रेबिका शँकर तथा दुर्गा कट्टेलले अभिनय रहेको छ! यस म्युजिक भिडियोलाई अब चाँडैनै प्रदर्शन गर्ने तयारिमा रहेको र यो गित र भिडियोलाई पनि दर्शक तथा स्रोताहरुले मन पराईदिनु हुनेछ भन्ने आशा राखेको बताए गायक: रन मगरले ।

नेपालमा पहिलो पल्ट सेल्फी संबंधि गितको भिडियो सार्बजनिक।।।

 हुन त सेल्फि सम्वन्धि गित र म्युजिक भिडीयोहरु अन्य मुलुकहरुमा धेरै बनिसकेका छन् र बन्ने क्रमपनि जारी छ. तर नेपालको सन्दर्भमा भने पुर्णतया सेल्फिमा आधारित रहेर बनेको प्रथम गित यही नै हो 'सेल्फि हानौला'। सेल्फिसम्वन्धि रमाईलो अनि व्यंग्यात्मक यस गितको परिकल्पना तथा रचना युवा गितकार डि.पी. खनालले गरेका हुन् । गायक तथा संगितकार शंकर थापाको संगित, स्माईल स्वयं र प्रतिभाशाली नवगायीका लक्ष्मी नेपालीले यसमा आवाज दिएका छन् । यस गितमा संगित संयोजन उदयराज पौडेलले गरेका हुन् । पछिल्ले समय गितकार डि.पी. खनाल, संगितकार तथा गायक शंकर थापा र संगित संयोजक उदयराज पौडेलको सहकार्य नेपाली संगित बजारमा निकै चर्चामा छ । उक्त म्युजिक भिडीयोमा निर्देशन कमल एक्चै मगरको रहेको छ । निरोज श्रेष्ठले खिचेको यस भिडीयोमा कोरियोग्राफी दिपक सुनारको रहेको छ । भिडीयोमा मोडल सुरज अधिकारी र सुस्मिता श्रेष्ठको अभिनय रहेको छ । यस गितको म्युजिक भिडीयो विशेषतः सेल्फिमा आधारित हाउभाउ र भाव-भंगिलाई आधुनिक विबोईङ डान्सको समिश्रणमा अब्बल तुल्याईएको छ । म्युजिक भिडीयोलाई सम्पादन विदुर दहालले गरेका हुन । यस गितको म्युजिक भिडियोलाई आरबी म्युजिक ले बजारमा ल्याएको हो ।Please Watch & Share This Funny Selfie Music Video.
Thanks !

https://youtu.be/YJ1p5coMlGU

Ling Ling, Rasuwa - Nepal Road to Tibet

The top 10 Most Beautiful Countries are:

===

10. Kenya
9. Italy
8. Tanzania
7. Colombia
6. Argentina
5. Namibia
4. China
3. New Zealand
2. United States of America
And at the number one spot? 

1. Nepal

Nepal is by any means the most beautiful country in the world. The recent earthquake has given some dents but still the country retains its breathtaking beauty, smiling and welcoming as ever.

In praise of the beauty of this country, a travel writer said:

"If I have a second to tell my friends what could make them feel really good and happy and i am dying, i would tell them that; You must travel Nepal at least once in your lifetime before you die. Or else, you will not know what precious moment the world had to offer to you."

With world's top mountain, Everest, birthplace of Lord Buddha, Lumbini, most diverse flora and fauna (found in 70m to over 8,000 m altitude), and welcoming and humble people, we couldn't agree more! What do you think? Plan for your vacation.

[This is an opinion of this blogger, you are free to disagree with this conviction.]

Earthquake triggered Landlisde in Sindhupalchowk - Canadian Army clears

On May 12, the day when Nepal was shaken by second major earthquake, we were traveling back from Sindhupalchowk. Suddenly the earthquake shook the entire mountain and there were hundreds of landslides all around. One major one was this, video-taped here while we waited for the Canadian Army (was here fore rescue after April 25 quake) to clear it. Read more at: http://lookandgaze.blogspot.com/

Reaching Rasuwa's Ling Ling after earthquake with relief materials

A group of resident and nonresident Nepalis have distributed relief materials to earthquake affected people in Ling Ling of Rasuwa. The Ling Ling village is one of the most affected villages of Rasuwa, a district bordering Tibet on the north.

Despite the mighty rain and storm of Saturday, our mission to reach out to earthquake survivors near Nepal-Tibet border in Ling-Ling, Rasuwa was successful.

With live and active landslides and rain and 16-our long non-stop journey, it was challenging. But this was way less challenging than the life of the people in Ling Ling since the April 25 earthquake. More than 50 percent of the families in the village were landless and had received very little as relief, mainly due to its remoteness and lack of access by good road. The landslides kept many people away from the district.

Sincere Thanks to the team who contributed in purchasing the relief materials by raising Rs. 108,000 which paid for transport of two trucks and relief materials. The key contributors includes Kumar and Radha Pradhan​ and the family, JohnParajuli​ and his family, KamalSigdel and his family, VijayaSingh, VijayKeshari and others. The relief (1000Kg rice, 250kg beans, 100 kg salt packets, 50 liters cooking oil, soaps etc) reached to 200 members of 50 families in mountanious village.

Landslide blocks Kali Gandaki River Nepal: risks of floods, water overflows

A huge landslide has blocked the Kali Gandaki River in western Nepal, north of the tourist city Pokhara. Few hours after the landslide occurred (midnight on May 24, 2015), the blocked water has formed a huge lake, submerging the blacktopped road, some settlements for over 7 kilometers above the block point. The Nepal Army and the geologists have observed the river blockade and the landslide, which is still active. The experts have ruled out any possibility of clearing the landslide debris to let the blocked water pass through. The local authorities have issued flood alerts and warned people in the downstream to evacuate their homes and go for safer places in high altitude. The reports are still coming in.

The risks of floods however was reduced after the water started draining out from the suddenly formed lake.

Live Earthquake Footage at Avenues TV - Dolakha after May 12 quake

Missing US helicopter found crashed

KATHMANDU, MAY 15 - After more than 60 hours, a search and rescue mission on Friday recovered the debris of crashed UH-1Y Huey helicopter at the Northern slope of Kalinchowk hill in Dolakha district. No survivors have been reported.  

Defence Ministry Secretary Ishwori Prasad Paudyal confirmed that the US military chopper was found crashed on the hillside. Further details are yet to come.

The chopper with six US Marines and two Nepali soldiers on board had been missing since Tuesday evening. The chopper was deployed for search and rescue mission to Dolakha, one of the districts hit hardest by both the quakes.

Source: www.ekantipur.com

ICRC - Lake Chad: Striving to meet growing needs

Lake Chad: Striving to meet growing needs

 

Violence in Nigeria is not only claiming lives and forcing hundreds of thousands of people to flee their homes in the country itself; it is spilling over into neighbouring Chad, Niger and Cameroon, where the humanitarian situation is also deteriorating. Across the Lake Chad region, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is providing displaced people with food and household essentials and helping medical facilities to cope with the influx of casualties.
 
Months into the conflict, places such as Maiduguri, Yola and Gombe, in north-eastern Nigeria, have become home to hundreds of thousands of people displaced by the violence. Some have settled in schools, government buildings and camps for internally displaced people. Others are staying with relatives and host families, putting additional strain on already impoverished communities.
 
“We are increasingly concerned about the impact of the conflict on thousands of families,” said Karl Mattli, head of the ICRC delegation in Nigeria. “Many of those affected in north-eastern Nigeria have had to travel long distances to reach safety and are now struggling to meet their basic needs. The aid we’ve provided will improve their living conditions, but it’s not enough. More has to be done.”
 
Increased burden on host communities
 
Most of those arriving in Maiduguri in recent weeks were fleeing Baga, scene of heavy fighting about 220 kilometres away. “The vast majority could not afford to buy their own food or other essentials,” said Janet Angelei, an ICRC economic-security specialist working in Nigeria. They therefore had to rely on the solidarity and generosity of host communities, already struggling to make ends meet, and on humanitarian aid. Since December 2014, the ICRC and the Nigerian Red Cross have delivered food and essential household items to 15,000 displaced people in Maiduguri, 17,000 in Yola, 6,000 in Gombe, 3,000 in Jos and 5,000 in Kano. Distributions are still ongoing in Maiduguri.
 
In addition, the lack of sanitary facilities and insufficient water storage capacity in Maiduguri’s camps contributed to the spread of acute diarrhoea among this vulnerable population. The ICRC built latrines and improved access to safe water by increasing the water storage capacity in five camps, thereby benefiting more than 3,000 people.
 
Many families have been split up by the conflict, as they had to flee in different directions and many children became separated from their parents. ICRC and Nigerian Red Cross staff have registered unaccompanied minors in internally displaced communities in Yola, Maiduguri, Jos and Kano and worked with parents wishing to report their children missing. The number of children waiting to be reunited with their parents is growing. The ICRC and the Nigerian Red Cross will spare no efforts to reunite dispersed family members.
 
Surgical and medical assistance
 
The ICRC supported the authorities in upgrading Mala Kachala primary health-care centre in Maiduguri and training staff there. Over 100,000 patients now enjoy improved health care. The ICRC has also donated medical supplies to various hospitals in Potiskum, Damaturu and Maiduguri to treat people injured in the fighting and bomb blasts in the area in recent months.
 
The ICRC surgical team, working alongside local medical staff, operated on 38 patients at the Federal Medical Centre in Azare, as well as seven patients in Jos State Hospital, following bomb blasts in Bauchi and Yobe in November 2014.
 
Visiting detainees
 
In 2014, the ICRC visited people held in connection with the armed violence in more than 20 detention facilities. ICRC staff assessed detainees’ treatment and living conditions, and shared its findings in full confidentiality with the authorities. In-kind assistance was provided where necessary.
 
Impact on neighbouring countries
 
Thousands of people have now crossed into neighbouring countries in search of safety. The ICRC has stepped up its assistance to those affected by violence not only in Nigeria itself, but also in Niger, Chad and Cameroon.
 
Niger: Food for 45,000 people
 
Among those fleeing the violence in north-eastern Nigeria are tens of thousands who have found refuge across the border, in the Diffa area of Niger. In 2014, some 45,000 benefited from ICRC food aid there. Some 11,000 of them also received other essential goods, such as blankets, mats, clothes and mosquito nets. Thousands more have received ICRC aid in the first few months of 2015.
 
The ICRC also delivered medical and surgical supplies and equipment to Diffa regional hospital, to ensure that war-wounded patients received the care they needed.
 
Chad: Helping children trace their parents
 
Those fleeing the violence in Nigeria often had to leave their homes in a hurry. This resulted in families being separated, sometimes across borders. In this situation, children are extremely vulnerable. Working closely with the Red Cross of Chad, the ICRC has set up two stations in Chad where people can make free phone calls to their relatives. More than 2,000 such calls have been made so far, allowing family members to get back in touch.
 
In Chad, the ICRC has also:

• registered 46 unaccompanied minors and is working on tracing their parents in order to reunite them;
• visited 200 people arrested in connection with the violence;
• trained some 100 judiciary police officers in international humanitarian law in relation to arrest, detention, and the use of force and firearms;
• provided training in international humanitarian law to several presidential guard contingents about to be sent to the Lake Chad region.

 
From mid-February, the fighting spread across the Lake Chad region and spilled over into Chad itself. The ICRC quickly stepped in and provided a war-wounded kit, containing approximately one tonne of medical supplies, to Bagassola hospital.
 
Cameroon: Preparing to meet basic needs
 
In Cameroon, needs are also growing. ICRC teams are preparing relief efforts to meet the basic needs of displaced and host communities in the far north of the country. The ICRC has also:

• trained Cameroon Red Cross volunteers to support the ICRC’s efforts to restore contact between family members separated by the conflict, some of whom have sought refuge in Minawao camp;
• visited detainees in Maroua prison, in the north of the country, to assess their conditions and treatment.

 
The ICRC is also pursuing its dialogue with Cameroonian security forces operating in the north with a view to improving their knowledge of and respect for international humanitarian law.

 
  For further information, please contact:
Dénes Benczédi, ICRC Abuja, tel: +234 706 418 90 02 or +234 703 595 41 68
Oumarou Daddy Rabiou, ICRC Niamey, tel: +227 96 66 12
Daphne Lucas, ICRC N’Djamena tel: +235 6 20 10 05
Sylvie Pellet, ICRC Yaounde, tel: +237 699 41 65 79
Jean-Yves Clémenzo, ICRC Geneva, tel: +41 22 730 22 71 or +41 79 217 32 17
or visit our website: www.icrc.org

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Four levels of interpretation of 'If Not Higher' BBS, BSW, BA 1st Year

Four levels of interpretation of 'If Not Higher'

For your understanding:

There is a tendency among many religious communities to try to please God (out of fear/hope) despite the fact that many know serving the poor would better serve the God. In the story “If not higher”, I.L Perethz tries to convince the people that serving the poor and the needy is way more meaningful than just doing the prayers. He handles this religiously sensitive issue very carefully. In Nepal's context, this story could be interpreted as an advocacy to reject temple worship and accept people service -- believe in humanity (like Laxmi Prasad Devkota said). This could have been a very controversial story at that time, if it were handled poorly. He does not tell people to stop prayers but shows how people could serve poor and still continue their prayers. Here lies the greatness of the writer, and the story. Hence, we are still reading it today!

Four level

Literal Comprehension

There was a village and they used to have prayer every morning. But during the prayer the priest, Rabbi, would vanish. One curious fellow, Litvak wants to know where Rabbi goes during the prayer time. One day he secretly follows Rabbi and finds out that Rabbi actually disappears every morning to serve the poor and the needy. He sees Rabbi going to the forest, collecting firewood and giving it to an old women. Rabbi even helps the old women in kindling fire. Litvak was surprised to see this. He was very much impressed by Rabbi and immediately becomes his disciple.

 

Literal interpretation

The story tries to tell us that heavenly pleasure can be found here in earth in serving the poor and the needy. This story also tries to convey the message that serving the poor and the needy is more important and meaningful than prayers. The story redefines the concept of heaven in that it shows heaven in earth and demystifies the myth about Rabbi’s “ascend to heaven”.

 

Critical Thinking

One of the striking features of this story is that it draws from and relates to religious texts. However, instead of preaching any religious dogma, the story attempts to challenge the traditional notion of religious duties of a religious person. Without offending the religious community, the story tries to tell that religion is for humanity and God is happy when you serve the poor. This makes the story evergreen.

Another striking feature of the story that it presents some powerful characters, such as Litvak and rabbi. While Litvak is presented as a common man (a doubting Thomas) who is cynical of rabbi’s activities and people’s faith, rabbi as a wise priest who believes in serving the poor than just preaching or praying.

Assimilation:

[How did you feel after reading the story? It's your feelings and views. So you can write yourself. You cannot be wrong in this, as it is just your own reflection. You can say the story chanced your views, behaviour, thoughts. Or say that the story taught some lesson, if any. Relate to yourself.]

-Look and Gaze

CA members clash during session

KATHMANDU Post , JAN 20 - Tension ran high in the Constituent Assembly in the wee hours of Tuesday after the UCPN (Maoist)-led bloc rampaged the Assembly following the move of CA Chairman Subas Nembang to allow a proposal for the formation of the Questionnaire Committee to work out the disputed issues of the new constitution before they are put to a vote.

The bloc, which had not given the names of its representatives in the Business Advisory Committee of the CA for the Questionnaire Committee, is against forming such committee arguing that the move may signal the end of the CA itself.

“Formation of the questionnaire panel will split the CA, paving the way for its demise,” said Baburam Bhattarai, chairman of the Political Dialogue and Consensus Committee (PDCC), before Nembang initiated the process for new committee formation. After CA members from the 19-party bloc encircled the well, Chairman Nembang put off the meeting until 1pm on Tuesday.

The CA members broke the seats and injured marshals deployed in the CA hall. One dozen security officials were injured in a scuffle when CA members attempted to break the cordon and reach for the CA chair’s seat. According to Nepali Congress leader Ram Chandra Poudel, UML Chief KP Sharma Oli and Vice-chairperson Bidhya Bhandari sustained minor injuries.

This kind of unruly Maoist behaviour in the House is not new though. On September 19, 2010, representatives of the former rebel party assaulted then Finance Minister Surendra Pandey and broke his briefcase while he was due to present the budget in Parliament.

“The situation resulted from the unilateral approach of both the ruling parties and the CA chairman and they should be held responsible,” said Maoist Chief Whip Giriraj Mani Pokharel.

The ruling parties have condemned the action. “The Maoists have shown their true colours but the process will not be halted,” said Oli.

Before asking Nepali Congress Chief Whip Chinkaji Shrestha to table the proposal for the Questionnaire Committee, CA Chairman Nembang said that since the PDCC has failed to either come up with consensus or to form the questionnaire as directed, the Assembly was undertaking the task as per the Rules of Procedure.

“This is a condemnable act. It cannot be excused,” Nembang said after the meeting was disrupted.

The major parties who claimed to be “closing gap” on the contentious issues on Sunday, failed to come up with concrete proposals though top leaders remained busy in cross-party meetings throughout Monday. The ruling parties in the cross-party meeting had floated various options including leaving the issue of federalism and forwarding issues related to judiciary, electoral system and forms of government to the Drafting Committee via the PDCC.

Another option put forth by the ruling parties was forming the questionnaire committee to sort the disputes. “But the Maoists and the members of their Morcha were averse to the idea. In that case, we suggested that the CA Chairman be allowed to act as per the Rules of Procedure,” said UML Vice-Chairman Bhim Rawal.

The Maoist-led bloc maintains that they agreed to demonstrate flexibility only if the other side was ready to concede ground. “We could be flexible on the forms of government only if the other side was willing to be flexible on federalism,” said Maoist leader Narayan Kaji Shrestha.

Leaders of the agitating block maintained that the ruling NC and UML did not even agree to give them two days to discuss the options floated by them. “This made the conflict inevitable,” said Tarai Madhes Loktantrik Party Chairman Mahanta Thakur.

But ruling party leaders accused them of lingering negotiations as a ploy to get past the deadline. “They neither agree to withdraw their protest programme nor to initiate the process in the CA. Seeking extra time is a ploy to get rid of the deadline,” said UML senior leader Jhala Nath Khanal. Earlier on Monday Maoist chief Pushpa Kamal Dahal and UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli had a separate meeting. The two leaders also discussed a power-sharing arrangement after constitution promulgation and assurances that war-era cases will not be revived later, according to a senior Maoist leader.

Parties had been discussing multiple options for a “breakthrough”. For consensus sake, the Maoist party consented to six states provided that the ruling parties agree to give them “mixed” names.

On electoral system, the parties had claimed they had agreed to mixed system with the Maoists claiming equal distribution on direct and proportional representation categories. But sources claimed that the ruling parties floated 80/20 ratio, which was turned down by the alliance.