‘Bikalpa: An Alternative’ works to spread the idea of individual and economic freedom through research, education and public engagement to create a free and prosperous society.
NFS supported some of their team members to attend the very effective I Policy Training Programs run by the Centre for Civil Society in Delhi India. CCS motto of Social Change through Public Policy is also very relevant to Nepal and for these young people to spend three days with a peer group learning from the staff of the CCS is a big opportunity for them which is not available in Nepal.
Course objectives are to:-
- To create a fun, open, and respectful environment where everyone is encouraged to think critically about social, economic, and political issues.To evoke in participants a passionate inquiry into their own values and role in creating a good society.
- To equip participants with fundamental concepts of political economy and sound public policy to enable them understand the root cause of current challenges and effectively advocate for policy solutions through their current work and future professions.
- To plug participants into a global network of opportunities to propel their intellectual growth, make personal connections and access resources to help them advance their vision of a free society.
6 Bikalpa team members were able to attend these events as a result and will then replicate them at Bikalpa’s student training programs. The program will teach students about policy issues on a broader level and students will thereby be encouraged to join Bikalpa.
Shreeti Dutta was one of those team members and this is part of her report.
The lectures on vital topics like ‘Why India is Poor’, ‘Environmental Challenge, tragedy of collective’, ‘New Public Management ‘, ‘Education in India’ were very fruitful on understanding the economic, social and political issues of India which very much related to Nepal. Individual Right, Freedom of exchange, Rule of law and Limited government were defined as the liberal approach to Public Po
licy.
The sessions also included participatory discussion like Socratic discussion where we use to analyze the contexts on topics like public choice, prices and their role in economy, etc and put our opinion in respectful manner. These discussions not only helped me to understand the content but also improved my communication skills.
Outputs and outcomes:-
- 6 junior staff at Bikalpa learned about the liberal approach to public policy
- They also improved their communications skills