As published in Myrepublica. Is 'development' itself the cause of Nepal's problems?
	DR JEREMY RAPPLEYE   What if ‘development’ was the cause of Nepal’s problems, not the solution? If that is true, then wouldn’t more ‘development aid’ push Nepal toward further social disintegration? Let’s take a brief trip back in history. ‘Development’, by which I mean the system of aid agencies and transfer of funds from the First to the Third World, actually has an exact starting date: US President’s Truman’s Four Point Plan speech in 1949. The US was eager to both (a) increase its influence in countries newly liberated from colonization and (b) fight Communist influence that threatened the global capitalist system. As fate would have it, Nepal threw off the Rana oligarchy at nearly the same moment. The confluence of these two events brought ‘development’ to Nepal: The US eager to hold back swelling Communist influence in the region (recall China ‘fell’ in 1949) and Nepal eager to leave behind the legacy of the Ranas, modernize, and build a ‘nation’ through inclusion, education and democracy. The resulting system seemed to work well throughout the 1950s, but by the 1960s it was clear that these two goals were diverging. The US and other donor representatives cared little about how well ‘development’ served Nepal, but instead making sure they could report favorably back to superiors back ‘home’. Take education for example: The system designed by American experts in the 1950s failed to function well with local managed teachers mere ‘slaves’ to powerful village chiefs, no real provisions for creating a cohesive nation, and the production of graduates who found no jobs except in the aid-driven sectors of the economy and refused to return to the villages. The emergence of problems with the earlier American vision was the reason the government instituted the National Education System Plan (1971) attempting to nationalize teachers, create a cohesive Nepali identity, realign education with the economy, and send students ‘back to the village’ through programs like the National Development Service. It is little wonder then that the US and other donors substantially decreased assistance during this time and also dubbed the plan a mere ‘ploy’ by the palace to solidify the Panchayat system. By the early 1980s, however, the Panchayat system was under attack for other reasons. Students protested, teachers went on strike and the discontent culminated in the People’s Movement (1990). But, as with the earlier fall of the Ranas, Nepal’s own vision of its future – inclusion, democracy, equity – was quickly overtaken by international donor demands. By the late 1990s, Nepal’s own vision had all but been turned almost completely around: An exclusive focus on efficiency, cost-effectiveness and a consumer logic. In fact, from ‘citizen to consumer’ characterize rather well the two decades since Janaandolan. Again, consider education. The National Education Commission (1990-1992) inaugurated in the wake of Janaandolan stated that the goal was to create an educational system “consistent with the human rights enshrined in the constitution and the democratic values and norms as well as social justice.” What happens when loss of faith in ‘development’ occurs? The American anthropologist James Ferguson argues that two responses dominate: Exit or violence. For those who have lost faith in the promise of ‘development’ as they watch their living conditions stagnate or sink, one option is to try to get out; exit to a better space. The second option is to resort to violence. Ten years later, the main themes are decentralization and private schools – the exact same policies we see the donors promoting in every other country of the world. It is little wonder then that it has brought to Nepal the exact same results: A massive spike in inequality, growing exclusion along class lines and the breakdown of democracy. Donors took control of the processes of development in the 1950s and we have seen them do the same in the 1990s. For all but a very small number of elites in Kathmandu who are able to profit from the aid enterprise, ‘development’ has twice passed the Nepali people by. For the vast majority, livelihoods have not increased but decreased. This is an important point: Despite the positive image bikas tends to carry, people are clearly waking up to the realities. Loading-shedding has increased, fuel shortages, garbage piling up in the streets, traffic, pollution, and dance bars offering poor Nepali girls to rich Indian tourists. Considering what Kathmandu looked like 50 years ago, what will it look like 50 years in the future? And this is just Kathmandu, where most people still believe in ‘development’. Venture beyond the rim of the valley and that is where the real future of Nepal lies. It is here that the vast majority of the ‘twice-passed-by’ people live and they are losing patience. Fast. The genius of bikas is that it promised that inequalities would be lessened over time. This was true both within the country and across the world: Poor people were told by donors and local elites to wait patiently, do the right thing, and they would ‘catch-up’. Being twice-passed-by, however, has created a disbelief in ‘development’. What is left when our faith in ‘development’ falters? The harsh reality of inequality, but this time without the hope of change. Clearly many Nepalis have lost faith in ‘development’ itself along such lines. And what happens when this loss of faith in ‘development’ occurs? The American anthropologist James Ferguson argues that two responses dominate: Exit or violence. For those who have lost faith in the promise of ‘development’ as they watch their living conditions stagnate or sink, one option is to try to get out; exit to a better space. When viewed in this way, present-day Nepal looks like one big ‘race for the exits’: Villagers leaving to go to the Gulf, students leaving by the thousands to study and work abroad, and many more simply walking into India. This is much more than a search for a better salary or job; these movements signal a lack of faith in the promise of ‘development’ to deliver a better tomorrow for Nepal. Further evidence unrelated to economics help prove the point: Different ethnic groups (think Madheshis) are attempting to ‘exit’ the political system. The loss of faith in ‘development’ has advanced to the point where it is creating a lack of faith in ‘democracy’ as well. The second option open to those who have lost faith in ‘development’ is violence. ‘Crashing the gates of the first class, smashing bricked up walls and breaking through, if only temporarily, to the other side of privilege and plenty’ is how Ferguson puts it. Is this not some of the motive behind the rise of the Maoists? That is, despite well-articulated political goals by the Maoist leadership, is it not the case that some of the more raw violence of those in the party is motivated by this loss of faith in ‘development’, even that promised by its own party? If this is the case, then as the Maoists lessen their radical stance to appeal to more moderate voters, they will simultaneously lose those within their own party who have lost faith and are no longer willing to ‘wait their turn’. These groups will break off and mostly likely launch another attempt to ‘crash the gates of the first class’ this time without a political ideology, but this time also fueled by the grievance of being three-times-passed-over. It’s a haunting image. To conclude, let me shift to consider Nepal’s place in the world. The global economy does not need Nepal, nor will it until the vast human sources of China and India have been exhausted. Donors will continue to talk about the ‘opportunities of the global economy’ and elites who mistake the profit they make from ‘development’ aid for the benefits of the ‘global economy’ will agree to more and more development offered by donors. Yet, because these projects are narrowly designed to serve economic goals, they will do nothing to improve social and political tensions. Nevertheless, as economic goals predictably fail to materialize, stagnation and a loss of faith in ‘development’ will continue to grow among the masses. We will see increased exit and violence, not less. So who is to blame and what is the solution? Blame is perhaps the only growth industry in Nepal; finger-pointing advances in lockstep with stagnation. So we must be careful. Nevertheless, donors need to bear some of the blame. Yet, having seen this happen before, Nepali policymakers must also take responsibility. But the biggest finger needs to be pointed right back at many of the current readers, those who continue to believe in the idea of ‘development’ amid the obvious stagnation of the country. Those who try to carve out a ‘first world’ existence through private schools, luxury hotels, satellite television, and curtains on their SUVs to block out the putrefying stagnation of Nepal deserve the most blame because they are the ones educated enough to see things clearly. Here is the beginning of a solution: Viewing not the future ideal but the current reality of bikas in Nepal, coming to terms with the country’s place in the global economy, and recapturing some of the equity, inclusion, and social justice goals that Nepal committed itself to in 1950 and 1990. This may sound radical, but no more radical that what is likely to occur in the very near future if Nepali elites do not voluntary move in that direction. Writer holds a doctorate degree from University of Oxford & is currently researching on Nepal jeremyrappleye@yahoo.com

khomeronaam,

Though I really enjoyed your first post. I found your second post to be slightly long winded.

It seems that basically what you're saying through your long post is that you feel that the countries priorities are misguided. Yes? Whereas in China, the education is focussed to make them into nationalists that focus on the future of the country, in Nepal, we are so caught up in the superficialities of trying to adopt Westernization in the name of progress that we think we have bettered ourself by learning English. Isn't that what you're saying?

You feel that Nepal's education system should be more focussed in producing Nepalese that can take their nation forward developmentally. Yes?

Khomeronaam,

Just knowing that Nepal's education is "wrong" is not enough. We need to define what would be good for Nepal. And before that, we need to define the "middle path" for Nepal. Once we define what the "middle-path" that would be good for Nepal to take, then we would make the case to shape the educational system to influence and make the case for people to take the "middle-path."
This is what China did.

Although i agree with most of what Khomeronaam, i do not think the education system of leading industrial nations and the self sustaining nations of the world such as China, Germany and France would work for us.

Learning english is crucial for us for the reasons such as keeping ourselves updated with current informations and also being able to sell ourselves in the world labor market.

Learn from India, After 200 years of British slavery Indians have no hate for the English language, PV Narshima Rao led India into open market with massive investment in English System Education in Technology that started paying off in next five years. When Indira Gandhi was upset with US on wheat embargo deal, she vowed to make India indepedent on grains. She launced a GREEN REVOLUTION which made india indepedent on grains within 5 years of the revolution. So, sometimes we do not even need much to get little ahead. The green revolution by Indira Gandhi and Education investment by Rao has pushed India 50 years ahead of us already. Keep in mind how small we are compared to India, it would take far less effort and far less time to get where India is right now if things are done right. Here are some of my thoughts on what we can do.

1. Do not manufacture anything mass product in Nepal. We cannot compete with China and India on mass manufacturing. Let them produce and us buy it cheap.

2. Focus on Tourism business, trecking, hotels, ski resorts, rock climbing, mountain climbing, rafting, gliding, and other outdoorsy sports, we need a good global marketing team to promote those things. Someone who can market Nepal Tourism the same way they market Cancun, Cabos and such. Tourism industry alone will be enough to employ majority of Nepalese.

3. Sell the religion, sell Hinduism to 1 billion hindus on the south and sell budhism to 500 millions to the north. We can market Pashupati and Lumbini as a Mecca for Hindus and Buddhist and generate huge amout from there

4. Make it easy for Nepalese to go work outside the country such as Golf for however long it is needed. Do attempts to reduce abuse at a government level. Make easy financing to avoid poor people get into shark loans for foreign employment.

5. Proper use of Hydro electricity. Sometimes the nonsense nationlism with our water resources is harming no one but ourselves.

6. Encourage Herbs plantation and mechanise it.


Right management Tourism and Hydroelectricity revenue alone should put us on the path to sponsor good education and mechanse foreign employemnt. As people find some economic peace, the other chaos should gradually reduce. So what do we need for all this, i think, given the size of our country all we need is 200 good and qualified managers(leaders, not just political leaders), who will work together to acomplish those goals.

But the problem is we either do not have those people or there are great forces the external and internal who do not allow such combinations.

 Sidster, you have some good points and I agree with them.
But I have add something in your point number 4.

Sending Nepalese overseas has both pros and cons. Today we see most of the Nepalese selling brain in WEST and labor in GULF, this is a bitter truth of under development of Nepal. What country needs for development? Brain, Labor and Capital. Foreign Aids suffice the capital requirement, there is no doubt.

In current scenario, national level plans regarding foreign employment should focus on the idle human resources who are involved in dirty Nepali politics. Majority of YCL, Ne Bi Sangh, ANNFSU students are idle human resources who neither are good in studies nor good for society and are the wastage of the society. They should be dumped and there is no better dumping site than GULF. 
In one hand they will be providing foreign remittance and in other side crime, corruption will also settle down gradually.

And, I could not stop appreciating your view which you mentioned on religion. 
3. Sell the religion, sell Hinduism to 1 billion hindus on the south and sell budhism to 500 millions to the north. We can market Pashupati and Lumbini as a Mecca for Hindus and Buddhist and generate huge amout from there.

I am not sure if we can send off the student political forces into GULF for labor becasue its a cyclic group. The new ones keep on coming as the old ones get out of college. One thing they can do is discourage politics in Colleges.

Braindrain and labor drain is every developing world's problem. But it can also be beneficial. When Korea was in deep economic trouble some 20 years ago....the current politician said we have nothing to sell so we will sell labor. Korea produced thousands of Nurses and supplied to US and Europe similar to what india has been doing since last 10 - 15 years. Those Korean mothers, wives and sisters sent money home and they themselves retured home after some time contributing huge to the Korean economy.

I am not an advocate of foreign employment, i am just saying till the things are better at home, we should do what is there possible to do to get it going.

But again...it all comes down to few visionary people who can lead the country. We need few good/loyal/moral people who are also QUALIFIED to run the country for some time. Sometimes we get good people but are not qualified and other times we get qualified people but are not good.

We either have PETER GRIFFINS, a good hearted idiots or Bernie Maddofs, an intelligent bad person.

Sidster,
I am really appreciating your vision. Having you thought about expanding what you wrote in the post and making it into a serious article? I for one would love to hear more in depth of what you're saying. I think you're really unto something. What I'm really appreciating about what you're saying is that you are looking at it in a geo-political strategic way. And most importantly you are addressing the economics of the issue. I want to hear more about how you are proposing to strategicly position Nepal to take advantage of its strengths: Religious Tourism, it's labor market and Hydro-electricity.

You seem to have thought about the issue out quite well. Let me know if I can help you in anyway to expand your post into an article.

Babal and Khomeronaa,

Thanks for agreeing. I am not a good writer. I think i can observe well but cannot put it in good words. If you are willing to write an article on the points i have mentioned and need my help let me know. But i doubt the article will make any impact. It will be something for us to talk about on the Sajha board or Nepali parties, nothing more than that.

But if you think you can get those views to publish in Nepali media go ahead and do that.

You can find plenty of online materials on Korean Nurses, Indian investment in English Medium Technoligy education, PV narashima Rao, Green Revolution by Indira Gandhi, Countries on tourist based economy, remmitance, and other things i have  mentioned.

Even if you get it to publish it, it will come down to the same issue.....LACK of Managers.

Have you ever wondered why the same Nepali who works outside Nepal makes a good impression at his Job regardless of what he does?? He could be a dishwasher, a sweeper, Cust Service Rep, a cook, a server, IT person, a nurse, an engeneer, or a doctor he exceeds expectations in most cases but the same Nepali at home remains as a mediocre resource in whatever he does. What does that mean.....?? i think it means we suck as a managers and planners....we are working horses...a horse who would perform depending on his manager's capability.

It is so encouraging to hear such thoughts.
One thought of Buddhist Mecca at Lumbini was planned but never materialised. The plan was to develop Lumbini first to accomodate all the tourist we could attract. If you have visited Lumbini in therescent past, you can see some developmental work and amost all of us have heard about this Gautam Buddha International Airport at Bhairahaa to fecilitate the purpose.

Nepalses tourist industry needs nothing more than a global media campign and a fully functional international airport.

Two points I noted from sidster was " we are working horses...a horse who would perform depending on his manager's capability"  there lies both our weakness and strength. We are hard worker but not a very good planner or manager. We lack vision from our managers so work as a workhorse work visionless.  In my view this is where I believe we are failing.

Khomeronaam,
These are the things that I am hearing from you:

You are saying that we should focus on the things that we can do something about. I think you may be correct that Nepalese have room to improve themselves as managers.

Considering our political history, I wonder if more common Nepalese had better opportunities to take responsibility and manage, they may have proven themselves better at management. Historically, our skillset for chaakadi needed to be more polished than our skillset for management. Perhaps that is why Nepalese have been better at that type of slick talking than in management.

Believe it or not, But I think that the Rana's were not bad managers. They may not have been the most humane people and they weren't after power to better the lives of the common Nepali people, but, they were not bad managers. They held onto power by being intermediaries who knew how to use the resources at their disposal. Of course they were ruthless too, but I'm trying to focus on the positive of what they were. They were Nepalese and they knew how to take what they had and to make the most of it. And they lived like Kings because they knew how to manage and utlize the power and resources that they had at their disposal.
Though we are all well-versed on the negativities of their rule, I think there is a lot of positive to learn from them as well.

I think that there is an order of things that have to followed before we will see an effective and functional Nepal. The point is that management skill can be developed. But first we need leaders with vision (like Khomeronaam) to set the stage. Once that is done, solid plans and goals are made. Then there is the communication part where the case is made and you show the importance of moving in the direction of that vision as opposed to other visions. By logically, positively and continuosly making the case to go in a certain direction a focus comes about that everyone involved can relate to. Then the problem is communicated in a solution oriented way so that most of the people feel that they can play a part in improving the situation. This is crucial. And finally when all the above is done, the more competent executors of everyone who can relate to the vision, will distinguish themselves by *acting and managing* better than the rest of us.

In many ways, the above is what the Maobadis did. I think the Maobadis were excellent managers. They had a strategic vision that they made into a concrete plan. They trained and organized themselves. They motivated. There are many things to learn from how they executed. I am not a Maoist. But I am giving them as an example of Nepalese who were good managers and who could create a plan and execute it. I may not agree with their political philosophy. But that doesn't mean that I can't admire them as executors of plans. And executing plans is what good management is. Despite major opposition at a philosophical level and at a militaristic level, they were successful.

So what I'm saying is that I don't think it is enough for us to just say that "we don't have enough managers." That may be true. But I feel that there is work that can be done at a leadership level, in terms of thinking, planning, clarifying and communicating, before the problem is presented at a management level to execute.

Khomeronaam, you are saying learn from India. But when the British left India in the 1950's, India was a mess. It took them a while to get their act togethor. It took them a while to develop the kind of confidence they have now. It took them a while for them to be proud of themselves as Indians. It took them a lot of hard work, experimenting, struggling and seeing themselves as corrupt and inefficient people before they realized their current potential.
So many ways, India had a 50 year headstart in their political history than us. Like you said, in 50 years, as a small country, we could be relatively competitive in relation with them. No?

With that in mind, I was taking your words and vision, and wanted to ask you:

If you were a leader with power in Nepal. And you were going to make a 20 year strategic plan for Nepal to take it forward, what kind of a plan would you make?

Let us try to take your vision, and put in in a SMART Goal format so that it looks like something concrete:

http://www.topachievement.com/smart.html

(I have put a few words between yours in trying to flesh out your words. I was hoping that you would put more concrete goals in SMART format. I think "develop management skills in Nepalese" should be among one of the primary goals below")

1. Focus on core competencies. Specialize. Don't compete with India and China where they are strong. Do not manufacture anything mass product in Nepal. We cannot compete with China and India on mass manufacturing. Let them produce and us buy it cheap.

2. Focus on Tourism business, trecking, hotels, ski resorts, rock climbing, mountain climbing, rafting, gliding, and other outdoorsy sports, we need a good global marketing team to promote those things. Someone who can market Nepal Tourism the same way they market Cancun, Cabos and such. Tourism industry alone will be enough to employ majority of Nepalese.

A 10 year plan to improve this would be increase both the quantity and quality of these offerings.

3. Sell the religion, sell Hinduism to 1 billion hindus on the south and sell budhism to 500 millions to the north. We can market Pashupati and Lumbini as a Mecca for Hindus and Buddhist and generate huge amout from there

A 10 year plan to improve this would be to...? Those of us living outside Nepal can help in making a global campain on this front. We can use our creativity. Just look at the thread "Awesome work, Awesome Nepal" on sajha of a firm's multimedia work highlighting Nepal's beauty and religiosity and cultural richness. If we had more people doing this type of creative skills using graphic design, multi-media and creative writing, imagine the kind of impression we could give to the world about what Nepal could do.  

4. Make it easy for Nepalese to go work outside the country such as Golf for however long it is needed. Do attempts to reduce abuse at a government level. Make easy financing to avoid poor people get into shark loans for foreign employment.

Nepalese who are already abroad can serve as resources for this.

5. Proper use of Hydro electricity. Sometimes the nonsense nationlism with our water resources is harming no one but ourselves.

6. Encourage Herbs plantation and mechanise it.

Right management Tourism and Hydroelectricity revenue alone should put us on the path to sponsor good education and mechanse foreign employemnt. As people find some economic peace, the other chaos should gradually reduce. So what do we need for all this, i think, given the size of our country all we need is 200 good and qualified managers(leaders, not just political leaders), who will work together to acomplish those goals.

 

If you were a leader with power in Nepal. And you were going to make a 20 year strategic plan for Nepal to take it forward, what kind of a plan would you make?


First off, i would address the extreme poverty. Planning for folks who do not get to eat twice a day. I would implement several micro loans. Someone in Africa is handing one Bahkri per mother, the first born Bakhri goes to the next mother in line. After few bhakris a family is sustained with its babies and milk. This is not a prosperity but a survival for those who would not survive otherwise. Another example is to let those folks work in the government owned land. Hand some government land to community of the poor and let them work on it for lets say 5 years each and let them keep the crops for those years without any fees. Again these are just the examples, something else may work in our Nepalese contex. This needs to be researched and tested until we find something that will work for us.

Secondly, address the foreign employment. Lets figure out what the world labor market needs, if koreans need factory workers, lets work on pooling the best factory workers for them, if Isrealis need baby sitters lets arrange baby sitters for them,, in the same way nurses and IT workers for the west, Laborers for the middle east. So far the foreign employemnt has been for those who can come up with at least 1 lakh rupees, what about the ones who do not even have 2 thousand, can we create a government pool for those...the government pays for the initial cost interest free for the firs six months. In addition, the government does various training/education program in each district with a detailed/honest information on risk/reward and financial aspect of foreign employment. Can the government afford to subsidize the first air ticket? Can the government establish offices in those gulf countries to make sure the their citizens are not abused?

Third, Sell tourism and Religion, Hire a global marketing team, Invite Global Celebrities, Make them ambassadors of the religions, do not be afraid to spend some money in marketing at the begining, create spiritual camps in lumbini and pashupati, create a transparent financial bodies around pashupati and lumbini. Establish the brand first, once the brand is established business will follow soon after.

Fourth, promote and educate people in farming specialized products such as Clove, Alaichi, Tea, and herbs such as yarcha gumba, the handicrafts, focus on speciliazed productions and import the mass product from india and china.

A start on those things mentioned about should get us out of extreme poverty withing 5 - 10 years. Once the extreme poverty is eradicated we can exploreHydroelectricity potentials.

Again, my thoughts are to increase our per capita income to 2000 - 3000 per year. This is not a dream to make Nepal Singapore or Japan as most of our uneducated and shortsighted leaders boast.

Once we get there we can think about getting further ahead.
 

Sidster,

Your 20 year plan is ahead of its time. It is refreshing. I wish I saw more of these kind of articles that sparked the imagination of Nepalese rather than the same old soul crushing political analysis that I generally read in Nepalitimes.com.

In the last 20 years, what do you think has prevented Nepal from implementing the goals that you have specified? Where has our focus been instead?

I completely agree with "khomeronaam".

I feel like what Pire wrote in this thread, belongs in this thread also:
http://www.sajha.com/sajha/html/openthread.cfm?threadid=87354

 Interesting postings here.

I am not one of you in that I don't have that uncertainty in life. I am actually on the other side of this debate; i.e. have employed people who have returned from the states or UK in Nepal. Here are my few observations:

1. About a year ago, I was sitting with a relative of mine who was planning to hire an editor for his website. His firm is US based, but they do bulk of works in Nepal. It is a small firm, employing 12-20 people in Nepal in various activities and less than six in the states. Among those employed in Nepal, almost six of them are either Indians or Americans who somehow seem to want to live in Kathmandu. Two major tasks of the firm involved regular updating of website (and writing some letters to clients) and take routed phone calls of customers during off hour here in the states. They needed one editor at the time and there comes an applicant [a US returnee] whose father I knew. He was totally unprepared for the interview; not even well kempt, and his English was too fast, too rambling. My relative ended up hiring an Indian freelance journalist for the position (paying almost Rs 30,000.00 per month).

This sums up the attitude of lots of Nepali, especially KTMduites[Also reflected in this thread given the writing of these people]. They lack discipline. Something about them tells us that they have very high opinion of themselves. They want high salary, and try to unnecessarily bargain for things they don't deserve. A software entrepreneur hiring about 100 people in KTM tells me of those horror stories of people trying to increase their salary in three months by threatening to leave in the middle of the project even though their contract explicitly calls for at least six month of work before they could leave.

LESSON for those you who are back in Nepal or contemplating to go back: Nepal is actually a competitive place. There are good writers, good engineers, and there are hardworking people willing to give their best for a chance to work. Furthermore, we also have nonnepali alternative there. So, please don't underestimate the skill required to succeed there. People won't throw money at you. You have to deserve it.

2. If you are a Nepali, you have to make sure you read something useful to Nepal here. If you are studying about something that is useless in Nepal, then you should stay here. If you are a researcher, then you must learn the tools of research methodologies soundly. A good researcher is a good researcher anyway and they will be useful everywhere, the only difference being the extent to which they could use their skill. Last time, I was talking to a Nepali college owner in London. I asked him what most of the Nepali students in his college study. He said Hotel Management. It was clear that Nepali people were coming to UK en masse, without any necessary mathematical foundation, and they studied the subject they thought they had some chance to pass. We are wasting our country's precious foreign exchange subjects like those. But I also saw a vicious cycle there, the college owner was offering these easy , you-don't-need-TOEFL-to-come-here courses precisely because he needed more people to come to his college, and people choose these lousy colleges and courses because they came here with the motive that had nothing to do with good education in the first place. They wanted in, he found a way to let them in. Such students has the  burden to proof their worth after the graduation themselves.

Several people in Nepal, in particular, those who matter, know what good colleges in the states are. I am more likely to trust a Janapriya Madhyamik Vidhyalaya and Pulchok campus graduate engineer than a mediocre boarding school and a mediocre Oklahoma college graduate if I need an engineer in Nepal. If you went to a mediocre school here, you should at the minimum get a good GPA to show some evidence of intelligence. If your GPA sucks, believe me employers won't need you there.

3. People should study the subject that enables them to succeed in Nepal. I see lots of social science researchers who work in Nepal on Nepali subjects. Such researchers are likely to succeed there. Those who have degree in forestry but have no knowledge of Nepali forest system should study hard to know about our system while they are studying here. Before you choose a subject, ask yourself how you could be useful in Nepal. Because, afterall, if things go badly and you don't get to stay here, you will have to go to Nepal.

4. Yes, banks in Nepal did pay more than 1 lakh to some entry level positions. But at least some of those I knew were product of very good foreign management schools. Some CEOs made personal contacts with these people and offered them these positions. I know an experienced engineer with MS/MBA degree from a western school who is paid about 2 lakh per month in a hydropower firm.

5. In Nepal, you need different types of skills to succeed. In a firm that I have made some investment, we have a group of core board members. One of them is very good at political connections, in that he knows tons of people. The other is very aggressive, makes our CEO very disciplined, and is a very honest man. The third person is kitabko kiro, used to be ISc board, and he knows all regulations in the field. (This is a publicly traded firm). The idea of having such mix in leadership is clear: some times you may need political connection, but this alone doesn't take you far away. Whenever there is a fair game, we need man who can beat others in intelligence. The lesson to you guys is that yes, political connection is necessary, but it is not a sufficient condition to succeed. Intelligence is still very valuable.

6. My suggestion is this: if you are mediocre, stay here. Nepal can produce tons of mediocre men, and you won't really be sorely missed. It is your country, so you can always go back. If you are a very bright man, if you can eventually run a big corporation, if you can deal with people, if you are an excellent trader, if you know how to make highways, interstates and bridges, if you can manage a hydropower company, you have a great future in Nepal and please go. Nepal certainly needs you a lot now. If you are a good orator, then you should go because you will have a chance to lead the country of 30 million people, and such chances don't come frequently. We, needless to say, need good leaders too.

7.Also, no matter how bad the country is, there are always a group of people , often very bright, who will go to Nepal. Because these people think differently. They have one eye at the history. BP Koirala , for example, had a career of lawyer at Darjeeling and Nepal was under Rana rule--needless to say how bad it was. But he and several others didn't calculate nafa/noksan. I am sure there are tons of those people. These people are destined to be some historic persons. You know it when you talk to them. They think differently.

PS: Thanks for the list of those who returned to Nepal. Anyone who goes back and generates jobs are worth praising.

 

There is room in Nepal for stupids, smarts, uglies, beautiful, white collar worker, blue collar worker etc, etc. We may be a small nation, but our hearts are big.

I'm not sure why everyone is ganging up on Pire. I don't think he said anything negative. I don't feel his intention was to put anyone down.

Pire answered the question of whether Nepalese who are in the States should go back to Nepal from an economic perspective. There is nothing wrong with what he said. 

I feel that he is saying: Nepal needs more people who are job makers. Nepal needs less job takers and more job makers.

I agree with him.  "If you cannot be a part of the economic solution , then you are probably part of the economic problem." It doesn't mean that we don't love all Nepalese. But the harsh realities of living in Nepal are such that if you are not contributing towards the solution of an economically viable Nepal then you are going to be part of the problem in Nepal. There is no point in a Nepali leaving his comfortable and happy life in America to go back to Nepal and be another voice complaining that there is not enough opportunity in Nepal. 
I think Pire is telling those people who have comfortable lifestyle in America to stay in America...if you don't feel that you have anything positive to contribute to Nepal by going there. It's true. 

Like I said above:
Nepal doesn't need another negative complainer simply there in the country whining that 'oh my life could have been better if it wasn't for these politicians.' Nepal needs professionals who can be a part of the solution. Nepal needs people who can think, lead, and actively participate and motivate.
So if someone can't do that, it is better they stay in America and take care of their life and not contribute to Nepal's burden of problems. But, on the other hand, if you have your act togethor, then the nation could use one more capable professional who can work towards the solution without being himself/herself a problem.


I feel that most of the people taking offence at his words are reading his words from a 'human factor' perspective. They feel that Pire is judging their intelligence, education or capability. I don't think he is. 

Most of us in this thread are trying to decide whether or not we should go to Nepal by the question: "How much do we need Nepal?"
Pire is saying: "Ask not how much you need Nepal....ask instead how much Nepal needs you."

Or, as John F Kennedy famously said: "Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country"

We started this thread talking about a vision. What I like about what Pire is saying is that there are competent professionals in Nepal who are getting educated and making a positive difference.
 

I went back to dig back this thread from the past. Like i listed above i have been seeing some progress on two of the items i had listed above.


2. Focus on Tourism business, trecking, hotels, ski resorts, rock climbing, mountain climbing, rafting, gliding, and other outdoorsy sports, we need a good global marketing team to promote those things. Someone who can market Nepal Tourism the same way they market Cancun, Cabos and such. Tourism industry alone will be enough to employ majority of Nepalese.


There has been lots of effort in trying to make Nepal as a tourist destination in the last 12 months.

3. Sell the religion, sell Hinduism to 1 billion hindus on the south and sell budhism to 500 millions to the north. We can market Pashupati and Lumbini as a Mecca for Hindus and Buddhist and generate huge amout from there

Another Chinese foundation plans to raise $ 3b to make Lumbini 'magnet for Buddhists'

http://nepalnews.com/archive/2011/jun/jun20/news11.php

4. Make it easy for Nepalese to go work outside the country such as Golf for however long it is needed. Do attempts to reduce abuse at a government level. Make easy financing to avoid poor people get into shark loans for foreign employment.

No progress on this idea.

5. Proper use of Hydro electricity. Sometimes the nonsense nationlism with our water resources is harming no one but ourselves.

There has been lots of talks of new hydro electric projects recently...i hope they make good progress.


As if authorities were listening to what was talked about in sajha : )

Sidster,

Since you posted the above post 2 weeks ago...you have really gotten me thinking. I really like your idea about marketing Nepali tourism. You've captured my imagination. I think you're right about it having the potential to solve many of Nepal's problems.

But what I can't understand is how we could practically get involved in this? What do you think it would take to do this?
How could guys and gals like us living in America go about marketing tourism for Nepal from here? What would it take to coordinate this effort? Where would we start?

Do you think there are other Nepalese in America who would be willing and able to contribute with their creative faculties such as graphic design, writing, art, music, editing, videography talents? What would it take to inspire them?

Do you think that we could generate enough energy to create a volunteer organization to perform the above task?
Any ideas?