Conflict Management
A Common Challenge For NGO & INGO

By Shankar P. Rajbhandari

NON-GOVERNMENTAL organisations (NGOs) are considered as the development vehicles of a nation. No matter whether a nation is developed or developing, the role of NGOs is paramount from all developmental aspects-social, political, economic, technological, and others. Although, the importance of NGOs are national development perspective is increasing in every nation, all NGOs cannot be regarded as equally good. How can an NGO be better is a crucial issue concerning issues concerning to every NGOS in the world.

As mentioned in the above, all NGOs cannot be categorised into the same level. As such they are grouped into different categories in terms of their values in the society. The other way of categorising NGOs is the basis of human resource involved in the organisation and the nature of services provided by individual NGOs. In this context, Nepalese NGOs can be separated into three major categories: micro type NGOs mini type NGOs and macro type NGOs.

The micro type NGOs are those that are primarily set up by the majority of volunteer workers focusing mainly at implementation level. On the basis of the mode of operations, such organisations largely attribute to act as the voluntary organisations. The mini types NGOs, are those where volunteers and professional staff are equally blended not only in numbers but also by their roles and responsibilities. Third is the macro type NGOs, which are basically the professional type of organisations where the majority of the staff will be professional with fewer and lesser volunteer staff.

No matter whether an NGO is a mini or a micro or a macro type, NGOs need to strengthen their capacity to be able to work effectively for social welfare, social justice, and sustainable development. Thus, all NGOs have common concern, that is-how to build their organisational capacity in order to provide quality services to satisfy the intended beneficiaries in particular and to influence the stakeholders in general. From this perspective, NGOs are generally concerned to the basic issue on organisational capacity building.

Conflict is perceived as incompatible differences that result in interference or opposition. No matter whether the differences are real or not, conflicting state exists when people perceive that difference exist. Conflict does not evolve in a vacuum. The sources of conflict in organisation largely include—goal incompatibility, scarce resources, distortions of communication, divergent perceptual understanding, and others.

The conflicting situation may arise between the NGOs and people (the service recipients) due to several reasons. Some of the possible key reasons are perceived as difference between the service needs or aspired by the people and the services rendered by the NGOs due to the faulty need identification process; the poor quality of services provided by the NGOs due to lack of organisational capability; lack of evenly distribution of services among the target beneficiaries due to resource constraints; the emergence of perceptual differences between the NGOs and their target beneficiaries because of the communication distortion or communication gap; and the formation of a psychological gap between NGOs and their service recipients (people) due to the lack of involvement of the people in the decision-making process.

As a matter of fact, it is the responsibility of local NGOs to deal with the situation of the local areas, and therefore the capacity of the local NGOs should be strengthen to tackle the situation properly. The conflicting situation arise when NGOs become failure to identify the cause and effect of the conflicting situation. In many cases, the local NGOs need to enhance their capacity building in managing the conflicting issues relating to the major fields such a basic education, health, income generation activities, population and environment, and social security.

Capacity building of NGOs cannot be properly achieved without understanding their organisational problems and challenges. Many NGOs may have specific problem(s) and challenge(s) but irrespective of the specific problems, they may have many common problems or challenges which have largely facing, today. One of the common emerging challenges of the Nepalese NGOs is the issue of conflict management. This is also one of the agenda of capacity building of NGOs in Nepal.

The issue of conflict management as a part of NGO management can be perceived in different levels such as in individual level, institutional level, and local community level. Every NGO should have known the dynamics of conflict management in terms of all the above different levels.

Notably, NGOs have to play a dynamic role in organising people to defend their rights, deal with conflicts between different diversified groups in terms of ethnicity, the level of economy; and the level of diversity between the haves and have nots.

Also, the existing political climate of Nepal has undesirably created many conflicting situations amongst non-government organisations and NGO groups. This is how, there is a philosophical and political difference in the belief of one set of NGOs from another set of beliefs and for this simple reason, many NGOs have become compel of pull out their working area for survival. Such a philosophical or psychological or political difference is a major challenge to resolve the conflicts in NGO sector in Nepal.

Conflicting situations often prevail between NGOs and INGOs too. INGOs become fade up from many NGOs whose performances are mostly process-oriented rather than output oriented. In the other hand, INGOs are not escaped from being blaming for some issues. One of the issues is that the capacity building inputs of the local NGOs have often become more donor-driven rather than actual felt needs of the organisations. Such unhealthy issues are to be duly resolved in course of conflict management between the NGOs and INGOs.

Likewise, the conflicting issues between NGOs and the concerned government organisations are also emerging. The bureaucratic procedures and rigid rules and regulations towards renewing the NGOs and running their programmes are some of the common grievances of NGOs. In the other hand, the lack of transparency in terms of financial as well as other activities are some of the major reservations of the government against faulty NGOs. However, there are some incompatible differences between NGOs and GOs. Since the efficiency and effectiveness of NGOs largely rests on the better understanding between NGOs and GOs, the above perceptual differences should try to eliminate as soon as possible.

In view of all the above situations, it is well perceived that NGOs cannot be escaped from getting involved in managing conflicts in organisational affairs and thus, the conceptual clarity and techniques on conflict management in organisational context have become highly imperative for every Nepalese NGOs.

There are many I/NGOs in Nepal, which are explicitly involved in the capacity building programmes of the the local NGOs. UMN, SAP-Nepal, Action-Aid, and USCCN are some of the INGO, which are known for their involvement and contributions to organisational capacity building of the Nepalese NGOs. Moreover, they are playing the pivotal roles towards achieving the capacity building of local NGOs in the days to come. And, it is also true that some of the INGOs need to employ further innovative approaches and modus operandi in the aforesaid work field. Some of them even ought to shift their working paradigm for meeting the above mentioned goals.

There are as such many techniques to resolve the organisational conflicts. Confrontation, dialogue, avoidance, smoothing, compromising, and force are some of the techniques commonly used in managing organisational conflicts. Even the Nepalese NGOS with regard to their conflict management affairs can purposively employ these conflict resolution techniques. But, there is no one best technique to resolve the organisational conflicts in conflict management. It largely determines by the nature and source of conflicts.

The government and the INGOs can play the proactive role in conflict management for NGOs capacity building. To this end, they can initiate peace building steps in the above mentioned areas. Meanwhile, some specific conflict management inputs can be duly suggested for capacity building of the Nepalese NGOs. These are—promoting policy research in the subject issues; helping to cultivate NGO enabling environment; sharing know-how on conflict management for organisational capacity building; and initiating proactive role by INGOs and GOs towards managing conflicts in NGO affairs. For every issue on conflict management of NGOs, " dialogue method" can be suggested as the most effective tool that can invariably be use by NGO leaders and others in NGO management improvement.

Yet Another Battle For Democracy

By Prakash Dahal

LAST week, Ralph Frank, the American Ambassador got a taste of the opposition fury on him. The main opposition, the Communist Party of Nepal, United Marxist-Leninist, and the splintered communist groups tied their tails together to hound Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala out of Singhdurbar, were irked by the diplomat’s remarks.

His statement that the "United States will not support unconstitutional and violent means to oust a democratically elected majority government" was not liked by them.

The communist party’s angry outbursts at the Ambassador’s remarks ran the front pages of the newspapers. They said, they disliked foreign interference into Nepal’s internal affairs and warned of spilling ‘red wrath’ on all those who came their way.

The CPN-UML paralyzed the parliament, and now that the party is flexing muscles to throw Koirala out of Singhdurbar through a street agitation. They say, Koirala is involved in corruption and he is mired deep in the Lauda Air deal scandal.

Meanwhile, to build up pressure on Koirala, the Maoists rained terror and death on the government’s law enforcing agents by butchering them barbarically.

Koirala doesn’t budge. He says, he’ll not give up under pressure-come what may. The Prime Minister says, he’ll not quit unconstitutionally.

The minority communists, on the other hand, want to drive Koirala out of Singhdurbar by hook or by crook. To them, any thing less than the Prime Minister’s resignation is unacceptable.

The US Ambassador’s remarks enraged the communist as it proved a stumbling block to their unconstitutional means in forcing Koirala out.

Should or shouldn’t the American Ambassador have made such comments? Is Ralph Frank’s remarks, coming in the wake of Maoist’s killings and the communists’ showdown over Prime Minister’s resignation, an ‘interference’ in Nepal’s internal affairs or not?

By expressing American concern over Nepal’s deteriorating democracy, did Ralph interfere with Nepal’s internal affairs?

The communist representatives in parliament are threatening to take refuge in jungles and, perhaps, join their Maoist brethren. They think, Parliament is not the right place for them to sit in. Why are the Communists ever ready for a showdown in the street or the guerilla style jungle warfare?

And to persuade the communist for a parliamentary exercise, Prime Minister Koirala should quit, is this logical?

The lingering question is, will Koirala’s removal alone cement the communists’ belief in parliamentary democracy? Or, will it further embolden their concept that a Parliament is a place to relax after fighting out political battles in the street?

Whether or not Koirala should remain the Prime Minister is no longer an issue. The issue is whether or not the democratic process – the rules of the game- be applied and abided by the political players. If they don’t conscientiously agree to abide by the basic tenets of democratic system, democracy in no way is going to
remain healthy. It is here one needs to ponder whether the opposition’s agitations aimed at getting rid of Prime Minister Koirala alone or they are meant to unravel the fabrics of democratic governance.

As said earlier, if it is only to flush Prime Minister Koirala out of Singhdurbar, then there may be no serious causes to be alarmed. What is most frightening is that they want to depose a democratically elected Prime Minister in a most undemocratic way. The loss of an individual Prime Minister Koirala may be no loss at all but the loss of a system or even undermining it will be an irreparable loss.

Let Koirala lose but democracy must win at all cost. At the moment both Koirala’s Prime Ministership and
democracy are at stake. If the former loses the latter cannot win. To make the latter come victorious, the former must win too.

Hence, despite all allegations and charges hurled at Koriala from the communists and the conservative rightists, Koirala stands for democracy. If he is to be ousted, it will have to be done democratically.

It seems the communists in Nepal hate Girija Prasad Koirala. Few democratic politicians may relish in Koirala-bashing by the communists. They may think that they gain by weakening the Congress strongman. They certainly can make some petty personal gains but only at the cost of democracy.

As Ralph Frank’s statement in no way serve the communist mission, hence it is an encroachment on Nepal’s internal affairs, according to them.

Momo Buff

By Narayan Upadhyay

HERE with a loaf of bread beneath the Bough
A Flask of Wine, A Book of Verse— and Thou
Beside me Singing in the Wilderness— and
The Wilderness is Paradise enow

The Persian poet of pleasure, Omar Khayyam, has thus spoken about his love for eating drinking and making merry with his beloved. Khayyam’s lines, laden with hedonistic philosophy underscoring the ultimate purpose of life are gaining maximum of pleasure.

Among some of means to achieve life’s delectation, eating forms the most important habit in animal which not only brings pleasure but also most necessary way to live a life.

When it comes to eating habits, different societies have inclined to different tastes to fill their urge for hunger. In the present world, multi-culturism has become the way of living and cross sections of cuisine are encroaching upon the different kitchens and tongues. The famed Italian pizza and pasta, American burgers and hot dog, Indian mughlai and tandooris, Arabian biryani and kebabs have been salivating the mouths of not only the people with original tastes but also of different origins.

Back home, the routine dal, bhat, tarkari plus some chutney or achars (pickles) have been satiating the hungry Nepalese stomachs during every brunch and dinner. Nepalese habit of having brunch has, in fact, forced their stomachs go empty towards the evening necessasiting them a quick nasta or khaja (snacks). And the hungry Nepalese bellies urge for quick snacks have really given a lot of weight to that meat-stuffed-white-steamed-round-balls that has captured the Nepalese digestive system.

The Nepalese love for momo is quite luscious. Given the size of momo maniacs in the country, momo has become our answer to Indian samosas and dosas , Italian pizza and pasta and American burgers.

The Tibetan import has proliferated Nepalese digestive juices via Kathmandu Newars’ kitchens. The gobblers of white meaty balls through are the common evening sights seen in the Kathmandu restaurants both posh and filthy, where the round stuffy thing has been the essential menu items turning the capital city an heaven for country’s momo buffs.

With the ever-increasing popularity, the momo saga does not end here. In Kathmandu, you can find momo of every kind. Most restaurants here serve momo made of minced chicken, pork, mutton, buffalo meat and vegetables. But the momo buffs of the country, like one of my Brahmin friends told me once, would say that while in Kathmandu, go for momo made from minced buffalo meat popularly know as "buff momo".

You may firmly believe that the Kathmandu’s animal slaughtering for eating purposes is the filthiest, but this feeling yours would be nowhere if you taste the flavour generated by spices mixed in the minced buffalo meat filled inside white flour. It seems that this because of the aroma and flavour that have turned most Nepalese into momo buffs. And Kathmandu has many of such crazy-for-momo people. Children, youths, olds and men and women love their stuff and can be seen waiting for hours for a plate of palate heating tongue soothing momo with achars in their favourite momo pasals ( shops) and restaurants.

The momo business is the most lucrative one in Kathmandu. Momo restaurants have out-numbered other activities and have sprouted in upmarket areas, lanes, by-lanes and dark alleys to deal with the afternoon hunger of Kathman-duites of every class- and caste too. This is the unending magic of momo for those hungry-at-afternoon.

And, last but not least, the momo gobbling becomes all the more tastier and interesting if you do so with the help of chilled beer sitting by the side of your beloved at a restaurant where soft music is being played.

If you do so then you are not less than our poet of pleasure is, Omar Khayyam is. Just revert yourself to the poet’s verse at the beginning once again. Replace his loaf of bread with your momo, his flask of wine with chilled beer, his ‘Thou" with your soul mate and his book of verse with soft music and the Wilderness with modern restaurants. You will unmistakably be able to draw the essence of poet’s claim—that the sole purpose in life is to gain maximum of pleasure— in modern day Kathmandu. Having hot-hot momo (made of buffalo, of course) is one way to experience the glimpse of the paradise, a place where all happiness is supposed to have resided!