By Shyam D. Karki

Two years ago, about 200 Nepalis from all over the world, gathered in Kathmandu to make a common cause with Nepalis and work with them in the overall development of Nepal.

For three days, they attended many lectures, discussions and on the last day of the convention, decided to form an international organization “Non Resident Nepalis Association” (NRNA) and elected their officials. They submitted a set of recommendations including the promulgation of NRN ordinance giving them among other things, a legal identity, right to inherit and own property in Nepal, a long term visa and other privileges facilitating their investment in Nepal. Now that two years have passed and the second NRNA convention concludes on Sunday successfully in Kathmandu, it’s a good time to review what has been achieved, what has not been achieved and where it needs to go from here.

The very fact that NRN’s from all over world attended the first convention in Nepal, and formed an organisation and submitted a set of recommendation to the government is by itself an achievement.

NRNA is not a monolithic, homogenous community. Its members come from a very diverse group, millionaire businessmen to daily laborer, university president to a security guard, professional, white collar worker, blue collar worker. Name any group, profession, trade, skilled labor, unskilled labor, and some of us belong to the category. We need to acknowledge this diversity and heterogeneity of our community. We need to recognize the different priorities and interests of different groups. We are different but we are equal. No one is better that the other and no one is superior to the other. So it’s time to move away from the debate of who is who and whose interests should supersede.

Broadly speaking, NRN interests can be divided into three categories. NRN’s who have gone to the Gulf and the Far-eastern countries as guest (temporary) workers are looking for opportunities to acquire high paying skills, laws against exploitation by the unscrupulous manpower agencies in Nepal and host countries and by unethical employers. They are looking for rule of the law and protection granted by the universally accepted agencies (labor laws approved by the ILO, human rights protection granted by the Geneva Convention). So the NRNA needs to explore possibilities of making alliances with the NGO’s of both Nepal and host countries, international organisations like ILO, Human Rights Watch etc. so that Nepali migrant laborers are not exploited and not deprived of their basic fundamental rights just because they left their country to make a living.

People of Nepali Origin (PNO) mostly from the USA, Canada, Great Britain and European countries are more interested in long term visa, right to inherit and own property, simplification of rules for operating charitable organizations, volunteering and investing in education, health-care services and other areas where their skills can be better utilized. This is why long term visa without any conditions attached is very important to this group. They would like to enjoy similar quality of life in Nepal as they are enjoying in their adopted countries. Democratic values, human rights, civil liberties are very important as it is a part of their daily life. This is not politics to them, this is everyday life and human dignity o them,. To them there is a big difference between partisan politics and universally acclaimed principles of human rights and civil liberties. The inability of the NRNA to support these principles has disillusioned many of them and NRNA needs to be very sensitive if it does not want to lose them.

Some NRN’s and PNO’s who have been very successful entrepreneurs in their host countries would like to repeat their success stories in Nepal. Without such entrepreneurial skills, there can be no economic development, no increase in employment and no growth in standard of living. Sound and stable fiscal policies, rule of the law, independent judiciary and good governance are very conducive to attract investment. NRNA needs to work with the Nepal government to do its utmost to facilitate investment of the NRNs and PNOs and other foreign investors who may feel comfortable to invest in partnership with them. Current atmosphere of political instability and lack of security is not conducive to investment.

Different interests of these groups are not exclusionary of each other. They are in fact complementary to each other and each one’s contribution helps promote interests of the other

As to organization affairs, NRNA is a new organization. It needs to work on expanding its leadership base from a few pioneers to a much wider circle. Decentralisation in the form of empowering the National Co-ordination Councils, involvement of more people in task forces, committees, sub-committees will be in the right direction. To begin with, forming an organization committee for the next 2007 convention will be in the right step as many members have complained of having little or no input in the planning of many of its programs.

Similarly, NRNA needs to look into developing partnership with other professional organizations like Nepal Medical Associaiton, Nepal Engineering Associations, among others, along the same direction as with the FNCCI. This will help the NRNA diversify its partnership and project its image as a wholesome organization rather than an organization aligned with the business group. It is, therefore, very important that the NRNA be on record that the linkage between the investment and long-term visa and other privileges be removed.

There is a saying in the USA made popular by the 40th President, Ronald Reagan, “If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, then it’s a duck”

The most important contribution NRNA can make at this moment is try to help in the resolution of the current violent political atmosphere. The current atmosphere whereby the government insists on finding resolution without outside help and other parties want international help, NRNA being an organisation of Nepalis and at the same time foreign citizens satisfies the conditions of all the protagonists and is in an unique position. It should at least explore the possibility of mediating and offer its good offices.