Swiss Foundation of Terre des hommes –Headquarters

www.tdh.ch
Website of the Swiss Foundation of Terre des hommes in Lausanne, Switzerland

www.tdhafghanistan.org
Website of the Swiss Foundation of Terre des hommes in Afghanistan. Projects, programs, political news since 2000 and also offering a web portal for Afghanistan. Terre des hommes in Afghanistan dates back to 1995, and implements projects in Kandahar, Kabul and northeastern Afghanistan.

www.tdhegypt.org
Website of the Swiss Foundation of Terre des hommes in Egypt. The presence of Terre des hommes in Egypt dates back to 1983. It has been legalized in 1999 by an agreement signed with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Its projects are implemented with the recognition of the Ministry of Social Affairs. Currently, it is present in Egypt through 4 branches, in the governorates of Cairo, Ismailia, Sohag and Assiut.

www.terredeshommes.org
Website of the International Federation of Terre des hommes IFTDH. A network of 10 organisations Terre des hommes, works for the rights of the child and promotes equitable development without racial, religious, cultural or gender-based discrimination.

Children

www.childtrafficking.com
A South Asia - based internet platform and digital library of experts for: researchers, policy makers, program advisors, anti-trafficking activists, journalists and NGOs. With more than 1,700 documents on human trafficking – covering more than 130 countries. Run by Terre des hommes and supported by the consulting Ray of Hope.
www.Child-soldiers.org
Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers
www.stopchildtrafficking.org
Campaign against Child Trafficking Website
www.watchlist.org
Website protecting the security and rights of children in specific armed conflicts
www.un.org/children/conflict
UN Website for Children and Armed Conflict

Peace policy and peace research in Nepal

Nepal's Fragile Peace Process
http://www.crisisgroup.org/library/documents/asia/south_asia/b68_nepal_s_fragile_peace_process.pdf
A Maoist walk-out from government on 18 September 2007 and mainstream political parties’ intransigence are threatening elections for Nepal’s Constituent Assembly (CA) scheduled for 22 November. Although a compromise to bring the Maoists back on board is possible, the heightened tensions add to longstanding problems including weak political will, poor governance and security, and continued claims for representation by marginalised groups. The Maoists could contest elections from outside government but polls without their participation would be meaningless, and they retain the capacity to make the country ungovernable if they oppose the process. Critical elements of the 2006 peace deal, such as security sector reform, remain to be tackled, while implementation and monitoring of past agreements have been minimal. Primary responsibility for steering the process lies with the mainstream parties, which need to demonstrate coherence, commitment and a will to reform their own behaviour if lasting peace is to be established. September 2007

Nepal’s Troubled Tarai Region http://www.crisisgroup.org/library/documents/asia/south_asia/136_nepal_s_troubled_tarai_region.pdf
The latest report from the International Crisis Group, examines the political exclusion of Madhesis, plainspeople who are some one third of the country’s population. Faced with long-standing discrimination, Madhesis have now turned politically assertive and are demanding equal rights. Recent protests and fatal confrontations shocked the political elite, which had largely ignored disquiet brewing in the region. The national political process must be made more inclusive and responsive, and constituent assembly elections later this year must be free and fair if a new conflict is to be avoided. July 2007

Nepal’s Maoists: Purists or Pragmatists?
http://www.crisisgroup.org/library/documents/asia/south_asia/132_nepal_s_maoists___purists_or_pragmatists.pdf
International Crisis Group reports: Nepal’s Maoists have changed their strategy and tactics but not yet their goals. In 1996 they launched a “people’s war” to establish a communist republic but ten years later ended it by accepting multiparty democracy; their armed struggle targeted the parliamentary system but they are now working alongside their former enemies, the mainstream parties, in an interim legislature and coalition government. Their commitment to pluralistic politics and society is far from definitive, and their future course will depend on both internal and external factors. While they have signed up to a peaceful, multiparty transition, they continue to hone alternative plans for more revolutionary change. May 2007.

Children in the Ranks - The Maoists’ Use of Child Soldiers in Nepal
http://www.hrw.org/reports//2007/nepal0207/nepal0207webwcover.pdf
This 72-page report describes how the Maoists in Nepal have continued using child soldiers, and even recruited more children, despite signing a Comprehensive Peace Agreement with the Nepali government on November 21. The peace agreement commits both sides to stop recruiting child soldiers. The report, which is based on interviews with former child soldiers and Nepali and international monitors, documents how children as young as 14 served on the front lines, received weapons training, and carried out crucial military and logistical support duties for the Maoists. February 2007.

Report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict in Nepal
http://www.crin.org/docs/UNSG_Report_CAC_Nepal_E.pdf
Children in Nepal were still being recruited by the Communist Party (Maoist) to serve as soldiers despite last April’s ceasefire with the Government, the Secretary-General has warned in his latest report to the Security Council, calling on the Maoists to immediately end the practice and on both sides to do more to protect children’s rights. January 2007.

Nepal’s Peace Agreement: Making it Work
http://www.crisisgroup.org/library/documents/asia/south_asia/126_nepals_peace_agreement___making_it_work.pdf
Nepal’s government and Maoist rebels have signed a comprehensive peace agreement (CPA) declaring an end to the ten-year civil war, paving the way for inclusion of the rebels in mainstream politics and June 2007 elections to an assembly that is to write a new constitution. The deal has been welcomed by an optimistic public but implementation will not be straightforward: some central questions remain, and there is a serious risk the elections could be delayed, putting strain on the whole process. The UN has very high credibility but it will not last indefinitely, especially if there are delays. International support for its monitoring of both the two armies and the elections will be critical. December 2006

Nepal: IDP return still a trickle despite ceasefire
http://www.internal-displacement.org/8025708F004BE3B1/(httpInfoFiles)/6C8B65949B9B0229C12572090038DEE5/$file/Nepal+-October+2006.pdf
Nearly six months after nationwide protests forced the king to end 14 months of absolute rule and the Maoists rebels called a ceasefire, only a few thousand people have reportedly returned to their homes, the majority of the internally displaced persons (IDPs) preferring to wait for better security guarantees and more assistance to make the journey home. Although no reliable figures exist, it is estimated that up to 200,000 people have been internally displaced in Nepal by ten years of war, which has claimed more than 13,000 lives and affected all districts of the country (...). October 2006

Nepal: From People Power to Peace?
http://www.crisisgroup.org/library/documents/asia/south_asia/115_nepal_from_people_power_to_peace.pdf 
King Gyanendra’s capitulation on 24 April 2006 in the face of a mass movement marked a victory for democracy in Nepal and, with a ceasefire between the new government and the Maoists now in place, the start of a serious peace process. Forced to acknowledge the “spirit of the people’s movement”, Gyanendra accepted popular sovereignty, reinstated parliament and invited the mainstream seven-party alliance to implement its roadmap – including election of a constituent assembly to rewrite the constitution in line with the parties’ five-month-old agreement with the Maoists. The international community lost credibility by attempting to pressure the parties into an unworkable compromise with the king and must now work hard to support a difficult transition and peace process while avoiding similar mistakes. May 2006.

Nepal’s Crisis: Mobilising International Influence.
http://www.crisisgroup.org/library/documents/asia/south_asia/b49_nepal_s_crisis_mobilising_international_influence.pdf   
Pro-democracy demonstrations and a general strike across Nepal in recent weeks mark a decisive shift in the country’s political equations and probably signal the approaching end of King Gyanendra’s direct rule. A successful popular movement could advance the search for peace but will depend on strong political party leadership in dealing with the Maoists; a messy transition would bring its own risks. Although domestic events will determine the speed and direction of political change, international players should use their influence to establish practical plans to help stabilise the situation and build a more lasting foundation for peace. This briefing argues for the early formation of a Contact Group (consisting of India, the U.S. and UK, working with the UN) and a complementary Peace Support Group (other key donors and international financial institutions) to form a common front on strategy and tactics to maximise international influence in assisting Nepal’s escape from its worsening conflict. April 2006

Nepal's Civil War: The Conflict Resumes
http://hrw.org/english/docs/2006/03/28/nepal13078.htm
Since Maoist forces ended their four-month unilateral ceasefire on January 2, 2006, fighting in Nepal's civil war has engulfed the entire country. Nearly every one of the country's 75 districts has been affected by the fighting between the Royal Nepali Army (RNA) and the forces of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) (the "Maoists"). Civilian casualties, which decreased significantly during the ceasefire, quickly returned to previous levels once fighting resumed. The ten-year-old civil war continues to place the civilian population at serious risk of war crimes and human rights abuses while hindering economic development of the impoverished countryside. March 2006.

Nepal: Electing Chaos.
http://www.crisisgroup.org/library/documents/asia/south_asia/111_nepal_electing_chaos.pdf
Nepal’s royal government is inviting confrontation by forcing through, amidst a new crackdown on civil liberties, municipal elections on 8 February 2006 which will not be free, fair or credible. Filling local posts with palace placemen will neither restart the national democratic process, nor bring a peace process closer. The conflict remains soluble: although the palace has refused to reciprocate a four-month Maoist ceasefire and the rebels have resumed their armed campaign, mainstream parties and the Maoists have agreed a roadmap which permits compromise with the monarchy. But after one year of royal rule and ten years of insurgency, the priority should be that peace process, not polls for offices with little power that all mainstream parties are boycotting. January 2006.

Between Two Stones - Nepal’s decade of conflict.
http://www.irinnews.org/webspecials/nepal/Nepal-webspecial.pdf
Civilians, especially those in heavily contested rural districts, have been exposed to a catalogue of abuses at the hands of both sides. The Maoists have killed, intimidated or coerced local government officials, such as local village leaders, teachers and political workers. They have harassed civilians suspected of having government or military sympathies and abducted school children into their indoctrination programmes. They have also restricted freedom of movement of civilians, extorted money or  demanded taxes for goods and services. This has had implications for agricultural and livestock production, food security and market access. December 2005.

Nepal’s New Alliance: The Mainstream Parties and the Maoists.
http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?id=3810
Nepal’s mainstream parties and Maoists have reached agreement on a basic alliance against the monarchy. That they were talking was not new: all sides have kept in contact throughout the ten-year-old conflict. But this time they have developed a serious agenda which offers the framework of a peace deal. Their dialogue had India’s tacit backing and the deal was finalised at meetings in New Delhi. November 2005.

Inside Nepal’s Revolution.
http://www7.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0511/feature3/multimedia.html Since 1996 Nepal's Maoists, insurgents who follow the teachings of Chinese Chairman Mao Zedong, have been engaged in a bloody conflict with the Nepali government. Their demands? Redistribute land, extend power centers into rural areas, eliminate the caste system, give equal rights to women, and institute a communist republic. Photographer Jonas Bendiksen takes you into their war.

ICG: Nepal's Maoists: Their Aims, Structure and Strategy. http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/getfile.cfm?id=2038&tid=3768&type=pdf&l=1
Despite the Maoist rebels brutality and violence, there can be no resolution of Nepal's conflict without understanding them, confronting their strengths and tackling their political agenda. Through both force of arms and force of ideas, they have emerged as a formidable political organisation, which will not be easily displaced. The unilateral three-month ceasefire they announced in September is welcome, though temporary and conditional. Now they will have to work hard to convince mainstream parties they can abandon their violent repression. The government's refusal to reciprocate the ceasefire, however, encourages renewed conflict. There are encouraging signs that serious negotiations are possible, but the Maoists will rejoin mainstream politics only if they see sufficient advantages and are convinced they will not make greater gains by other means. October 2005.

Displacement crisis worsens in wake of royal coup.
http://www.internal-displacement.org/8025708F004CE90B/(httpCountries)/E545F30B5618B71D802570A7004BD25C?opendocument&count=10000
 Nearly six months after King Gyanendra assumed direct power and declared a state of emergency in February 2005, Nepal is faced with both a deep crisis of governance and a renewed spate of fighting and violence all across the country. The suspension of all civil liberties in the wake of the royal coup and the purely militaristic strategy chosen to deal with the Maoist insurgency have led to an intensification of the armed conflict and a sharp deterioration of an already dramatic human rights situation. Significant population displacements have taken place in the context of an increasingly polarised Nepalese society now on the brink of a humanitarian crisis. July 2005.

An Assessment on Impact of Conflict on Delivery of Health Services.
http://www.un.org.np/uploads/reports/WB/2005/2005-jun-final-report-conflict-delivery-final.pdf
Nepal Health Sector Program. The country is experiencing insurgency since 1996 when the Maoists declared “People’s War”. The intensity of the armed attacks and abuses against the civilian population and destruction of vital infrastructure has increased over the years and the governmental reform and developmental efforts have been largely paralyzed by the conflict which has taken over 5,000 lives. The present study is conducted to assess the impact of the current conflict situation on the delivery of essential health care services for the rural population of Nepal. June 2005.

ICG: Nepal: Dealing with a Human Rights Crisis. http://www.crisisgroup.org/library/documents/asia/south_asia/094_nepal_dealing_with_a_human_rights_crisis.pdf
In the wake of the royal coup of 1 February 2005, Nepal's human rights crisis is spiralling out of control. A year after the international community first formally expressed concern at the 2004 Commission on Human Rights, the Maoists continue to operate outside the law while state security forces act with impunity and without civilian control. March 2005.

CLEAR CULPABILITY “Disappearances” by Security Forces in Nepal.
http://www.reliefweb.int/library/documents/2005/hrw-npl-feb.pdf
Human Rights Watch. 86 p. In the Nepali government’s war with Maoist insurgents, the number of enforced disappearances—cases in which people are taken into custody and authorities then deny all responsibility or knowledge of their fate or whereabouts—has reached crisis proportions. Over the last two years, the Nepali security forces have made Nepal one of the world’s prime locations for enforced disappearances. According to the United Nations Working Group on Enforced and Involuntary Disappearances (WGEID), in 2003 and 2004 Nepal recorded the highest number of new cases of disappearances in the world. February 2005.

Caught in the Middle: Mounting Violations Against Children in Nepal’s Armed Conflict. http://www.watchlist.org/reports/nepal.report.20050120.pdf
Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict. 61 p. The report "documents violations against children in the context of Nepal’s armed conflict. The Maoist and government forces in Nepal have killed approximately 10,000 people, including 286 children, since the outset of war in 1996. Since the end of the cease-fire agreement in 2003, violations against Nepali children have been steadily increasing by both parties to the conflict. The armed conflict has eroded fragile and tenuous gains in literacy, child mortality and other key indicator areas, as the general standard of living and quality of life for all Nepali children continues to deteriorate." January 2005.
Nepali version: http://www.watchlist.org/reports/nepal.report.20050120.nepali.pdf

Nepal: Killing with impunity
http://web.amnesty.org/library/index/engasa310012005 The report gives details of many people who have been unlawfully killed by both sides to the conflict since the breakdown of a ceasefire in August 2003. It documents an increasing sophistication among security forces in hiding these abuses, including by burying bodies and forcing local people to sign false witness statements, as well as a continued reluctance to punish those responsible. January 2005.

Human Rights Watch: World Report 2005
http://hrw.org/wr2k5/wr2005.pdf 
The Human Rights Watch World Report 2005 contains survey information on human rights developments in more than 60 countries in 2004. In the case of Nepal, the Human Rights Watch report expressed grave concern over the gross violation of human rights by both the government and the Maoists. January 2005.

The Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers
http://www.child-soldiers.org/regions/ works to prevent the recruitment and use of children as soldiers, to secure their demobilization and to ensure their rehabilitation and reintegration into society. The Global Report 2004 (available from 17 November) includes a detailed Report about Nepal. November 2004.

The Peace Media Independent E-Magazine
http://peacejournalism.com/ Peace Media e-magazine is founded on the belief that educating people on conflict resolution is an important step in reducing world turmoil. We believe that the role of the media is to raise a voice against injustice and fight violence.

Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Civilians Struggle to Survive in Nepal’s Civil War. http://hrw.org/reports/2004/nepal1004/nepal1004.pdf Human Rights Watch (HRW). (2004). 104 p. "The report details how civilians in contested areas are often faced with untenable choices. Refusal to provide shelter to the rebels puts villagers at risk from Maoists who are ruthless in their punishments, while providing such support leaves them vulnerable to reprisal attacks from state security forces." October 2004.

Global Internally Displaced People (IDP) Project http://www.db.idpproject.org/Sites/idpSurvey.nsf/wCountries/Nepal Global Internally Displaced People (IDP) Project: Country Information page about Nepal.

http://www.db.idpproject.org/Sites/IdpProjectDb/idpSurvey.nsf/wSummaryPDFs/242476D6B002D29FC1256E6A004C08F2/$file/Nepal_summary.pdf The Global IDP Project - Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) (2004). Nepal: up to 200,000 people displaced by fighting remain largely unassisted. 10 p. "One year after the collapse of a seven-month ceasefire between the monarchy and Maoist rebels in August 2003, Nepal is faced with both a deep crisis of governance and a renewed spate of fighting and violence all across the country. The human rights situation is reported to have deteriorated sharply due to abuses by both sides. Since the conflict started in the mid-1990s, hundreds of thousands people have been uprooted across the country and many others have swollen the migration flows to India. No reliable figures exist on the current number of people internally displaced due to the conflict, but the most realistic estimates put their number at between 100,000 and 200,000."

Western Nepal Conflict Assessment.
http://www.mercycorps.org/pdfs/nepal_report.pdf
101 p. "The revolt initiated by the Maoists in 1996 in rural Nepal had its roots in an area comprising roughly thirteen Village Development Committees (VDCs) (sub-district administrative units) which straddle the border between northeast Rolpa and eastern Rukum in the middle Hills of Nepal’s mid-western region…"

www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2003/27949pf.htm
Country Report on Human Rights Practices in Nepal published by the US Department of State: Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor. February 2004.

www.crisisweb.org/home/index.cfm?l=1&id=2520
The Government of Nepal is creating local civilian militias – known as Rural Volunteer Security Groups and Peace Committees – in what risks becoming an alarming escalation of its conflict with Maoist rebels. February 2004.

www.icbl.org/lm/2003/nepal.html
For the first time, government and military officials have openly and officially acknowledged use of antipersonnel mines by security forces. An Army official also acknowledged production of antipersonnel mines. There was increased use of antipersonnel mines and Improvised Explosive Devices by both security forces and rebels in 2002, including use in all 75 districts. December 2003.

www.crisisweb.org/home/index.cfm?id=2328&l=1
With the collapse of the ceasefire and peace talks between government and Maoist insurgents, Nepal appears to be in for months more of bloody fighting. There are prospects for eventual resumption of negotiations since neither side can realistically expect a military victory, and there are indications of what a diplomatic compromise might look like. October 2003.

www.crisisweb.org/home/index.cfm?id=1644&l=1  
Despite King Gyanendra’s appointment of a new prime minister in June 2003, Nepal remains in a deepening political crisis. By turns conciliatory and confrontational, its royalist government, the Maoist insurgents and the recently ousted political parties have all proven capable of derailing the peace process if their concerns are not addressed. June 2003.

www.crisisweb.org/home/index.cfm?id=1642&l=1 
Driven by growing pressure on the battlefield, increasing international isolation and a sense that the time is ripe for political gains, the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) has engaged in a ceasefire with government forces since 29 January 2003. April 2003

www.hrw.org/asia/nepal.php   
Seven international human rights organisations have strongly endorsed the call by the Nepal's National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and eight Governmental donor agencies and Embassies in Kathmandu for international monitoring of the human rights situation in Nepal and have urged the international community to fully support this appeal. November 2003.

http://news.amnesty.org/mav/index/ENGASA310832003
Amnesty International is calling on the Nepal government to invite the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Commission's experts to the country as a matter of urgency in view of the increase in reports of human rights violations by both sides to the conflict. December 2003.

http://web.amnesty.org/library/index/engasa310722002  With the breakdown of peace talks and the deployment of the army in November 2001, the armed conflict between the Communist Party of Nepal (CPN) (Maoist) and the security forces which started in 1996 entered a new phase. The government declared the CPN (Maoist) a "terrorist" organization, the security forces were given wide powers under "anti-terrorism" legis-lation, a state of emergency was declared and the police and paramilitary Armed Police Force (APF) were brought under the army's operational command. December 2002.

http://hrw.org/doc/?t=asia&c=nepal
Briefing Papers and Publications of Human Rights Watch about Nepal.

http://www.insec.org.np 
In 1988, INSEC stepped into informal Sectors to lay the foundation of Human Rights Movement with the conviction that human rights movement should not be confined to intellectual exercises (such as, seminars/work-shops) and arm-chair activities, it should be associated with the needs, exigencies and initiatives of the grassroots people.

http://www.ihlresearch.org/portal/ihli/portalhome.php
Following the Informal High-Level Expert Meeting on the Reaffirmation and Development of IHL held at Harvard University in January 2003, the IHL Research Initiative has developed a series of thematic webpages devoted to key research themes identified during the conference.

http://apsaproceedings.cup.org/Site/abstracts/021/021003LaitinDavi.htm  
This paper describes new data collected to establish the statistical relationship between group concentration and civil war. It describes improvements on the previous “Minorities at Risk” concentration variables, and specifies a new variable called “regional base”.

http://www.preventconflict.org/portal/nepal/
The Conflict Prevention Initiative: Program on Humanitarian Policy and Conflict Research. Provides a searchable database of links to critical reference materials, maps, regional and international news sources, as well as easy access to information on organizations and specialists active in the field