Project Summary

Project Title: Decentralization Project for Inclusion and Peace Building
Funding Partner: Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation (SDC)
Document Source: projectsummary7.pdf

Overview & Implementation Details

Project Name: Decentralization Project for Inclusion and Peace Building
Funding Partner: Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation (SDC)
Start Date: 2004 A.D
End Date: 2009 A.D

Project Summary
Driven by the need to strengthen voices, agency and organization of citizens at the grassroots, the
project conceptualized citizenship rights as entry point and promote the process for building citizen
collectives (citizen groups) in six districts of the country Rupendhi, Chitwan, Lamjung, Kapilvastu
and Palpa. The project focused on capacity building of rural women in particular to assert their
rights as citizens and contribute to participatory governance and peace building at the grassroot
level. The awareness and capacity was linked to engage with local bodies for local planning,
budgeting, and service delivery to promote participation in the public sphere. Moreover, the project
produced relevant and appropriate knowledge on citizenship, local governance and participation.
The materials have been used by citizen groups and shared among civil society organizations. The
Project monitored, backstopped the citizen groups in different domains as provided such support
to citizen groups in the following areas:
 Plan and execute collective civic actions, network and engage with public service
providers, formulate action plans and use local capacity/ resources to carry them out, raise
and maintain collective fund to sustain core actions even after withdrawal of the IGD, At
present the above 80 citizen groups are federated into 13 networks and carrying out
collective actions based on the local needs.

Detailed Description of the Actual Services
provided

 Citizen groups were empowered to
plan and execute collective civic
actions, network together and engage
with
public
service
providers,
formulate action plans and use local
capacity/ resources to carry them out,
raise and maintain collective fund to
sustain
core
actions
even
after

Domains of Trainings

Visioning/ group building

Advocacy and communication skills

Human rights and Right-based citizenship

Networking/ coalition building

Social skills/citizen duties

local governance system

Democracy & civil society

Leadership skills

Mediation skills

Right to information and citizenship etc.
Participants at Civic Education Meeting, Kapilbastu
District
street shows and dramas to increase awareness
of local communities on social issues

withdrawal of the IGD, at present the
above 80 citizen groups are federated
into 13 networks and carrying out
collective actions based on the local
needs.
 The Project encouraged citizen groups to
consolidate into representation based
organic network. The Project has
supported them to organize and register
with
the
respective
District
Administration Offices (DAOs). A total of 13 federation/ networks have been successfully
consolidated.
 Citizen Groups have accessed resources from local VDCs and other agencies including
DDCs to initiate execution of actions. The coverage and range of subjects and participation
of local citizens in different activities indicate that local participation is critical in assuring
implementation of rights and issues. The mode of implementation of citizen actions
included rallies/processions, folklores/songs, trainings and so on.
 Citizen groups organized dialogues on participation in local governance, peace building,
constituent assembly and its importance in which local citizens participated. The Project
gave backstopping support to citizen groups to make these activities effective. Moreover,
relevant materials/literacy texts/flier/booklets etc were also provided to citizen groups.

Participants at rallies and procession to aware people on
their rights and challenges social evils and injustice

Significance & Legacy

This project contributed directly to IGD's institutional knowledge base and helped establish long-term networks among local communities, civic leaders, and government stakeholders.