Nepal Appreciative Inquiry National Network (NAINN)

SECOND NATIONAL SUMMIT OF IMAGINE INITIATIVES OF NEPAL
KHARIPATI, BHAKTAPUR, NEPAL
6-8, SEPTEMBER, 2005
Nepal Appreciative Inquiry National Network (NAINN) has been able to achieve one more success by organizing the Second National Summit of Imagine Initiatives of Nepal. The summit was held at Kharipati, Bhaktapur, Nepal on 6-8 September, 2005. The founding Father of Appreciative Inquiry (AI), Prof. David L. Cooperrider’s presence made the summit more important and valuable. More than 70 participants from all Five AI Regional Networks representing from 31 Imagine Initiatives made the summit even more lively. The foreign guests from the USA encouraged the participants further more. The slogan, “Appreciative Inquiry Campaign for positive Societal Transformation through Imagine Initiative movement”, of NAINN is boosted up.

The program, was formally inaugurated in a participatory way that the guests as well as the participants lit candles. The candle lit by a local porter, Thami Bhomjan, led all the candles. NAINN believes, as AI does, that societal transformation is possible only when all the elements of the society move together. Mr. Bhomjan’s candle was representing the light of all the people who are unheard and are alienated from the social activities.

Chief District Officer of Bhaktapur district delivered speech and appreciated NAINN’s movement of spreading AI and positive mind setting campaign in the country like Nepal where people are thirsty for peace. He also expressed his hope of restoring peace in Nepal through AI movement. The other guests and the participants expressed their expectations, hope and feeling in the formal inauguration program of the Summit.

The remaining sessions and days were utilized by sharing success stories and experiences of using AI in the societal development. Dr. Chandi Chapagain, Mr. Buddhi Tamang, Mr. Daniel Cooperrider and Mr. Amit Kovoor shared about AI and its usage in Nepal and around the world. The participants shared the finding of the use of AI in their society, organization, family and in many other ways. The success stories, clarification about AI added energy to the participants to do even better and more.

AI is used for the societal transformation and it is initiated by NAINN for the first time in Nepal. Five regional networks and the imagine initiatives have been applying AI in all sectors of societal development. Different people have different experiences from their fields. All these were shared in the summit. The summit was fully interactive and everyone was busy in grasping new ideas from other participants and was very much active to share his/her own.

There were many stories told about the positive effect of AI. Some of the stories about how one got rid of physical difficulties like sever headache, heart problem and many others when they started working with AI. AI has been able to resolute conflict in the society.

To sum up, AI in Nepalese society is doing better and going well. It has shown the rays of hope that AI can be the best tool for the positive transformation.

The ideas, experiences, success stories shared in the summit, have proved that people in the society have found AI a very easy and effective methodology to work with. AI has made people to work freely in the environment of encouragement. Since Nepalese society and its culture is already full of positive aspects, people feel they are doing everything from within themselves while working with AI. They never feel imposed.

AI has been used in Nepal since 1964. In the early age, it was used for the Organizational Development. But after the establishment of NAINN, it is felt that AI must not be narrowed within tools for OD and Planning. It is a big Key that can open the Big doors of many positive transformations. Having this conclusion, NAINN has formulated the philosophy, supporting theories and the modality for the societal transformation of AI. We say AI is theory, philosophy, principle, approach, methodology, method and tools as well. NAINN is explaining AI as a holistic approach.

While translating the terminology of AI from English to Nepali, there is found varieties. The summit also made a common consensus of using the same Nepali terminology all over Nepal.

The third achievement of the Summit is that it made six year 4 D plan of NAINN with the action plan for a year. The plan consists of expanding formation of imagine initiatives throughout Nepal, launch a peace building project, expanding imagine family, publications, AI schooling, etc.

Finally yet importantly, continuing the tradition of declaration, the summit has also issued Bhaktapur Declaration. The declaration has clarified and added the issues, guidelines and many other things on the declaration of the first summit.

On the final day of the summit, Prof. Dr. David L. Cooperrider spoke about AI. The participants were very much grateful to David for his presence and speech

The formal closing ceremony was much more interesting, meaningful, and effective for many people working with AI. They all expressed their findings while working with AI. Karna Shakya was the another influencing personality who shared how he could get success only due to positive thinking and vision. Human Rights Activist, Mr. Subodhraj Pyakurel was the chief guest and Prof. David as the special guest of the closing ceremony.

The news of the summit was covered by local and national media. National Chairperson of NAINN, Mr Ram Bahadur Raut chaired and Mr. Parashu Ram Timalsina, General Secretary of NAINN ran the formal programs. The other sessions were chaired and run by the members of NAINN. They were Mr. Ram Gyawali, Mr. Mohan Bhatta, Mr. Ram Rimal, Mr. Kapil Dev Singhak, Mr. Gopal Ghimire, Mr. Pankaj Nath, Ms. Laxmi Rai.

The summit, thus, turned into a great achievement. All the imagine initiatives, regional networks and national network have been able to strengthen themselves. The summit also has given new guidelines to work with AI in the society. It also opened a ground to keep relationship with the AI practitioners of the other countries. The foreign guests like Mac Odell, Linda fairburn, Daniel, Amit have sprinkled the hope, encouragement, and strength. The summit is, therefore, the second milestone in the history of NAINN.