In post-conflict Nepal, a country featuring 102 different caste and ethnic communities, 92 languages and dialects and more than six religions (Gurung 2009), social inclusion is perceived as a crucial issue for peacebuilding. Repeatedly, failures in the implementation of social inclusion trigger or escalate violent conflicts between different social groups.

In June 2016, Nepal Dialogue Forum (NDF) and the Working Group on Peace and Development (FriEnt) invited experts on the issue of social inclusion in Nepal from Nepal, Switzerland and Germany to a Workshop to reflect and better understand challenges related to social inclusion in the Nepalese context, and to discuss ways towards its realisation. The Workshop’s aim was to consider lessons learned, experiences and obstacles, as well as unintended negative impacts in connection with the implementation processes of social inclusion in Nepal.

Also a need was felt to question our roles as external actors (NGOs, donors, implementing agencies) in the course of the implementation of work for social inclusion: What can we learn from current research on inclusivity in social processes towards sustainable peace? How can specific insights gained through research be translated into practice? What are adequate approaches from local experiences and perspectives? Which factors, risks and side-effects do Nepali experts perceive as crucial? What does this mean for external actors?