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On Urban Transport Published on: April 10, 2019

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which we have acceded to mainstream in our policies explicates city planning in SDG-11. With a large section of population starting to congregate in the urban areas evident with the 4% annual population growth in Kathmandu itself, it can be easily alluded that the future cities are going to be the centers for economic growth. The way we plan our cities or adjust the land use of existing cities will not only be intrinsic in alleviating urban pollution but play a crucial role in economic conditions as well.

The SDGs attempt to reduce the C02 emissions by 50% and since almost 23% of the global C02 emissions pertain to consumption of transportation fuel, transportation planning, even from the environmental point of view, is certainly going to play a key role in the future. The adherence to SDG-11 wherein the importance of transit based or walkable cities has been clearly stipulated, would not only answer the climate change agenda but also invigorate the economic growth of our cities.

Cities like Atlanta or Denver in the US, Perth in Australia, Barcelona in Europe are more or less similar in economy, but differ significantly in land-use as a result of which the means of transport, their abodes resort to are significantly different. Thus, the population density which significantly impacts residential as well as commercial land use, can be postulated as a key design parameter of transportation network in the future cities. For instance, Barcelona which is a dense city (in terms of residents per area) as compared to most cities in the US have had remarkably smaller figure of transportation fuel consumption per person. This gives a clear picture that fuel based transportation is not a compulsion for economic growth. Thereby, the stereotype that we have blissfully been complacent with, that cars plying on roads represent affluence has to be abdicated.

There can broadly be three types of cities designed in terms of transportation; the ones that use automobiles (electric or fuel based or even automatic vehicles) as primary mode of transport as in the US, or transit cities and finally comes the cities that have walking as the predominant mode of transportation. The latter ones would have to be of higher density both in terms of residents per area and the location of urban infrastructure. While the dominance of car based transport is alleviating in the urban areas even in the US and the cities there are forging towards transit modes in addition to cities like New York recently introducing policies like Congestion Pricing and while more than 50 metropolis in both India and China investing on metro networks, we are making plans for road expansions so as to induce more motorbikes and cars to ply on them, and that is where we go wrong. For cities with high residential density as that of Kathmandu, and spread economic zones, metros would be the most viable option. A financing tool known as “value capture”, the notion of which was already included in the 1st National plan of Nepal, if implemented properly, would ensure making up of a large portion of investment in mass transit. Value capture is a tool that recovers a portion of the escalated value of the private properties as a result of introduction of any public infrastructure. It has proven to be very effective in the development of large metro networks. The growing cities on the other hand shall be considered for being designed as walkable cities. Studies have succinctly depicted that cities which are more walkable have relatively vibrant economies.  Pointing out the social benefits of having walkable cities would be quite otiose here.

Academia around the globe are thinking beyond car based transportation planning and are looking for either transit or bicycle or walking modes to make their cities sustainable. On the other hand, we have motorbikes accounting for more than 50% of the traffic count in our cities. As the income escalates, people who are using bikes are certain to switch towards cars and pertaining to the transportation infrastructure in our urban areas we may have to face some appalling conditions relating to traffic, ranging from long hours of congestion to seriously high number of crashes. In order to offset these conditions it is time we emphasize on integrated land use and transportation plans for our cities as land use, population and transportation plans shall be of no avail on their own, in the near future.

Considering the fact that our trade deficit is mostly out of import of oil and that a large section of population will dwell in the cities in future, it is urgent that we think of designing the transportation network of our cities in the best sustainable way. The idea about the desired residential density in any urban area shall play a key role in the days to come.

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Change Management for Constructive Transformation Published on: April 10, 2019

  • Prakriti Nepal

Change efforts are a fresh approach to human empowerment and innovation for acceptable transformation. Inclusively empowering and engaging to manage sustainable constructive change plays a vital role.

If we talk about technology and its changing nature, we see different innovations being introduced. Yet understanding the depth of inclusiveness and balancing the technological side of development matters. If we talk about change- such as being introduced to a behavioral-change or being introduced to behavioral change through technological innovations as medium- we can easily understand through only surficial analysis also, that what depth of effort in change management is required to bring actual constructive change.

If we look at it from the result oriented perspective- for driving better change and creating acceptance for change- mechanism of understanding the human side of every work can make sense.

If we talk about the current digital scenario of our nation- and if we see deeply, then we can understand that- we are in the changing era- so for this, understanding each and every OR most human aspects and combining with the driving aspect for humans will create behavioral change which will steer better change.

We can see that,- since technology is ever changing and if we understand that as like technology in today’s context – human behavior is changing and as people are becoming excited to see the introduction to new technologies and innovations (excitement if considered to be a human trait). For eg: We assume that- If in an organization- technology is introduced then everythingbecomes streamlined and people are ecstatic- but what we need to behold here is thattechnology is an effective tool in bringing the best – want and desire side of humans; whereas the adoption of that desire to bring out the result in the form of value- need to have the behavioralchange push through various mechanism by simply utilizing the technological advancements.

If the technology is relatable enough to balance with human behavior- then behavioralchange happens that is constructive and worth embracing.

Here are some of the ways change management with technology can take place:

1)Fintech with a human touch:

Having a human component on the fintech introduction can become a medium of engagement and communication and information flow management for the nation or an organization. Since communication is seen being vastly touched upon with technology-the communication or flow of data or information need to be revolutionized as a personal experience where users of it feel the continuous connection to constructive change.

Today, everything from cloud computing to advancements in artificial intelligence, cryptography, machine learning and data analytics, blockchain is having an impact and thriving change but understanding the human touch requirement on these introductions for digital transformation and fintech as a medium will actually bring desired change.

Since mobility has had a big role to play in the fintech revolution- understanding the neuro and emotional aspect of human mobility requirement by fintechs can support change.

2) Participatory methodology for change management:

Adopting a participatory method of dealing with change management and utilizing multi-stakeholders as tools of human emotions and intellect- by gathering and combing to bring the desired dimensional change with technology as a medium of it will create a buzz amongst changing scenario and environment. Proper analysis of thought-provoking yet behavioral change generating management possibilities needs to be introduced through proper utilization of process orientation which will create the path for change management.

Technology can be the path to a participatory methodology which will not let the system of human emotions and intellect be disrupted and will let the flow of transformation take place.

3) Regulatory mechanism for compliance maintenance:

Compliance Action plan and implementation of it by regulation and regulatory bodies for systematizing the changing aspect of human behavior and technology requirement caused by various factors can create the balance for technology and change have driven through technology and participatory multiple stakeholders and drivers of change.

Policies and regulations to rules and guidelines will create support in not diminishing the constructing and constructed constructive change.

The technological advancement solutions for managing compliance require RegulatoryReporting, Risk Management, Identity Management which will scale the required trust on technology and the drive that it can bring to creating sustainable change.

Hence, the more balanced participatory approach, Fintech or technology for transformation or modernization and Regulations or regulatory mechanism are- the more the digital transformation will have the human aspect to it which will generate the behavioral change for sustainable development. Planning, implementing and managing change requires an act of balance through technology as a medium.

Is Tony Ferguson Over with his Personal Issues? Calls out Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov Published on: April 7, 2019

Is Tony Ferguson over with his personal issues or is it because he doesn’t want the sympathy of his competitors?

Khabib Nurmagomedov recently sent a message supporting Tony after his recent personal issues. However, El Cucuy took no time to reply to the message which made people to think that he might have overcome the struggle.

The lightweight contender was reported to be dealing with personal issues. He was expected to be out of action for some more time but his recent social media feud has triggered his return anytime soon.

In reply, Ferguson assured that he would put Khabib down on his knee as soon as the two meet on the Octagon.
Khabib and Tony were scheduled to fight earlier many times but both fighters withdrew from scheduled bouts with each other due to injury on several occasions.

El Cucuy also called out Conor McGregor and mocked him for tapping ‘like a b-tch’ at UFC 229.

Tony is currently on a 11-fight win streak and might get a title bout against Khabib on his return.

UFC anti-doping expert Jeff Novitzky Releases the list of fighters with most samples collected and analyzed by USADA without a single issue; The First Name will Shock you Published on: April 6, 2019

Jeff Novitzky, the current Vice President of Athlete Health and Performance for the UFC, recently released a list of the UFC fighters to have appeared in the USADA’s anti-doping analysis.

Conor McGregor is at the top of the list with 49 times sample collected- the most being during the Mayweather-McGregor super bout with 11.

The former double-division champion successfully passed the test for the UFC program 38 times.

The current heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier has the most samples collected and tested for the UFC program- 45 times while Rafael Dos Anjos is behind him on the list with 41 times.

Holly Holm, Stipe Miocic, and Robbie Lawler are other names on the list with 39, 38, and 37 respectively.

UFC women’s Bantamweight and Featherweight champion Amanda Nunes and former featherweight champion Jose Aldo both have 36 times testing while Tyron Woodley who recently lost his Welterweight title to Kamaru Ushman is the last name on the 9-fighter list with 35 times sample collected and analyzed without any issue.

Jeff Novitzky’s List:

  • Conor McGregor – 49 samples (including 11 for his Mayweather-McGregor super bout)
  • Daniel Cormier– 45
  • Rafael dos Anjos– 41
  • Holly Holm– 39
  • Stipe Miocic– 38
  • Robbie Lawler– 37
  • Amanda Nunes– 36
  • Jose Aldo– 36
  • Tyron Woodley– 35
Conor McGregor Retirement; UFC President Dana White Reveals the Reason Why Published on: March 28, 2019

The biggest sports box office sensation took retirement on Tuesday, announcing his departure from the Octagon through a Twitter post.

Several possible fights lined up to happen- Khabib rematch for the lightweight title, Nate Diaz Trilogy, and Max Holloway rematch, McGregor didn’t feel done by a long stretch.

The Notorious always seek for what he desired and got it every time. He had a super bout against the boxing superstar Floyd Mayweather which earned him a massive paycheck. But this time things look different.

As per UFC president Dana White, McGregor wanted the UFC shares as he talked with TMZ Sports and said:

“I was surprised. It came out of nowhere. A lot of people were speculating that it was posturing because of negotiations but we really haven’t been negotiating that hard.”

“He sent me a text and he said ‘I feel like I should own a piece of the company,’ and I said ‘Conor you know that’s never going to happen. Listen if you want to own a piece of the company, you have to put up the money to buy a piece of the company – that’s how it works.”

Dana Added.

“If you wanted to buy into the UFC right now, the valuation is pretty huge. I’ve never had a bad conversation with Conor McGregor since he’s been in the UFC. ”

McGregor has been looking for the UFC shares since last year.

One can understand how McGregor feels. After all, he’s helped grow the company to what it’s worth now with his stardom and box office appeal. However, as the company is in the hand of powerful and tough people, McGregor will certainly find it impossible to settle.

Poem : Mistake Published on: March 27, 2019

Subigya Ojha

No its not his fault not mine too
He just acted the way he was taught
To be strong, bold, fearless and if he didn’t
He is not a man cause only girls cry, only they stay quiet only the bear

Now when he has shown his masculinity don’t blame him

because it’s not his fault
You showed him this path
Why are we told that boys don’t cry
Why are we always told that boys don’t bow their head
Or why not boys should not make anyone cry
Why is the society always pointing its finger when a girl comes home late

Why don’t they understand the sunlight plays no role.
Whether it’s day or its night he can’t change their thoughts

because you have made him learn this by heart

Why is that a girl should always compromise
And boys they are allowed to use this right
No don’t blame a boy when he is wrong
Blame yourself for not using the correct sense of words

when he was young and when he was small.

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The Poem ‘Mistake’ was selected as ‘Top 15 Finalist’ in “IOE Poetry Champ 2.0” held in Pulchowk Engineering Campus. Have a look on the live poetry performance by the Poet herself captured by ALOUD OFFICIAL :

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Poem : Racism Published on: March 19, 2019

Sampada Sharma

Stop looking at my skin like it defines me

The amount of melanin I have doesn’t make me a thief

A murderer

A racist

An atheist

Stop acting like you know me when you see the color of my skin

I am not the thief you make me out to be

Not the murderer you think you see

When you open your eyes

And dark skin greets you

People see what they want to see

And hear what they want to hear

They want to believe that we are the murderers

Thieves

That we eat children for lunch

That we are monsters

They can’t open up their eyes and see that it’s just another color

Like red

Like Blue

That it doesn’t matter what color we are

In the end

We all shed tears and we all bleed red

And we all have monsters living inside of our head

So why the hate? Why the anger?

Why presume you have others figured out

When you haven’t a clue who you are

Racism is taught not born

So

Don’t presume you know me when you see the color of my skin

I am not racist just because I am lighter than you

I don’t think I am above you

Nature gave us color with privileges of our own

Just remember

Racism was something humans learned all on their own

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LIFE OF A 12 YEAR OLD FROM CHEPANG COMMUNITY OF NEPAL Published on: March 14, 2019

  • Rajesh Karki

The Chepang are an indigenous Tibeto-Burman ethnic group mainly inhabiting the rugged ridges of the Mahabharat mountain range of central Nepal. Over the past two or three generations, the Chepang have begun to slowly shift from a semi-nomadic lifestyle to a more settled way of life, relying increasingly upon the production of permanent fields of maize, millet, and bananas. The Chepang have often been characterized as the poorest of Nepal’s poor. Chepang men and women are basically egalitarian and no social ranking exists as it does in caste Nepalese society. Many Chepang cannot read and write due to a lack of education beyond elementary school, and this illiteracy stands in contrast to the great gains Nepal has been making in reducing illiteracy.

This piece has been written focusing on the life of a 12-year-old boy belonging to Chepang Community of Nepal whose name is Prem Chepang. He comes from Kami Bhanjyang a place that requires 2-hour walk from Mungling. He currently lives with his family consisting of 6 members including his parents. Prem Chepang is enrolled in Grade 5 at Navodaya School at Tadhi, Chitwan. He doesn’t have access to basic facilities required to live a proper life. What’s interesting is in past 12 years of his life, he has not celebrated his birthday not even once because he has led him to forget his date of birth therefore, I should think that we should do this to him as all of us know that birthday is very important.

https://www.facebook.com/pariwartak/videos/579912652522793/

The house where he currently resides was damaged twice firstly from the major earthquake in April 2015 and secondly due to a landslide. Currently, they have been compelled to in a temporary shelter that has been keeping them safe from external environment but during the rainy season and winter time life becomes difficult due to water leakage and freezing cold due to the temporary structure of the house made out of zinc metal. For their survival, they depend upon seasonal agriculture which lasts for about 3-4 months in a year. The remaining months, the family is often hit hard by the recession. The family has found their livelihood almost settled in the village away from mainstream activities and lifestyles of the city areas.

He is very much interested in music that also has a mesmerizing voice and can perform songs in his native language as well as the Nepali language. But so far, there have been limitations to the songs that he has come across. In order to take the initial step to help this he explore his potentials, Pariwartak wants to introduce him to the outside world in a manner that helps him pursue his dreams without any restraints. Pariwartak wants to provide him with quality education and a lifestyle that every child deserves. We want to bring him to Kathmandu and provide educational support until high school and make him capable enough to move forward in his life. We want to introduce and preserve Chepang and their native language by recording and releasing Chepang songs sung by him.

Pariwartak is a youth-led non-governmental organization established in 2018 A.D., which in short period has established its name through the initiatives such as “Library of Dreams”, “Zero-Bribe – A movement against Corruption” and “Pariwartan ka Pahila haru”. While “Pariwartan” implies change, “Pariwartak” means we are the one to change. At Pariwartak, we believe that educated, employed, and engaged young people possess the power to solve the world’s toughest problems. It’s our responsibility to introduce and preserve Chepang culture and their language nationally/internationally and also include them in mainstream population.  Therefore, let us join our hands together to provide support for Prem Chepang and Chepang community as a whole.

Contacts:

[email protected], [email protected],+9779860412238.

To Contribute:

Bank Name: Nabil Bank Account Name: Pariwartak Bank Account Number: 3401017501178 Swift Code: NARBNPKA

 

 

 

Into FEAR… Published on: March 13, 2019

Subid Ghimire

Travel in its myriad forms entrenches one with blissfulness. This blissfulness in some way has fear hidden within it because every intelligence gets a cold chill down the spine whenever it takes an unknown step. Some people call it adventure but it’s actually fear that also brings ecstasy in disguise. Fear has generally been portrayed as a negative term but deep down it is a survival instinct that has made our race the “Homo Sapiens”. So, whatever object one uses, be it travel or a kind of sport what we are doing is getting to the depth of our survival instincts so that once in a while we can just shred out the decorations we have embellished ourselves with that bestow us with agony whichever way we forge.

Fear comes along when we try something absolutely new. A person would be intimidated to walk in an unfamiliar terrain even in a midday scorching sunlight but would be unfazed if he/she walks a well- known road even in the midnight.  Thus, what we are actually seeking in the moments of angst is absolute stillness of our ever continuing programs that we have designated as important to ourselves but which may not be actually of the worth that we assign. Why would not a person feel the same exuberance when he/she travels from home to work or the other way round as he/she does when for instance taking solace in hike along the woods that would not be otherwise abode of just wild plants and animals? Well, a student of chemistry would answer it in terms of hormones being released in the mind which would soothe the mind for a while but a dilettante of philosophy would expound the elation as an endeavor of the human mind to get rid of the programming that it has placed upon itself.

Without the moments that make our existence question its daily living, an endless array of experiences would come and go along with the breaths that would make the entire investment on that particular existence futile for a particular purpose or antithetically an accidental service to nature, that to be decided by the readers themselves, because of which the aforementioned sunder dimensions instigate the existence to abdicate the collected garnishing for an instant and delve into its foundational roots. The exquisite part about this is that these instants come with whispers of mirth. This invokes the existence to seek those objects which bring along the instances of undoing the programs. Fear inevitably is one of them. So, anything that would instill fear for inviting the placid instances, we rightly glorify it as adventure.

Rather than turning a blind eye to or refraining from going through the instances that bring up fear as a  gift, it would be wise to get into the very nature of fear or consciously participate in the activities that induce fear. These activities would be actually exhilarating to live with.

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She Can Lead Published on: March 8, 2019

Subash Bk

If she walk, she may lead

Conquering all the needs.

 

She is complete in every sense,

She will remain lovely in every tense.

 

As she is so strong and cute

Take a fight and never stay mute.

 

In this full world of greed

You are also her bearing seed.

 

Damn let her walk

Sure she can lead.

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