Himalayan Heartbeat organized in Canada

July 10, 2006
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Renowned Canadian mountaineer, Andrew Brash, who helped save a veteran Australian mountaineer and author, Lincoln Hall, on the Mount Everest, has said that the Himalayas present extreme challenges that humble any seasoned mountaineer but a spontaneously presented human tragedy that made him abandon his climb to help save another person has profoundly affected his life afterwards. He was speaking at an event on Nepal in the Canadian capital, Ottawa, on Saturday.

Photo Source : www.cffn.ca

Photo Source : www.cffn.ca
Canada Forum for Nepal, a non-governmental organisation that focuses on scholarly exchanges between Canada and Nepal, organized a multifaceted cultural evening, “Himalayan Heartbeat” on Friday. The program was well attended by around 175 people including former Canadian Foreign Minister Flora MacDonald, former Secretary of State for Asia Pacific David Kilgour and other prominent Canadians.

Speaking as chief guest, Andrew Brash presented breathtaking landscape of Nepal and spectacular sceneries of his personal journey from Kathmandu to near the summit of the Mount Everest. Video footage and pictures of his journey vividly presented how humbling the experience of climbing the Mount Everest is. He touched the hearts of the audience with the story of Lincoln Hall’s rescue and that of the great feelings the rescue brought to Andrew. He told that Nepal should also focus on building a just and equitable society.

In his welcome speech, founding member of Canada Forum for Nepal, Dr. Pramod Dhakal, said that Nepalis people have thoroughly expressed their overwhelming desire for peace and stability. People have brought historic and unprecedented changes in the political and social landscape of Nepal in recent months but peace is fragile and volatile, said Dhakal. He asked the audience to help build a peaceful, democratic and prosperous country. Like any other country, the key to realising a permanent progress in Nepal, remains in igniting internally available human energy that exists within Nepal itself, said Dhakal.

Photo Source : www.cffn.ca

Photo Source : www.cffn.ca
Another speaker – Richard Harmston, a Nepal Specialist, said that there are four major players internally, Seven Party Alliance, the Maoists, the Monarchy and the civil society and three major players internationally operating in Nepal. Among the international players, he viewed the role of UN as positive and that of the USA and India as questionable. He was of the opinion that an equitable society can take the country much further than leaving the wealth in “King’s basement.” Inclusive and accommodative approach is what Nepal should focus on and Canada should help facilitate this process, said Harmston.

Nepali youth artists presented dances in the program, which spell bound the audience. A documentary film “Ujeli: A Child Bride in Nepal” was screened, which was so touching that many in the audience were in tears. There was a spectacular display of Nepali arts and crafts in the Nepali bazaar, said a press statement issued by the Forum.