| Username |
Post |
| isolated freak |
Posted
on 31-Oct-03 07:05 AM
Read the remarks by Hiranya Lal Shrestha. I am 100% confident that a 10th grader from Rato Bangala School will do a better job than him. I mean, look guys, if being able to say what he said is enough to label you a Foreign Affairs expert, I am willing to give up my studies, go home and join the UML's foreign affairs commitee or whatever it is.
UN's 'enhanced' role in Nepal stressed
Saying, Nepal has been unable to tap "what the United Nations can offer to it", diplomats and external affair experts said Friday the UN should be given a key role in the rehabilitation of the internally displaced people in Nepal.
"We should advocate for a constructive and enhanced role of the UN in Nepal," foreign affairs expert Hiranya Lal Shrestha said.
"The problem of internally displaced people due to the Maoist violence is grave in Nepal," Shrestha said. "Since the UN is also seeking a role to help Nepal restore peace, it should be invited in the rehabilitation process."
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| isolated freak |
Posted
on 31-Oct-03 07:06 AM
and he is not just a/an expert, he is "the expert".
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| RBaral |
Posted
on 31-Oct-03 07:44 AM
Let's put aside of Hiranya Shrestha being an expert.
Why would you think a Rato Bangala 10th grader would do better? Why not other schools?
If my memory serves me right, Rato Bangala is fairly a new school, which used to be run on rented premises somewhere around Lalitpur. There are other prominent schools, in and outside of Kathmandu valley. What makes you think that a Rato Bangala 10th grader would do it while not others?
And, why so itchy towards someone being termed expert? People have been repeatedly made expert in different contexts. Most of the time, in Nepali context, you become expert depending on how much you are liked, not by how much you have accomplished. But, lately, things are slowly changing.
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| suva chintak |
Posted
on 31-Oct-03 08:19 AM
IF bhai,
I agree...Mr. Shrestha's comment on the role of UN in Nepal seem to be from the satya yuga! As a political organization representing the nations of the world, the UN is dead! It simply has no more political relevance after it looked on helplessly as the US/UK attacked and occupied Iraq. It could not even bring out one statement to censure the unprovoked and unjustified act of aggression.
Now this same UN wants to find some of its relevance by coming to places like Nepal. In my humble opinion, UN is now no more than any other large INGOs. It might play some role in service delivery, development efforts, and humanitarian assistance, but it ceased to be a political entity. If you ask me, it has turned into an Uncle Tom for Uncle Sam! It does whatever the White House tells it to do.
So much for Mr. Shrestha's faith in the UN to solve our problems!
SC, the occasional political pundit
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| najar |
Posted
on 31-Oct-03 08:34 AM
This is not to defend Rato Bangala students or exaggerate their performance, but was recently talking to a senior expat working at the ILO for an assigned project. He'd said they work a lot with school students--RBS beign one of them in sensitizing and advocating the domestic child labor issues. A/c to him the tool has been very effective in that the students are advocating for the child workers at home against all sort of violence that could take place. To make a long story short--he was saying these RBS kids are no short in comparing w/ any north american kids of their age, are really sensitive about many issues prevailing in the society, lobbying for change.
As i said, do not have capacity to assess other school--that was the only example we taled about.
Also from other sectors have heard, these have the kids who take up/show interest careers in social science sectors. Again--no generalization!
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| isolated freak |
Posted
on 31-Oct-03 08:36 AM
RBaral,
I used the example of rato Bangala school because I like the "discussion" oriented teaching approach of that school. Unlike many schools in the valley and in Nepal, the school encourages its students to be critical thinkers.
I agree thre are other good schools too with exceptionally bright students and teachers, but I like RB.
SC Dai,
I totally agree with you. The UN has ceased to opearte as a political organziation, its simply an american organziation now.
HLS, well, having met, talked and worked with him, I can say that he is one of those lato-desh ma-gando tanneri. I mean, if reciting things from the 7th grade textbooks make you an expert, why the hell need you study and continue study issues pertaining to IR? Not trying to be critical or anything, but becaus eof these old and "outdated" people, we--young people--never get any chance in Nepal.
SC dai,
China ko adventure pahdau na.. sorry, couldn't spend much time with you, maybe we will be able to do something together when you are here next.
Best of luck with your studies and work.
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| najar |
Posted
on 31-Oct-03 08:59 AM
SC jyu--
Haami pani sunam na cheen ra mangolia ko bhraman prativedan. Heard no news re "women's health" conference either! khai ta? :)
SC jyu being an occasional sajha political pundit that you are, perhaps we can suggest you to take up some role in this krantikaari baatabaran, what say you?
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| isolated freak |
Posted
on 31-Oct-03 09:01 AM
SC dai saw a lot of healthy women in China. :-)
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| DISCO |
Posted
on 31-Oct-03 09:17 AM
Najar Ji, Thanks for the info on how the students are at RBS, which says a lot about teachers and officials who are taking all the steps to better the school system amidst all the corruption and the killing, after all its the children and their edification that are the force of change for the future well being of Nepal. But my concern is this comparison as you've quoted, "RBS kids are no short in comparing w/ any North American kids of their age". Why compare suntala with syawoo? Especially with an agenda (i.e. the aspect of lobbying etc.), if RBS kids are as good as the N. Americans, would not they be better fit for the North American habitat? I think along with good education comes this abolishment of indoctrination of the concept that west is best and that we have to follow their way.
thank you, Disco.
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| najar |
Posted
on 31-Oct-03 09:33 AM
Disco ji
I understand your point, but the issue is not the comparison with any particular country per se...the point was that they are bright kids and have potential to work toward the improvement of the society given theat the have had good education, interaction with peers, external orgs and awareness. That North American comparison came just b/c that expat was from NA and his point was that even kids stuyding here are/can be just as good. Plus, i couldn't have asked the person i was talking with to say the things the way i wanted or other would want to hear, could I?
Hope this clears my point.
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| Arnico |
Posted
on 31-Oct-03 10:24 AM
DISCO, I *do* strongly believe that questioning and critical thinking should be an important part of every child's education... something that the schools systems in both Asia and Europe emphasize less than is usually done in the US.
It also makes nations less dependent upon importing thinking...
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| DISCO |
Posted
on 31-Oct-03 11:15 AM
Oh no, Najar ji,i was not faulting you for what the expat person said, thats why I quoted what he said to you, and it's not even just about what he said but the underlying concept that people in general, and people even from other countries have and that this indroctination should be erased from our society. if it is truely to see it's problem in its own entirty and try to solve it for what suites Nepal the best, especially if we are trying to teach this to our kids with our cultural ethical, moral undertone. As far as the western oriented expact goes, I smell him leaking a gust of ethnocentrism by placing western kids in a frame of reference superior to any.
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| DISCO |
Posted
on 31-Oct-03 11:42 AM
Arnico, I'll true to that but without the dharma and karmic moral such as of the East such questioning and critical thinking amasses to Haliburton like gobblers (after all its haloween) who go for oil with tanks and bombs.....//....with puberty striken boys to kill, sidelining scores of cultural artifacts (that is lost forever), religious respect, all in all the mindful recognision of another state and her people. Therefore the North Americans cant be the absolute even with some good that they have, i'd rather have those characterestics mentioned withought any reference to N. America the almighty.
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| najar |
Posted
on 03-Nov-03 09:13 AM
Disco ji,
No, i did not mean to imply that you were blaming me. As i said, i understand your point and think they are very valid. My intent was to clarify my point, which was a bit diff in the scenario i presented than it'd have been otherwise. Under normal scenario what you state above is what i believe. So, allow me to clarify... I think the North America analogy might've made it confusing.
The larger point, atleast the one i perceived was that these highschool kids these days are becoming increasingly aware, dynamic, sensitive in addition to their quality education they are getting, with the intent of making some change in teh society--and for that matter RBS seem to be developing some really good product. Tetti ho :)
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