Week 2

by Heidi Willden

My workload at GSF picked up this week. I am on the NATS team—National Advocacy and Technical Support. On the advocacy side, NATS and local partners work to increase the visibility of CRSV- and reparations-related issues and to promote relevant policy. On the technical support side, NATS serves as a consultant to governments seeking guidance on policy or programs related to CRSV and reparations.

This summer, I will document GSF’s NATS work in two countries: Nepal and Ukraine. These countries represent contrasting government attitudes toward CRSV reparation policy. Today, I’ll focus on Nepal.

Both the forces of the then-Kingdom of Nepal and the rebel Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) wielded CRSV to torture and demoralize civilians during the country’s decade-long civil war. Since the conflict ended in 2006, up to 2,000 survivors of CRSV have remained largely unacknowledged and their life-altering losses unredressed. Although the Nepali government nominally agreed to provide relief to conflict survivors in 2008, the government has not meaningfully acted on its obligations. Furthermore, the Act did not mention CRSV at all, denying CRSV survivors the possibility of a government-mandated remedy for that specific violation of human rights.

What makes the situation in Nepal especially tricky is that public acknowledgement of one’s status as a CRSV survivor is heavily stigmatized. Although Nepali CRSV survivors endure ongoing physical, psychological, and financial hardship because of the wartime atrocities that they suffered, many are hesitant to speak out because they may face ostracism by their families and communities.

To address the dire needs of survivors in this context, GSF launched an interim reparative measures (IRM) project in Nepal in 2023. The project began with identifying a pool of survivors to participate in the project and collaborating with the survivors to determine exactly what reparative measures they desired. GSF and its Nepali partner, Nagarik Aawaz, are now in the process of issuing the measures to about 400 survivors. These measures include cash payouts, medical care, and psychosocial support.

In parallel, the GSF NATS team has supported local partners in an effort to break the silence on CRSV in Nepali society. Among other endeavors, GSF’s partners held meetings to foster dialogue between survivors, policy makers, and the media. This dialogue is especially timely because the Nepali government has just re-established its Truth and Reconciliation Commission and will explicitly address CRSV this time around.

Although the formation of the new TRC has been controversial among CRSV survivors and advocates, there is at least a window of opportunity for them to air their needs and grievances to the Nepali government. Whether the government will take action beyond that remains to be seen.

Outside of the office, I have been fortunate to catch some astounding mountain views. Geneva and Ferney, the French border town I’m staying in, are located between two ranges: the Alps to the southeast and the Jura to the northwest. Lately, I’ve explored nature on the French side of the border.

During a run this week, I turned past some trees and found myself face to face with Mont Blanc on the horizon. As the sun set behind me, the wheat fields awash in golden light, I was overwhelmed by the casual majesty of the landscape. Here, I’d caught a postcard-perfect vista on a weekday after work. I didn’t need to trek up canyons or kayak miles downriver to find this view that stopped me in my tracks. I imagined the lives of the people who live in the area, wondered whether they take the mountains for granted. I considered my own stay here, whether I’ll reach a point this summer where I stop noticing the world’s most legendary peaks as I walk to the bus stop.

If I ever forget how lucky I am to be here, I might never forgive myself.