Presbyterian Church in Ireland - Mission Overseas - NEPAL: PCI hosts dinner for political delegation on a week's visit to Ireland

15th September 2009

Last night, Monday 14th September, PCI hosted a dinner in honour of a high-ranking group of Nepali politicians and senior civil servants who are in Ireland on a week-long visit to share and learn about peace work.

The delegation is being led by Nepal's Minister for Peace and Reconstruction, Hon. Rakam Chemjong.

Accompanying him are three other politicians, all members of Nepal's Constituent Assembly and each from a different party; and three senior civil servants.

Each of these men were significantly involved in the inter-party negotiations that led up to the signing of the Peace Agreement that ended the 10-year insurgency in Nepal.

PCI's, Joe Campbell, currently Peace & Conflict Transformation Advisor with the United Mission to Nepal (UMN), travelled with the group from Nepal and is helping to coordinate their visit to Belfast and Dublin.

Amongst those attending last night's dinner were Lord Alderdice, Rev Dr Stafford Carson (Moderator), Rev Dr Donald Watts (Clerk of the Assembly) and his deputy, Rev Trevor Gribben.

Other guests included former PW President, Valerie Stewart, and her husband, Stanley, along with Rev Doug Baker and Laura Coulter, both of whom have been involved in peace-making initiatives within PCI.

The delegation is in Belfast today and tomorrow, returning to Dublin on Thursday, 17th and is due to fly back to Nepal at the weekend.


See Photoset and further comment under Helping Nepal's Peace Process, on the Moderator's blogsite; and also, Some Notes on Peacebuilding in Nepal by Joe Campbell.