Appreciative Inquiry for Peace Building: A Case Study of Constitution Making Process in Nepal

Subject: Timalsina, Aristegui, and Liew website submissions

The main purpose of this research is to identify ways of bridging the gaps among and between political parties and public populations so that the new constitution making processes in Nepal will lead towards a sustainable peace in the country.

This dissertation will look into the past experiences of the parties in this regards and at the same time will find the public voices about how the gaps can be bridged.

A decade long insurgency in Nepal has increased the importance of peace. I will identify Peace Building process in Nepal as being the instrument for bringing all the agitating political parties into common consensus and to make it possible for the parties to together design the better future of Nepal. As the public, as well as the political parties themselves, have felt the institutional distance in regards to the ways of making a new Nepal, my research will attempt to find ways of how the parties can learn from their best past, as well as how and why they need to appreciate others' ideas and programs. Feelings of superiority in ideas and methodology of designing the new Nepal is the cause of gaps between the parties involved. The dissertation will identify how the ideas of each party and the public population can be used for the best in designing the country.

The benefits to the political parties, public and to the nation (new constitution) will be as followings:

• the development of an appreciative way of finding the best practices of public institutions and parties to bring them closer to having a healthy discussion
• the formation of common ground where the parties and public can co-construct future Nepal through new constitution

Research Questions:
The following research questions will be explored through in-depth interviews of common public, political leaders, and civil society leaders. Broadly, these questions explore the appreciative ways of creating common ground so that a new constitution will be possible as a shared vision of whole Nepalese people. The followings are the questions my dissertation will focus on:
a. How does AI help to establish peace in conflicting nation?
b. What are the past and existing strengths of public and political parties regarding keeping peace and harmony in the Nepalese society?
c. How does AI help to bridge the gaps between the people and the constitution makers
d. What do the constitution makers need to do to address the popular issues in the constitution to settle conflict and strengthen peace?

The above offers an Executive Summary discussing the process for investigation of peace building processes in Nepal.