Issues Addressed
Spiny Babbler Knowledge Center has gathered data, filtered and managed information, packaged knowledge and disseminated products on a variety of development issues over 25 years. Effective designs have targeted audience at the grassroots, implementation, trainer, planner, to decision making levels. As media and communications cuts across multiple issues and themes, sectoral experts are acquired for specialist interventions.
Media and Communications
Over three years the Alternative Media Project tested various forms of media including art, music, theatre, video and experiments in the township of Thaiba and the learning shared among various nations across the Himalayas. Spiny Babbler Knowledge Center has supported major development actors working in Nepal and the South Asia region over a quarter of a century. Media bodies such as ACORAB which has more than four hundred community radio stations as members and Antenna Foundation have been supported.
Health
From maternal mortality research report, Red Cross Society documentation on HIV/AIDS, translation and editing for Asia Foundation, information generation products including uterine prolapse for ADRA, pneumonia related video for Save the Children, Spiny Babbler Knowledge Center personnel have worked with development and health organizations.
Gender
An area that has been explored extensively has been women and girls and their issues. From the earliest UNDP gender manual in the South Asia region in English and Nepali, recent books “With My Whole Heart” and “15 Stories” with VSO, and ICIMOD’s “Women of the Hindu-Kush Himalayas” in multiple languages Spiny Babbler Knowledge Center has much experience in this sector.
Peace and Security
Whether it be for the Nepal Peace Trust, Support of Measures to Strengthen the Peace Process, early Police Mirror publications, 5-episode docudrama for UNDP Rule for Law Programme, Spiny Babbler Knowledge Center has worked in the peace, justice, and security related topics from the furthest east to the furthest west in Nepal.
Enterprise, Income Generation and Labor
Activities related to income generation of ILO in three rural districts, the work of Small Business Promotion Project in urban cities and later, Industrial Enterprise Development Institute, home-based workers related efforts of Sabah Nepal, and farmer business school of Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation are some of the areas that have been supported.
Climate and Environment
Running a project that spanned the six continents and 20 nations to address mountain issues, local Taudaha Wetland Environment and Livelihoods Protection Project, documents and reports for The Mountain Institute and International Union for Conservation of Nature, Spiny Babbler Knowledge Center has contributed to climate and environment related issues.
Youth and Children
More than 1000 youth from 14 nations around the world have contributed to Spiny Babbler as volunteers. Research has been carried out in 8 districts of the Nepal Terai on youth violence resulting in individual and consolidated reports in Nepali and English. Fact finding and in-depth research resulted “I Learn to Trust” and “Samjahana Ra Umanga” for Search for Common Ground. “Guidelines on Violence Against Women and Girls” was produced for UNICEF ROSA, The Arts Club that supported creative exploration among young people of 100+ public and private schools. 80+ schools of five districts were involved by the Child to Child project conducted in association with ILO.
Education and Culture
Corianthians and 92Y of the US have worked with Spiny Babbler for multiple years to reach out to deliver quality education of young people in Nepal. UNESCO has worked to reach out on cultural education through 3D animated products and this organization ran a club to provide out of the box education to Nepalese children, Nepalese education of children around the world, and an experimental formal school. From selection of issues, preparation of curricula, training of educators, delivery of knowledge, testing-monitoring-evaluation of achievements, Spiny Babbler has led strong education efforts.
Rural and Urban Development
Years of SNV’s experience in development was converted into a comprehensive 250 page book; PASRA’s activities in rural Nepal related to adult education, training, enterprise and income generation, and promotion of democracy was converted into a video documentary; International Alert and its work with Community Score Cards was presented as a report as well as the outcomes it harvested through the SAHAJ program; The Mountain Institute’s documents; urban development led by UDLE, and the work of Lutheran World Federation were researched, organized, converted into sharable formats in the print, web, and video media.
Governance and Taxation
Mayors from 40 municipalities worked with CDSG and their experiences and learning was documented, the NGO Fund Project was supported as it prepared a series of manuals that would help governance, local government taxation policies and processes involving local communities was converted into a 3D animation video, and various other knowledge products were created over the years to promote good governance.
Disaster and Rehabilitation
Floods, earthquakes, disease such as Covid and other forms of disaster related documentation has been prepared. The community radio association of 475 stations prepared and publish a guidelines on how to prepare disaster relief programs. Spiny Babbler Knowledge Center supported Ecpact Luxembourg document its activities related to earthquake rehabilitation.
Infrastructure Development
Road building and maintenance manual was prepared with MRCU for engineers of the Road Department, SWISS and German bridge building across Nepal and their South South cooperation was documented and presented in print form. Habitat for Humanity’s activities with global volunteers in some of Nepal’s remote areas was documented in audio-visual format.
