Nepal Youth Network Launched by Mountain Fund July 2012 A platform for positive discussion, idea sharing and showing the talent of Nepal youth. This month The Mountain Fund launched the Nepal Youth Network, a web-based platform where the youth of Nepal can meet and discuss events in their country, share ideas, and participate in contests for photography, writing, videography and music. It’s a platform very similar to other social networking sites and in fact, it plays well with both facebook and twitter. Inside Details of Nepal Youth Network Why we have created this online platform for the youth of Nepal Features of Nepal Youth Network Way better than facebook, this site is built from the ground up to be educational and inspirational First photo contest underway Come and see what our first contest is all about Become a mentor are you willing to give your time? 2 3 4 5 Announcing
Transcript
Nepal Youth NetworkLaunched by Mountain Fund July 2012
A platform for positive discussion, idea sharing and showing the talent of Nepal youth.
This month The Mountain Fund launched the Nepal Youth Network, a web-based platform where the youth of Nepal can meet and discuss events in their country, share ideas, and participate in contests for photography, writing, videography and music.
It’s a platform very similar to other social networking sites and in fact, it plays well with both facebook and twitter.
InsideInside
Details of Nepal Youth Network Why we have created this online platform for the youth of Nepal
Features of Nepal Youth NetworkWay better than facebook, this site is built from the ground up to be educational and inspirational
First photo contest underwayCome and see what our first contest is all about
Become a mentor are you willing to give your time?
2
3
4
5
Announcing
About Nepal Youth Network
by Scott MacLennan
Summary
With the recent failure of the government to promulgate a new constitution the approximately 7 million youth of Nepal are angry, frustrated and disillusioned. This web-based platform is providing a positive outlet for the talent of Nepal youth as well as a safe place to meet, discuss current issues and practice leadership. Nepal Youth Network dot com is an on l ine p lat form for pos i t ive discussion, idea sharing and showing the talent of the youth of Nepal.
What is the issue, problem, or challenge?
The youth population of Nepal is approximatley 7,000,000, with 50% or more having no jobs. Many youth were involved in the ten year Maoist revolutionary war and remain frustrated and angry by the state of politics in their country. They have no common platform to organize in productive ways and begin the process of creating a national youth identity that is non-violent.
“Time has come to ring all the members of all the groups and pages who are true blood of Nepal in one place where ideas explore and s o l u t i o n s t o p r o b l e m s g r o w. I t i s www.nepalyouthnetwork.com “
- Bhuwan, one of the beneficiaries and member of Nepal Youth Network as posted on his page at Nepal Youth Network
Popular social networking sites such as facebook are fine places to post up a funny photos, a quote of some sort or other, largely trivial matters. Nepal Youth Network was built from the ground up to focus on the important issues youth face in Nepal and to keep them active and focused as well. Discussion forums with relevant issues open for conversation, relevant youth groups for them to join and a strong emphasis on promoting talented youth who are photographers, writers, mini-documentary filmmakers and future leaders. All of this ties effortlessly to their existing facebook and twitter accounts.
Supergroups !
There are dozens of existing youth groups and organizations in Nepal. Some have a web site, many don’t. Some have groups on facebook and again, many do not. On Nepal Youth Network groups can be easily formed and youth can even use their existing facebook accounts, which 1.5 million in Nepal already have, to invite more members to their groups.
From inside the group page it’s easy to see who else is a member and “friend” them. Groups can also share photographs with each other, hold discussions on whatever topics pertain to the groups, give notice of upcoming events, upload and share documents, videos an music and create and take polls on the fly, plus much more.
Features Individual Benefits Group Benefits
■ Photography shows and contests
■ Youth Groups
■ Mentors page for youth
■ Music upload and share
■ Polls and discussion rooms
■ Instant online chat
■ Q & A sharing
■ Links to popular sites
■ RSS feeds of blogs by and for Nepali youth
■ Events
■ Youth Media section
3
4
First Photo Contest Underway at Nepal Youth Networkby L. Smith
In partnership with Nepal’s own Image Park, we’re now running our first photo contest for Nepal youth.
Since the mission and purpose in making this web platform is first and foremost encouraging positive action and creative we’ve started right off with our first monthly photo contest. Participants can upload a maximum of three photos to Nepal Youth Network to enter.
Photographs will judged by both the number of “likes” they receive at Nepal Youth Network and by a panel of respected photographers. Each monthly winner will receive a cash prize of $50USD.
The monthly winners are automatically entered into our annual shoot out where the grand prize for one budding photographer is a new camera. This year it’s a Canon T3 dslr, a serious camera for the young photographer to practice and improve his or her skills with.
We need individual or corporate sponsors to help with prizes for this, the first photography contest as well as the many contests we will begin to roll out at the site. We plan to have contests in writing, music and video in addition to photography, in the coming months, with similar prizes awarded monthly and in an annual contest for a grand prize as well. We want to encourage youth to participate in these contests.
If you’d like to help us with individual or company sponsorships you can make a general donation HERE, or email us at [email protected] to discuss further.
Often the greatest contribution you can make to give others a hand up, not a hand out (our motto) is to give your time and talents. While our wildly popular volunteer program in Nepal affords that opportunity, Nepal Youth Network is in need of “virtual” volunteers who can contribute via the internet, which means that direct helping is now a reality for all of our Mountain Fund friends. We are specifically, but not exclusively, looking for youth mentors in a wide variety of professional and semi-professional areas including;
1) Photography, video, music and writing
2) Forming and management of youth groups
3) Environmental issues in Nepal
4) Rural issues such as agriculture and ways to improve farm outputs including inexpensive irrigation methods, greenhouse growing & etc.
5) Women’s issues in Nepal
6) Health concerns and healthcare
7) Business, economy and entrepreneurship
8) Sustainable tourism
9) Drama and performing arts
10) Probably whatever you do for a living or as a hobby right now.
This is a new web site, and a new venture. While we’ve attracted over 100 members to this site in just a few days, it will take more input, more actions and more work to reach its full potential, so our mentors need to understand that and be patient as well as available and actively engages.
A few simple rules before you join and list yourself as a mentor (look in the menu for mentors)1) Provide professional guidance, not friendship.
2) Understand and respect the culture and religion are different from yours and leave it that way.
3) Be ready for challenges that can’t be solved in our western ways and consider the reality of Nepal. That will challenge you in return to be your most creative.
4) Mentor in areas you understand and have knowledge about.
Ready? go to www.nepalyouthnetwork.com, join and register yourself as a mentor. Then visit the site weekly and seek out opportunities to contribute as the culture of Nepal may make it hard for youth to come and ask for your help.
Your time, your talent and your money, we thank you for any and all of these.
The Mountain Fund
5
What you can give, in addition to your financial support
Our long-time friend and supporter Steve Graepel (who tells me his name is pronounced Stiev) created this logo for Nepal Youth Network.
The logo is 12 young people linked in a circle. Twelve is the number of points on the sun as depicted on the flag of Nepal. The colors, red and blue are also drawn from the flag of Nepal and the English letters N Y N for Nepal Youth Network have been altered to more closely resemble Nepali script.
Steve is a medical graphic illustrator, climber and endurance athlete, who lives in Boise, Idaho. He’s also a recent father and was the recipient of the first grant given by the Anatoli Boukreev Memorial Fund to participate in a cultural/climbing exchange to Khan Tengri.
