INTRODUCTION
The Global Call to Action against Poverty Nepal (GCAP Nepal) established in 2005 is a civil society alliance of millions of people and organizations including trade unions, non-government organizations, international networks, religious and philanthropic organizations, women, youth, Dalits, indigenous nationalities and ethnic minorities, disabled federations, peace campaigners, and users’ associations, united with the strong belief of establishing a more just and poverty-free society. The main purpose of this alliance is to initiate various activities to pressurize the government, and draw attention of the international donor agencies and the world leaders to fulfill the commitments they made in the Millennium Declaration in support of the developing nations.
The GCAP Alliance was renamed as Citizens’ Campaign for Democracy and Social Transformation (CCDST) in 2007. It is the largest CCDST national coalition in Nepal. The coalition is a result of three dozens of civil society organizations. The coalition includes the members like trade unions, peasant associations, civil society federations, student, youth and women associations, peace campaigners, human rights alliances, Dalit, indigenous nationalities and ethnic minorities, associations of the differently able , business and professional organizations and I/NGOs.
A 7-member Campaign Management Committee (CMC) comprising of representatives of National Federations including NGO Federation of Nepal (NFN), Federation of Community Forest Users Group (FECOFUN), Dalit NGO Federation (DNF), Federation of Drinking Water and Sanitation Users Nepal (FEDWASUN), Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (NEFIN), National Federation of Disabled Nepal (NFDN) and National Human Rights Alliance (HR Alliance) working on various social issues has been formed for effective and successful implementation of the programme. The CMC is responsible for making important decisions related to the Project and has brought in other broader civil society networks and existing federations to participate in its activities. NGO Federation of Nepal has been working as the secretariat of the CCDST.
CCDST has been working for sensitising people to their rights, freedom and justice. It informs people of poverty situation, aid, debt and trade impact on livelihoods, and thus inspires and encourages them to involve in action to make national and international governments act on their commitments made in the millennium declarations, and national and international forums. In recent years, the coalition is more focused on pressurising the national government and democratic parties to hold CA elections and pave a way for federal restructure of the state, institutionalise the achievement of people’s movement of April 2006 and bring peace negotiation to a logical end. Focus is laid on the issues with the maxim that progress on the political front toward democratisation lead to progress towards democratic elections and the creation of a climate of security where people could enjoy their rights and freedoms without hindrances. The coalition has the following policy demands:
- Restoration of democratic republic through CA elections.
- Federal restructuring of the state and guarantee of people’s sovereign rights over resources.
- Guarantee of women’s rights and food sovereignty of the people.
- Collect poor people’s issues and bring them to national discourse for policy change and to mobilize them in the constitution building process.
- Mobilize people of all walks of life in assessing the effectiveness of local government services, analysing budget and social policies and suggest for effective service delivery mechanism and budget allocation to attain MDGs.
- Pressurise the government, political parties and CA members to draft democratic and inclusive constitution and formulate pro-people policies by guaranteeing social, economic and cultural rights of people in the new constitution
- Mobilize people of all political persuasions to reflect their concerns in the process of constitution making through civil society organizations across the country
- To organise mass campaigns for enhancing awareness of women, Dalits, youths, Janajatis and the marginalised on MDGs and participatory constitution making issues
