There is a harsh reality that the educational curriculum created during the previous centralized government system in Nepal failed to connect any knowledge and learning process of Karnali area. It neither brings the feeling of self belonging among the students nor is useful for lifestyle/people of Karnali. Rather it has neglected the easy experiential based learning process and mechanisms of our language, art, culture, knowledge, skills, science and technology prevailing in our surroundings. Due to these rules of education, new generations are forced to forget their socially powerful art, culture, language, literature, skills and knowledge which may lead to noticeable loss of cultural identity of the community in the long term. The rapid growth in worldwide globalization in the development and knowledge sector and the ways those forms of knowledge are forced upon our psyche and distinct realities without critical reflection is more dangerous to the community like Karnali. As a result, various languages, literature, songs, dances, stories, skill learning process and community developed intelligence systems are slowly losing their significance.
Rwoaun Karnali / School to school project
Rwoaun Karnali (knowing the prosperity of Karnali; RK), therefore is the community based project that aspires to renew those cultural practices. RK has been operating in Mugu district of Karnali since 2015 A.D. Initiated by Karnali Art Center (KAC), the main aim of this project is to include the prosperity created by Karnali and Karnali already had (tangible and intangible cultural heritages like language, literature, songs, dances, stories, different skills learning process, intellectual system created in our community) in the school level education process and develop the intimate feeling towards the new generation which will support their livelihood by the means of creative entrepreneurship.
Objectives of the project
To make a sustainable economic status of poor and marginalized communities by creating a regular income source through arts.
To create intergenerational dialogues on the tangible and intangible cultural heritages.
To make school education useful for life by teaching local art, culture and inherited caste skills to students and connect it with economic generation.
To contribute in the mission of Karnali Art Center, Mugu that preserves and promotes the local art, culture, language, literature along with tangible and intangible cultural heritage of karnali and making it part of our livelihood which creates a culturally vibrant community.
To motivate the government teachers realize that by using local art, culture, language, literature and music in daily teaching methods, students will develop the feeling of self belonging in the learning process.
Karnali Arts Centre is a vision. It is an organization that is unraveling and becoming as we speak and write about it. We stand for the right to culture of every individual despite the imaginary lines drawn to create disparities, discriminations, and divisions. Karnali Arts Centre is also an experience. It is a process of learning, documenting, archiving, curating, and sharing the tangible and intangible cultural heritages of the Karnali region into diverse narratives of “experiences” that anyone can have an access to. We want to acknowledge the layers to our experiences – myths, stories, songs, music, movements – and every layer enriches our experiences.
Therefore, in coordination with Karnali Arts Center, we Haatemalo Collective has organized this mutual aid to assist the Rwoaun Karnali initiative to encourage artistic imagination and creativity in Karnali. Though this collection is not sufficient but will help the collective to work on ground differently motivating the Karnali arts to renew their community level practices that are important also for both contemporary and future generations.
Hira Nepali
Hira, belongs to a Dalit community is the main visionary and team leader behind the Karnali Arts Center (KAC). For more than a decade, he and his team of Karnali Arts Center has been imagining and practicing different ways to generate possibilities of opening an arts centre in the biggest district but spatially marginalized region Karnali. Therefore, the fund raised from this aid will directly go to his organization supporting the ongoing initiative that requires our never-ending admiration and support.
Rwoaun Karnali- Mutual Aid for Karnali Arts Centre
