In Nepal, people are often unheard, and their voices and complaints never surface. Civic Apathy is built around the notion that one’s voice has no power, and one is left unheard at all times. In order to counter this Shaasan has come up with the “Promoting Civic Voices” wherein the Shaasan team asks the common citizen questions regarding civic issues that may or may not affect their lives directly. Through such a means Shaasan has been able to gain a first hand experience in the lives of the Nepali Citizen as well as voice these experiences through the medium of our Social Media.
Promoting Civic Voices has so far asked citizens questions in regard to mental health, rape, domestic violence, and water scarcity. With an overwhelmingly positive response from citizens, many people have shown that they want their voices heard and were only lacking the medium to express themselves. Shaasan’s this series has however not gone along without controversy. In regard to the video about rape, some answers and opinions that were espoused were controversial in nature. Shaasan hopes to voice out public opinions regardless of controversy as a means to address the existing variations in thought and to publicly call out as well as criticize victim blaming and the continuation of “rape culture”.
Promoting Civic Voices is slated to continue as a bi-weekly program wherein the Shaasan team will share a total of 2 videos per week through our social media. Citizens from across Nepal are welcome to join in our video series and become a part in expressing their opinions and voices regarding civic issues. Shaasan in the future plans to expand the series across Nepal rather than just the Kathmandu Valley to understand the diverse ideas, plights, opinions, and experiences from the multitude of people that make up Nepal.