Grassroots activists have excellent data and experiences that can contribute to the Nepali research field. This is testified by a recently published book collating the research of 23 grassroots activists involved in the project, covering topics ranging from access to justice for female victims to youth activism.
Barefoot Research Initiative in Nepal
Dr
Sohan Prasad Sha
(He/Him)
Verified academic
Researcher
Martin Chautari
Sohan sha is currently a researcher at martin chautari. he is a core member of digital studies group (dsg), and has contributed articles on a wide range of issues including contemporary political developments in tarai/madhesh region and science and technology studies.
Nepalese
The Barefoot Research Initiative found that, despite not coming from academia, grassroots activists who independently conduct research can be successful researchers and contribute to the knowledge domain.
About
The project aimed to support Nepali grassroots activists who had the necessary knowledge and experiences but came from non-academic backgrounds, in writing and articulating their stories and research for publication.
The project had three aims: to decentralise knowledge production away from Kathmundu, the capital of Nepal, towards under-researched regions; to challenge the assumption that social science research can only take place in an academic setting; and to make research socially inclusive and accessible to grassroots activists from non-academic, underprivileged backgrounds who face barriers to participating in traditional academic settings. These barriers include access to research funding, mentorship, language, and caste barriers.
Key Findings
How to use
Engaging local, grassroots activists in research can raise awareness of local issues, and provides fresh ideas and data for policymakers, particularly at a local government level.
The full paper is not available open access
Martin Chautari. 2023. “Writing for Advocacy”: The Barefoot Research Initiative in the Madhesh Province of Nepal. Research Brief No. 36.
About this research
Supported by National Endowment for Democracy. The funding body had no role in research design, data collection, analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.
Recommended for
UN Sustainable Development Goals
This research contributes to the following SDGs
About this research
Supported by National Endowment for Democracy. The funding body had no role in research design, data collection, analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.
Recommended for
What it means
The project matters because of the weak status of higher education and academic research in Nepal, particularly in the social sciences and humanities at a regional level. The Barefoot Initiative provides a frugal way to bring social issues in under-researched regional areas of Nepal into mainstream public interest.
Methodology
Numerous visits to the Western Tarai districts and Madhesh Province of Nepal were made between December 2017 and Dec 2023 to assess the intellectual landscapes. Certain factors were crucial in scouting for researchers/individuals with the snowball sampling technique and we met more than 60 activists in the region. We were interested in meeting with individuals who may have substantial experiences either informed by their locally-embedded activism or by their fact of being local researchers who work within the communities they research and write about. The formal qualifications of the individuals were restricted to a bachelor’s degree (not compulsory though) without any concern for their disciplinary focus. They were required to be professionally engaged in these regions. The individuals inducted in this BR initiative were to represent the social and intellectual diversity of the region as well.
