The process of peace has become a multi-million dollar industry.

There is an increasing sense of frustration over the absence of fruitful talks between the Maoist rebels in Nepal and the government. Some observers argue that neither the government nor the rebel groups are committed to these talks pointing out that the military launched a major air-borne and ground assault from Dang on Maoist strongholds in Rolpa and Rukum from Dang amidst reports of an imminent Maoist offensive in the west.

The government counters these charges pointing out that it has set up a Peace Secretariat which the government believes should be the foundation for future peace process and will ensure the administration continues to focus on peace in Nepal. The Peace Secretariat is currently busy in setting up a ‘documentation center’. Critics argue that all these efforts in fact point to an absence of urgency in the Secretariat.

Numerous civil society and NGO based groups have also formed numerous forums for Peace. At last count there were at least two dozen government and non-government outfits with the word ‘peace’ on them like the Peace Secretariat, High-Level Peace Committee, Civic Solidarity for Peace and Citizen’s Peace Commission. These numerous peace initiatives have not been well received by the Peace Secretariat. “Why do you need a parallel organisation when a Peace Secretariat has already been formed?” asked one member of the High-Level Peace Committee.

At the same time, the process of peace has become a multi-million dollar industry. “Everyone within and outside the country seems to be pushing their own agenda,” says a bewildered Peace Secretariat official. Conflict-resolution consultants and mediation experts from all over the world and can be found along with arms dealers in hotel lobbies and offices in Kathmandu presenting two sides of the same system.

Two years ago, the Europeans hired two experts to analyze the conflict in Nepal and prepare a report on resolution strategies; another one is expected to arrive soon. Britain has hired a set of consultants for ‘mitigation of conflict effects’ and has spent 4 million pounds to promote peace.

The Americans have hired South African conflict expert Hannes Siebert to advise Nepalese government officials, political parties and civil society. DfID officials told us the money was used for “capacity building” in conflict resolution for officials, parliamentarians and civil society, research and conflict analysis and support for media.
And yet, there is little in the way of serious conversations or negotiations between the government and the rebels and with various sections not recognizing the credentials of the government, negotiations have been hard to organize.

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