PODS by PEI

#Ep.082 Laxman Datt Pant  is the chairperson of Media Action Nepal and an elected co-chair of the Media Freedom Coalition-Consultative Network (MFC-CN). He is also an adjunct Professor of Media Ethics & Journalism at the Tbilisi State University  and the University of Georgia. He currently serves as the AMIC Country Representative for Nepal. Pant started his career as a journalist more than two decades ago and worked with numerous media institutions in different capacities ranging from a reporter to an editor.   PEI’s Hridesh and Laxman delve into analyzing the bill's provisions and how they may conflict with constitutional rights to free speech. They also explore how Nepal can better foster digital spaces as forums for civic expression and debate. If you liked the episode, hear more from us through our free newsletter services, PEI Substack: Of Policies and Politics, and click here to support us on Patreon!!   

#Ep.081 Bhupesh Adhikary is the Senior Air Quality Specialist at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), Kathmandu. He is working on understanding the science and mitigation aspects of air pollution in the Hindukush Himalaya region using chemical transport models, in-situ, and satellite-based observations. He previously worked for the EvK2CNR Committee as their resident scientific coordinator. Bhupesh also worked at Kathmandu University as an assistant professor for several years, teaching graduate and undergraduate students.  Khushi and Bhupesh embark on a comprehensive exploration of the city's alarming air pollution problem. They tap into Bhupesh’s expertise as an atmospheric scientist to discuss the current sources of pollution, the seasonal intricacies affecting the atmosphere, and the city's unsettling ranking among the world's most polluted places. Bhupesh sheds light on health risks, socio-economic repercussions, and the vulnerability of specific urban populations. The episode further navigates the challenging policy landscape, scrutinizing state efforts, significant policy developments, and the persistent challenges hindering effective intervention. If you liked the episode, hear more from us through our free newsletter services, PEI Substack: Of Policies and Politics, and click here to support us on Patreon!!   

#Ep.080 Padma Sundar Joshi is the Vice President of Madan Bhandari University of Science and Technology. He has more than a decade of experience in. urban planning and environment. He has worked with the city office on projects like. the Municipal Infrastructure Improvement Project and the Kathmandu Valley mapping program. He has published books and a series of articles on urban development, including a recent publication titled The Hiti System: Past, Present, and Future.  Lasata and Padma discuss the intricate relationship between. water and urbanism in Kathmandu Valley, focusing on the traditional water management system known as Hiti Pranali. Covering historical backgrounds and the current challenges the valley faces, including water shortages and  climate change impacts,  they explore the potential of traditional systems like Hiti in addressing modern water management issues. The conversation extends to ongoing projects and challenges restoring the Hiti and other traditional water systems, emphasizing their significance as sustainable, nature-based solutions.  If you liked the episode, hear more from us through our free newsletter services, PEI Substack: Of Policies and Politics, and click here to support us on Patreon!!   

#Ep.079 आजको भागमा पी. ई. आई. का अनुराग आचार्य, पत्रकार हरी थापा सँग नेपालको शासकीय व्यवस्था, प्रणाली र अभ्यास बारे संवादमा बस्दै हुनुहुन्छ | यो एपिसोडमा उहाँहरु नेपालको बिगत पाँच दशकको शासन व्यवस्थाको नालीबेली बारे कुरा गर्दै हुनुहुन्छ | हरि थापा बिगत तिन दशक देखि सुशासन बारे कलम चलाउने पत्रकार हुनुहुन्छ। उहाले नेपालको बर्तमान शासन र प्रशासनलाई न्यूज-रुम भित्रबाट नियाल्नु मात्र भएको छैन कि बिगतमा पंचायत कालका शक्तिशाली प्रधानमन्त्री सूर्यबहादुर थापा र प्रभावशाली प्रशासक भेषबाहादुर थापाको संस्मरण लेख्ने क्रममा त्यस समयको शासन-प्रशासन प्रणालीको बारेमा पनि राम्रोसंग बुझ्नु भएको छ । हामी आशा गर्दछौँ तपाईंलाई आजको संवाद फलदायी लाग्नेछ !  If you liked the episode, hear more from us through our free newsletter services, PEI Substack: Of Policies and Politics, and click here to support us on Patreon!!  

#Ep.078 Introducing and directing agendas in the policy sphere is a challenging task. Additionally, when the agenda in question is pushed to the margins with shame, stigma, and taboo, the pursuit becomes ever more demanding. Menstruation is one such topic repressed by societal norms of the global south, the stigma of which causes detrimental effects on the lives of innumerable individuals. How does one advocate for that?   In this episode, Khushi and Jesselina discuss the challenges in pursuing policy solutions to issues of access to a dignified period. Jesselina shares the unexpected hurdles in advocating for menstrual rights and the importance of strategy, collaboration, and sustainability in it. They explore barriers to accessing menstrual health and dignity, their deep impacts, and recount national issues like the Period Tax and the state of periods in prison. They also discuss the evolution of a dignified period in the realm of human rights, the different ways it has expanded, and how the conversation can be taken forward.   Jesselina Rana  is a human rights lawyer, social entrepreneur, and feminist activist. A Harvard Law School graduate, Jesselina co-founded Pad2Go, a social enterprise focusing on menstrual health in Nepal, in 2018. Since its inception, Pad2Go has garnered national and international recognition for its impactful contributions to the menstrual health landscape in Nepal. Jesselina’s passion for feminism, human rights, and the law has driven her to contribute to both human rights and politico-legal discourse in Nepal and internationally.  If you liked the episode, hear more from us through our free newsletter services, PEI Substack: Of Policies and Politics, and click here to support us on Patreon!!

#Ep.077 In this episode, Khushi and Preeti discuss strategic peacebuilding and the role of Dialogue in it. The two explore the core principles of dialogue as a conflict-solving tool and the wide scope of issues it has helped tackle professionals like Preeti in inviting resolution. They place the significance of dialogue & peacebuilding in the specific context of Nepal and highlight how underlying contentions impact aspects of society and development. They then discuss Preeti’s view on the nexus of peace building and justice and recommendations to improve the State’s efforts for sustainable progress in this front.     Preeti Thapa is a peacebuilder, lawyer, mediator, and certified master trainer in mediation and dialogue with more than 21 years of experience. She is The Asia Foundation’s deputy director of Justice and Governance in Nepal. Her expertise lies in access to justice and strategic peacebuilding through community mediation and multi-stakeholder dialogue. Preeti has worked with Nepal’s Ministry of Law and Justice on mediation policies and, in particular, contributed to the passage of the Mediation Act and Regulation. Preeti is a member of the Nepal Bar Association and of the Community Mediators’ Society Nepal. She is also a visiting faculty member at Kathmandu University, the Army Command and Staff College, and Folke Bernadotte Academy, Sweden on Mediation and Dialogue. If you liked the episode, hear more from us through our free newsletter services, PEI Substack: Of Policies and Politics, and click here to support us on Patreon!!   

The podcast discusses Nepal and India's power trade deal, the challenges of Nepal's hydropower potential, and India's policy positions on cross-border electricity trade. It also explores the controversies surrounding India's electricity market guidelines and the impact of electricity market revisions on Nepal and Bhutan. The podcast delves into the challenges and opportunities in Nepal-India electricity trade, the role of storage projects, and Indian companies' interest in Nepali hydropower projects.

Ep#075 On the second of this month, Prime Minister Dahal hosted a high-level side event at COP 28 entitled “Call of the Mountain: Who Saves Us from the Climate Crisis?”. Nepal, from its first pavilion ever at COP, spoke of the disproportionate impact on its ecosystem and local inhabitants despite having near-zero emissions -finally gathering the world’s attention for an agenda it heralded for more than a decade.  In this episode, PEI colleagues Lasata Joshi and Raju Pandit dive into the pivotal themes and outcomes of the recent COP. Recounting Raju’s participation in this and multiple previous COPs, they explore the significance of COP Nepal and the real-life experience of Nepali delegates. They discuss recent critical shifts in the climate narrative on fossil fuels, proactive participation of major oil industries, global stocktake, loss, and damage, and Nepal’s push for the mountain agenda.   Raju Pandit Chhetri is the Executive Director of Prakriti Resources Centre (PRC), an environment and development organization based in Kathmandu. He has over fifteen years of experience in climate change policy and sustainable development. Raju has followed UN climate change negotiations under the UNFCCC and Green Climate Fund (GCF) for over a decade. He closely works with the Government of Nepal and the Least Developed Country Group at the climate negotiations. He has written and contributed to several papers on climate change. Raju passionately advocates for ambitious climate actions and sustainable development.  If you liked the episode, hear more from us through our free newsletter services, PEI Substack: Of Policies and Politics, and click here to support us on Patreon!!

Ep#074 In this episode, PEI colleague Aslesh Shrestha sits with Kalpana Khanal to discuss Nepal's heavy reliance on remittances, analyzing their pivotal role in driving economic growth while also scrutinizing the associated risks and vulnerabilities. Exploring the historical trajectory of this dependency, they uncover the factors behind the reliance and examine their impact across sectors ranging from the macroeconomy to households and sector-specific consequences. Kalpana Khanal is an economist specializing in public policy, international finance, money and banking, development economics, and institutional economics. She currently serves as a Senior Research Fellow (SRF) and Head of the Center for Economic and Infrastructure Development Policy at the Policy Research Institute (PRI) in Nepal. She obtained her Ph.D. and MA degrees in Economics from the University of Missouri Kansas City (UMKC), USA. Her research focuses on the comprehensive analysis of economic policy issues at a broader level. If you liked the episode, hear more from us through our free newsletter services, PEI Substack: Of Policies and Politics, and click here to support us on Patreon!!

#Ep.073 Despite once being gripped by patriarchy, Nepali society has come a long way in terms of gender equality and equity, and gender policy efforts have played an undeniable role in reshaping the reality of women in Nepal. Today, women’s representation and participation is incentivized in different development sectors, including education, health, workforce, and politics.  However, the strides of progress are still enervated by inefficient implementation, which poses questions about the vitality of gender policies.   In this episode, guest host Yuki Poudyal sits with Sucheta Pyakurel to explore Nepal’s policy landscape with Gendered Lenses. They begin by elucidating the case for gender equality and its vital connection to responsive policies and budgeting in patriarchal societies like Nepal. Tracing Nepal's history of gender policies, Sucheta shares pivotal reforms that have significantly narrowed the gender gap while also critically examining the formal and informal hindrances. The two discuss crucial gender policy events and debates to extract observations on the efficiency of such policies and recommend changes. Sucheta Pyakuryal is the Director of the Center for Governance at the Institute of Integrated Development Studies (IIDS). She teaches Gender in Politics/Policymaking for the Masters and PhD programs at Tribhuvan University and is a visiting faculty of Kathmandu University’s Masters in Public Policy and Management program. An alumna of the Regional Center for Strategic Studies of South Asia, her work focuses on studying democratic development and good governance in the region.    Yuki is currently the co-founder of the Nepal Institute of Study Abroad and has experience working across a myriad of sectors, from non-profits to innovative start-ups as a consultant, strategist, and leader. She completed her Masters in Development Practices and International Business from Tufts University.  If you liked the episode, hear more from us through our free newsletter services, PEI Substack: Of Policies and Politics, and click here to support us on Patreon!!