From the Heart of a Heart Surgeon Book review of Dr. Bhagwan Koirala’s ‘Hridaya’
A lifetime devoted to healing Dr Bhagwan Koirala’s autobiography, ‘Hridaya’, serves as a testament to his commitment to healthcare reform and his dream project, the Kathmandu Institute of Child Health....
Small Countries with Big Voices: Nepal in Asia and the World
Small Countries with Big Voices: Nepal in Asia and the World
Pelé: Beyond the football pitch
Pelé will also be remembered as a great champion of peace and well-being of the world’s children. Along with billions of people around the world—including millions of Nepalis—I was mesmerised by the magic of Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe while watching the 2022 FIFA World Cup finale in
A Granddaughter’s Impressions of Dartmouth 1972-2022
By Riddhi Arsheyi Gautam, 24 June 2022 “Dear old Dartmouth, give a rouse for the college on the hill.” Oh, what a joy it was to visit you on a lovely summer day in June 2022 in Hanover, New Hampshire. The occasion happened to be the 50th reunion of my grandfather Kul Gautam’s class of …
A gripping and enchanting memoir
A gripping and enchanting memoir
UN’s Guterres Must be Visibly Proactive as Peacemaker in Ukraine
UN’s Guterres Must be Visibly Proactive as Peacemaker in Ukraine
Restructuring Nepali Army
Restructuring Nepali Army
Transitional justice has failed former child soldiers
Transitional justice has failed former child soldiers
Global Britain should restore its foreign aid spending pledge: The UK can provide leadership and wield soft power through multilateralist diplomacy
The UK played a leading role in creating the post-second world war architecture of multilateral institutions, including the UN. And it has always been a pre-eminent supporter of multilateral action to tackle global poverty, conflict and humanitarian crises. Continue…..
BRITAIN AS A MULTILATERALIST GLOBAL SOFT POWER
BRITAIN AS A MULTILATERALIST GLOBAL SOFT POWER
Whither Nepal’s foreign policy
Whither Nepal’s foreign policy
Hope, hyperbole and hypocrisy of COVAX
Hope, hyperbole and hypocrisy of COVAX
UNICEF @ 75: Excerpts from Kul Gautam’s remarks at UNICEF Thailand
UNICEF @ 75: Excerpts from Kul Gautam's remarks at UNICEF Thailand
Myanmar needs a Padauk Revolution
The author with Aung San Suu Kyi in Yangon, July 1998. Photo Courtesy: Kul Chandra Gautam
Making USA More Child Rights-Friendly
Making USA More Child Rights-Friendly
Relevance of US Peace Corps in Post-COVID World
Relevance of US Peace Corps in Post-COVID World
सशस्त्र विद्रोह : अन्तर्विरोध र दुष्परिणाम
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Want to Change the World? Read Kul Gautam’s Book
Adam Fified Measles is making a comeback. Thanks to a range of factors — including poverty, weak health infrastructure, inadequate political will, and delusional anti-vaxxers — a deadly disease that should be consigned to history books is, preposterously, all around the world. This is es
India – Nepal Bilateral Relations’
India – Nepal Bilateral Relations’ Nepal and India have close cultural, economic and political ties since ancient times. But this affinity sometimes turns into a love-hate relationship. Some Nepalis see and portray India as a bullying Big Brother, while the Indians sometimes regard Nepal as a pe
Consolidating democracy-July 2017
Consolidating democracy Had there been regular local elections in the past two decades, the self-correcting mechanism of democracy would have thrown out corrupt, non-performing leaders . There are high hopes that the recently elected village and municipal governments with their constitutionally mand
A Window on Madesh – Pahad Relations
A Window on Madesh – Pahad Relations Birgunj: Mero Saharko Katha, by Girish Giri Book review by Kul Chandra Gautam May 20, 2017- Girish Giri’s Birgunj is a balanced, first-hand perspective by someone of a Pahadi stock but with deep roots in Madhes For those of us baffled by the dynamics of Madhe
Responding to US Budget Cuts for United Nations
Responding to US Budget Cuts for United Nations KATHMANDU, Nepal, Mar 20 2017 (IPS) – It is in UN’s long-term interest to gradually reduce its dependence on US funding and undue influence, as proposed by former Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme Kul Chandra Gautam US President Donald Trump
Impeachment and impunity in Nepal-Nov 2016
Impeachment and impunity in Nepal Impeachment of CIAA chief would be an important symbolic step, but it must not be used to hide or side-step widespread systemic impunity in Nepal’s body politic Nepal has seen many revolutions, agitations, armed insurgencies and peaceful people’s movements
Key messages for international community – from Lost in Transition-2016
Key messages for international community – from Lost in Transition My book: Lost in Transition: Rebuilding Nepal from the Maoist mayhem and mega earthquake, critically dissects the role of the international community during Nepal’s peace process from around 2005 to 2015. In a chapter e
Key messages for rebuilding Nepal – from Lost in Transition-2016
Key messages for rebuilding Nepal – from Lost in Transition The pursuit of a prosperous and equitable society does not follow any fixed formula or linear progress. There are many trials and errors, ups and downs and pragmatic course corrections along the way. In an increasingly globalizing world,
Nepal’s Earthquake and Resilient Democracy
Nepal’s Earthquake and Resilient Democracy A year ago on April 25, a devastating earthquake struck Nepal that killed 9,000, left one million homeless, toppled centuries-old cultural monuments, and destroyed public infrastructure. As we reflect on the impact of the earthquake and learn lessons from
American Exceptionalism on Child Rights
American Exceptionalism on Child Rights KATHMANDU, NEPAL, Oct 5 2015 (IPS) – On 1 October 2015, Somalia ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), leaving the United States of America as the only remaining member state of the UN not to embrace this most universally accepted
U.N.’s Mixed Messages on Nepal’s Constitution
U.N.’s Mixed Messages on Nepal’s Constitution KATHMANDU, NEPAL, Sep 28 2015 (IPS) – After a decade of violent insurgency, followed by another decade of chaotic transition, Nepal promulgated its new constitution on Sept. 20, 2015. Immediately afterwards, the U.N. issued a rather terse stat
Jim Grant – the Joy of Working with a Visionary Leader-2015
Jim Grant – the Joy of Working with a Visionary Leader When James P Grant was appointed as its third Executive Director in 1980, UNICEF was already a highly respected organization that had won the Nobel Peace Prize and earned great reputation as the world’s premier humanitarian institution to he
U.S. Missing in Child Rights Convention
U.S. Missing in Child Rights Convention KATHMANDU, Nov 19 2014 (IPS) – On Nov. 20, the whole world will be celebrating the 25th anniversary of the world’s most universally ratified human rights treaty, the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). Sadly, the United States of America
Power of Love and Compassion in Governance
Power of Love and Compassion in Governance Governance is a process of managing the affairs of a state or an institution through rules, regulations and norms that are negotiated and agreed upon by all key stakeholders. On the other hand, love and compassion are deeply felt personal emotions and senti
Making amends: Labor exploitation in Qatar
Making amends: Labor exploitation in Qatar KUL CHANDRA GAUTAM It is said that some of the world’s great monuments, including the Seven Wonders of the World, like the Pyramids of Egypt, the Great Wall of China, the Taj Mahal of India, the Colosseum of Italy, etc were built with slave labor. During
Peace dividend for quality education
Peace dividend for quality education A 10-point checklist to improve the quality of education in Nepali schools. Quantitatively, Nepal has made impressive progress in basic education in recent decades: 90 per cent of children enrol in primary schools and there is virtual gender parity in enrolment.
Reaction of the ‘People’s Enemies’
Reaction of the ‘People’s Enemies’ By Kul Chandra Gautam, Subodh Raj Pyakurel, Kanak Mani Dixit We three citizens come from diverse backgrounds and express ourselves, not always with the same voice, on myriad social and political issues. ‘Lalrakshak’, the magazine close to the UCPN-Maoist
My preferred model of federalism
My preferred model of federalism I am often asked what is my preferred model of federalism? I am for a federal model that gives higher priority to building a brighter future for all Nepalis than just seeking to right the wrongs of the past. I am for a model of federalism in which no Nepali …
Pitfalls of identity-centric federalism
Pitfalls of identity-centric federalism Identity-centric politics have become a fact of life in the Nepali landscape with the emergence of many identity-based political parties and social organizations not only in Nepal but in the Nepali diaspora as well. This has the positive potential of unleashin
Balancing Identity and Prosperity for Federalism
Balancing Identity and Prosperity for Federalism Globally, there has been a surge of identity-based politics after the end of the Cold War. Most conflicts in the world in recent decades have been inter-ethnic and intra-State. This was understandable as many dictatorial regimes during the post-coloni
USAID and UNICEF: A Winning Partnership for Child Survival and Development
USAID and UNICEF: A Winning Partnership for Child Survival and Development by Kul Chandra Gautam Distinguished Speakers Series in Celebration of 50th Anniversary of USAID Washington, DC, 6 June 2012 I feel immensely honoured to be asked to address this impressive gathering as part of the Distinguish
Questionable Wisdom of Ban Ki-moon’s Visit to Lumbini
Questionable Wisdom of Ban Ki-moon’s Visit to Lumbini By Kul Chandra Gautam KATHMANDU, March 9, 2012 (IPS) – Reports of United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s planned visit to Lumbini, the birth place of Lord Gautam Buddha, and a UNESCO World Heritage site in Nepal in April 2012, have
Kul Gautam’s Rebuttal of False Allegations by Lalrakshak
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In the Name of Children: Remembering Vaclav Havel
In the Name of Children: Remembering Vaclav Havel As tributes are pouring in for Vaclav Havel, former President, playwright and the icon of the Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia who died on 18 December 2011, I wish to recall an extraordinary occasion when I had the opportunity to meet him and hear
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Untimely pilgrimage to Phnom Penh BY KUL CHANDRA GAUTAM A group of senior Nepali Communist leaders from UCPN (Maoist) and NC-UML are going to Phnom Penh next week, to learn about Cambodia’s peace process. Going on donor-funded junkets to virtually all post-conflict countries to learn from their pe
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Normalcy’ of anarchy & extremism
Normalcy’ of anarchy & extremism BY KUL CHANDRA GAUTAM Imagine employees at a major hospital in Paris, London, New York or Tokyo suddenly closing their own hospital, including its emergency ward, intensive care unit, and all essential services, and forcing all patients to move out to seek trea
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Call for Pragmatism in Drafting a Progressive Constitution
Call for Pragmatism in Drafting a Progressive Constitution by Kul Chandra Gautam With only one month left to 28 May 2011 deadline for promulgating the new Constitution, preceded by the completion of the peace process, tensions are rising high and political parties are blaming each other for lack of
राष्ट्रसंघीय महासभा अध्यक्षको उम्मेदवारी-अनुभव: परिणाममा पराजय, नैतिकरुपमा विजय
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Inconvenient truths: Provocative new book is for pluralism and against populism
Inconvenient truths: Provocative new book is for pluralism and against populism By KUL CHANDRA GAUTAM In his new book Peace Politics in Nepal, Kanak Mani Dixit captures much of what his earlier Nepali book, Dekheko Muluk, contains, but adds some new chapters and updates developments of the past year
Nepal-Qatar: Let it be a fair contest
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UNGA presidency, Republica Editorial
UNGA presidency, Republica Editorial Friday is going to be a litmus test for Nepal’s diplomacy, as the Asia Group – an alliance of Asian countries in the UN –gears up for a rare election to choose the president of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). Though Nepal’s claim to the covete
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Integration models for Maoist combatants Action points-2010
Integration models for Maoist combatants Action points As a Nepali with long association with the UN and UNICEF, I am ashamed and embarrassed that even after 3 years, we have not been able to discharge and rehabilitate the nearly 3,000 disqualified combatants. Last year in December, former Prime Min
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Alternatives for managing Maoist combatants
Alternatives for managing Maoist combatants Over the past weekend, United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) and UCPN (Maoist) came up with some creative proposals for the integration and rehabilitation of Maoist combatants. Although criticized and dismissed by senior leaders of Nepali Congress and CP
Spirit of Gwangju binds Nepal & Korea
Spirit of Gwangju binds Nepal & Korea The May 18, 1980 Gwangju Democratization Movement occupies a special place in the annals of the world’s great people’s uprisings against authoritarianism and for democracy. It was the culmination of a series of huge mass protests all over South Korea aga
Which comes first: Integration or constitution?
Which comes first: Integration or constitution? Completion of the peace process and drafting of the new constitution have now become entangled in a new controversy regarding their sequencing. The parties in the current government say that the “integration and rehabilitation of the Maoist combatant
Future of NA & integration of Maoist PLA
Future of NA & integration of Maoist PLA By Kul Chandra Gautam With historic elections to the Constituent Assembly, abolition of the monarchy, and formation of a new government in the offing, Nepal is now well poised to draft a progressive constitution for a new federal democratic republic.One p
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Let children be children in new Nepal
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What Can the World’s Poorest Expect from the G20 Declaration?
What Can the World’s Poorest Expect from the G20 Declaration? In their Declaration of the London Summit, the G-20 leaders acknowledged the human dimension of the world-wide financial crisis, stating in no uncertain terms, “We recognize that the current crisis has a disproportionate impact on the
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How does the United Nations Help You and Nepal?
How does the United Nations Help You and Nepal? As we celebrate the United Nations’ 63rd anniversary today, it is fitting to ask how the UN relates to our daily lives and to Nepal’s peace and prosperity. Many of us think of the United Nations as a distant organization that organizes big con
माओवादी विजय र नेपालको भविष्य
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Turning the Maoist victory into Nepal’s good fortune
Turning the Maoist victory into Nepal’s good fortune By Kul Chandra Gautam The people of Nepal have voted for radical change. By sidelining old, established parties, and opting for the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), the people have given the Maoists the benefit of the doubt. The party now has
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Statement by Dr Francisco Songane in honor of Mr Kul Gautam
Statement by Dr Francisco Songane in honor of Mr Kul Gautam, Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF, Founding Chair of the Partnership Board Statement by Dr Francisco Songane in honor of Mr Kul Gautam, Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF Founding Chair of the Partnership Board New York, 13 December 200
Democracy means trusting people, respecting their views, and honoring their rights
Democracy means trusting people, respecting their views, and honoring their rights By Kul Chandra Gautam When UNDP started producing national human development reports, predictably, Nepal produced one of the first and among the best national HDRs. If we could be half as effective in producing result
UN does not have any magic formula
UN does not have any magic formula By Kul Chandra Gautam, Assistant Secretary General, UN There is much poverty, injustice, inequality and feudalism in Nepal. We would all like to see these evils end. But none of these justify the violence and vitriol, murder and mayhem, the destruction of infrastru
