CEADS

About us

CEADS was set up in 1997 by a group of indigenous professionals of Nepal. The group comprised of Sociologists, Demographers, Anthropologists, Lawyers and Management Specialists. Initially office was set up in Jawalakhel Lalitpur and moved to Nepal Indigenous Nationalities Federation (NEFIN) premises in Anamnagar Kathmandu due to a joint project signed between CEADS and World Bank to assist the newly born NEFIN. This joint project helped to set up basic amenities of the NEFIN in its initial years. Under this project, CEADS has actively supported to strenthen NEFIN with series of workshops, trainings, orientations and by developing and disseminating relevant materials on indigenous peoples' rights. Dr. Harka Gurung and Malla K. Sundar consented to be in the advisory committee. Dr. Krishna Bhattachan chaired the organisation and Mr. Dambar Chemjong managed secretarial works. When Mr. Chemjong won a scholarship for further study in Norway, he handed over the Secretarial position to Balkrishna Mabuhang, then General Secretary of NEFIN. CEADS remained inactive for some years as most of its members went for abroad studies and work.

Currently, we are a team of demographers, educationists, anthropologists, lawyers and development professionals with wide range of experiences and publications in the relevant fields. The office is led by seven executive members under the chair of Mr. Balkrishna Mabuhang and Secretary Mr. Uddhav Rai. Details of executive members are provided in the Executive Members section. CEADS office is located in Pulchowk, Lalitpur with one full time and two part time staff. It has furnished office with a meeting hall and official equipments. Details of contact point is provided in the section Contact.

Executive Committee

Programs and Activities

CEADS’ highly qualified-full-time and associated professionals are involved in the following programs and activities.

Research:
It undertakes academic, policy, action and applied research in the field of indigenous communities' rights, gender and development, environment and resource management, reproductive healthy and family welfare, formal and non-formal education, democracy and human rights, poverty and rural/urban development.

Training:
CEADS develops various training modules on relevant fields and conducts training using participatory approach.

Advocacy:
CEADS facilitates advocacy in various issues by conducting seminars, workshops, talk programs, public debates and publications.

Rural and Urban Community Development:
CEADS initiates rural and urban community development programs as per needs and requests by the partner organizations.

On-going Projects:

1. Research on indigenous peoples' movement in Nepal: CEADS with collaboration of NFDIN conducting a longitudinal research on indigenous people's movement in Nepal. Altogether 30 plus indigenous leaders and scholars have been interviewed and interviews are being archieved. Research will complete in 2010.

Projects completed:

1. Talk program on India China relations (2008): CEADS organised a talk program on India-China relations in changing political context of Nepal by Ashok Gurung, Director of India China Centre, New School University New York. Talk was attended by 50 participants in Kathmandu.

2. Seminar on state restructuring and nation building (2008): CEADS in collaboration with National Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (NFDIN) organised one day seminar on state restructuring and nation building. Four papers were presented and discussed.

3. Support to National Census 2001 for appropriate enumeration of indigenous nationalities: CEADS in collaboration with National Indigenous Peoples' Development Committee organised one day seminar 'Accurate enumeration of indigenous groups of Nepal' to influence accurate enumeration of indigenous people of Nepal. Four papers were presented and discussed on it.

4. Baseline study of indigenous people (1999): CEADS conducted baseline study for identifying indigenous communities of Nepal.

5. Provide institutional support to National Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (NEFIN) (1999-2000): CEADS in collaboration with the World Bank Nepal supported NEFIN to set up office and developed human resources by organising trainings and seminar/workshops in NEFIN's incepient stage.

Objectives

The main objectives of the CEADS are:

To undertake research on indigenous and social exclusion issues cross-cutting to social development sectors

To organize seminars, workshops and talk programs on contemporary indigenous and alternative development issues

To document, publish and disseminate reports, articles books and journals on the relevant fields

To carry out advocacy and awareness campaigns and training on issues of national concern mainly indigenous ethnic people's rights, gender and alternative development

To set up research centre of excellence for indigenous and alternative development issues.

Introduction

Centre for Ethnic and Alternative Development Studies (CEADS) was established in 1998 by a group of indigenous scholars with a vision to make it as a pioneering institution devoted to lead advocacy and policy dialogues on the indigenous peoples’ rights issues and agenda, and to provide alternative development thinking and approaches that link ‘development’ as the rights of and dignity of the indigenous people of Nepal. In its initial years of establishment, CEADS has worked with the National Federation of Indigenous Nationalities of Nepal (NEFIN) in undertaking baseline surveys of the indigenous communities and in designing ‘capacity strengthening training modules’ for the indigenous peoples’ organizations. This was a pioneering ‘project’ that ultimately transformed into the ‘Janajati Empowerment Project’ (JEP) at the NEFIN. In order to influence the policy dialogue on the national census 2001 and the enumerate the indigenous communities accurately, CEADS has organized series of public debates, seminars and workshops in Kathmandu.