KATHMANDU, Jan.5: Community mediation can be another way of resolving conflicts especially at the local level without the conflicting parties knocking the doors of the courts, where much money and energy are wasted.

“Community mediation has a crucial role in dispute settlement, says Dr. Yub Raj Khatiwada, member of National Planning Commission (NPC).

National development should associate all dimensions of society along with social progress otherwise the development becomes disabled, added the chief guest Khatiwada, speaking at a workshop “Potentialities and Challenges of Community Mediation in Nepal,” organized by the Centre for Victims of Torture (CVICT) in the capital today.

He stressed the role of NGOs, which, he said, have played crucial role in creating awareness in the society through participatory practice.

He said that the role of NPC was important in designing strategies for community mediation, but he said that he was not in a position to make any commitment regarding this.

“Of several ways of conflict resolution, community mediation has proved to be a successful model in preventing and settling disputes,” said Dr. Bhogendra Sharma, president of the CVICT.

The CVICT has implemented this model in 45 Village Development Committees in three districts of Ilam, Jhapa in the east and in Saptari in south east of the country, he added.

The programme has played a crucial role in reducing the number of disputes and has exercised practices of settling them at the local level. “Further, it has created social harmony in the local level.” “We are planing to extend the programmes in 12 districts with in a year.”

Agni Kharel, a lawyer and consultant to CVICT, urged the government to provide funds and carve strategies for community mediation. He stressed on resolving local conflicts locally rather than taking them to courts.

Social scientists Shambhu Kattel, Sadhuram Shapkota and co-attorney general Nagendra Prasad Pathak presented papers on various aspects of conflict resolution.