Possibility Arises from Disaster in Nepal

Dr. Jaya Raj Acharya, former ambassador to the United Nations from Nepal, was on campus October 19–20 speaking to classes, conducting a workshop for faculty on global engagement, and discussing a possible academic collaboration between Nepal and Keene State. He also delivered a public lecture at the Alumni Center, “After the Earthquake, the Constitution: How Catastrophe Helped Create Possibility in Nepal,” about recovery and resilience in the wake of the devastating earthquakes that rocked the country last April.

How can a catastrophic earthquake create possibility? Well, among other things, it helped move the country past some crippling political snarls. “Specifically, the constitution that passed on September 20 came after nine years of political paralysis in Nepal following a 10-year Maoist insurgency that crippled the country,” explained Professor of Education Len Fleischer who was one of the KSC faculty members who was in Nepal last spring helping the people recover. “The earthquake was seen as a catalyst that finally brought the parties together in common cause, to promulgate a rather progressive constitution.”

Nepal faces other difficulties too, as neighbors such as India and China vie for influence in the new democracy, which has only deepened the Nepalese resolve. “More broadly, this is an example of vision and resilience in the face of great difficulty,” Dr. Fleischer said. “We can learn a lot from this culture. It is a compelling story.”