March 21, 2005

The Nepal Office of the World Bank organized its first ever Youth Open House on March 21.  Close to 50 young women and men representing a variety of youth interests attended the event.  They were selected among over 400 young people who responded to an invitation placed in the newspapers a week ago.

The event began at the Bank's new Public Information Center, where the Bank's Country Director for Nepal, Ken Ohashi welcomed the young men and women.  Given the relatively small size of the population, Ohashi said, the educated young people of Nepal are well positioned to challenge entrenched behaviours and bring about significant social and economic change within their lifetimes.  He said the young people of Nepal should focus their efforts not only things that benefit them individually, but on issues of the greatest common good.

Sailesh Tiwari, Research Analyst with the Poverty Reduction and Economic Management Unit, described what the World Bank is and how it works with partners to help Nepalis out of poverty.  He said young people can set new standards of behaviour and help push forward the process of socio-economic reforms that Nepal has started.

Rajib Upadhya, External Affairs Officer and Youth Outreach Coordinator for South Asia, explained the evolving regional youth strategy and the emphasis it places on the Bank as facilitator of the 'school to work transition'.  He said not focusing on young people as a central aspect of social and economic development may have led to many missed opportunities in the past.

Rajendra Mulmi, a Nepali youth activist, led a discussion on the role and activities of youth organizations in Nepal.  He and three other Nepali youth delegates to the recent conference of South Asian Youth Organizations in New Delhi -- Prashamsha Gadtaula, Surya Gurung and Jiban Baral -- made a joint presentation on the conference conclusions.  They shared a draft outline prepared at the conference on possible areas of collaboration between youth groups and the World Bank and said this would be the basis for further work with a wider group of young people.

Sundararajan Srinivasa Gopalan who recently moved to the Nepal Office to build up the Bank's HIV/AIDS work program, urged the young audience to recognize HIV/AIDS as an immediate threat to them.  He said countries in the region with a lower rate of incidence than Nepal now attach a higher priority to HIV/AIDS prevention and care.

Shibu Giri representing Nawa Kiran Plus, an organization of People Living with AIDS, shared real life experiences about stigma and discrimination.  He said the young people of today cannot afford to turn the other way as if HIVB/AIDS remained someone else's problems.

Rajendra Joshi, Education Specialist; Roshan Bajracharya, Economist, and Sabin Shrestha, Financial Sector Specialist led a discussion on youth employment.

The Open House participants then moved to the Bank's main premises across the street.  Following a brief walkabout in the office, and over refreshments served on the terrace, the youth participant and World Bank staff agreed that further opportunities for interaction and dialogue should be created more frequently between youth groups and the Bank staff.