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. 

The last fifteen years (since 1990) there has been an unprecedented political transformations in Nepal, and the resurgences of social movements of the marginalized groups most importantly that of the indigenous peoples, contributing to the further democratization of Nepali polity, governance, civil society and the regimes of human rights. The agenda of recognition of indigenous peoples’ rights and their rightful belonging in the nation-state have emerged as a major political agenda in Nepal. CEADS aims to contribute constructively in making the indigenous peoples’ agenda legitimate areas of academic discussions through research, academic discussions, advocacy and policy dialogues for all concerned stakeholders.  CEADS is led by dynamic groups of scholars, practitioners and activists with grounded experiences and expertise in their fields and expertise with their uncompromised commitment to bridge the academic works with the works of activists, civil societies, development practitioners and the policy makers.