Democracy For Nepal

Monday, March 27, 2006

Hamro Nepal All Set To Be Launched

Anil and I talked earlier today. Hamro Nepal is all set to be registered and launched. Some early thoughts are as follows.

Goal: Democratic Republic through non-violent militancy. The fight is ideological, not personal. The king has the option to become a citizen and a businessman. A respectful exit can be given, but only if the regime does not exhibit bad behavior towards the street demonstrators. Hamro Nepal will be actively involved in the movement to topple the current regime, to install a democratic interim government, to help the country go through a constituent assembly. Hamro Nepal keeps open the option to launch a new political party should that help achieve the goal better, faster.
Membership fee in the US: $100. Equivalent/similar amounts in Europe, Canada, Japan, Australia. Each country chapter to decide on the amount. The US chapter might do a second $100 round should an emergency situation arise. After the establishment of a democratic republic, the membership fee is to go down dramatically. Chapter in India, membership fee more like Rs. 100 or 200.
Those who donate less than $100 are donors. $100 is a Member. A Member who finds at least 9 other Members is a Leader. A Leader who finds at least 9 other Leaders is a Senior Leader. The Senior Leaders are members of the Central Committee.
The organization will not go away once the goal of a democratic republic has been achieved for Nepal. It will stick around to help the process of institution building, and help usher rapid economic growth in the aftermath. The idea is to make the best use of globalization and the internet to gather and organize Nepalis and friends of Nepal across the world. Your geographical location is immaterial, if you want you can contribute to the fullest.
This is also about empowering Nepalis outside Nepal. For example, voting rights for Nepalis in New York City.
Each country chapter is to stay autonomous, and is to be registered locally, although the chapters are to work in close coordination.
Hamro Nepal is not a member of any umbrella organization, namely the Nepalese Americas Council (NAC) or the Non Resident Nepalis Association (NRNA). Instead it hopes to impart its culture of transparency, democracy, egalitarianism, empowerment and efficiency to those organizations, and will work in close coordination with any organization and individual, political and otherwise, with shared goals.
A country chapter like the US chapter may have guest members from Nepal. These members will have to be sponsored by existing members of the US chapter.
There are to be 10 City Coordinators for each of the major cities in the US. These are people who have the option to meet in person. They are to reflect gender, ethnic and caste diversities. To be voted for if consensus might not be possible.
There is to be a Central Committee for each country chapter. And an Executive Committee.
Members may stay open or stay clandestine: personal choice for the duration of the movement. If person A brought in person B who brough in person C, person C may not know the name of person A unless person A chooses otherwise. There are to be such vertical silos.
A formal constitution is to be drafted soon.
All members will be invited to join a virtual parliament. Real or assumed names may be used. All members may talk. Anyone may participate in the comments sections. Anyone may read.
For lack of something better, free online polls will be used for voting purposes, to be sent out over email, and not displayed online until after the polls are closed. One IP address will not be able to vote more than once, and there would be a time limit on each such poll. And any poll that has more votes than the size of the voter pool will be automatically invalid. It is hoped the honor system will be followed.
Safe houses are to be established in Kathmandu. Maximal use to be made of MSN Messenger and Google Talk.