Financial Policy

Human Rights and Peace Society (HURPES) is fully run by the financial contributions from it members and well wishers. HURPES has adopted a 10-points policy related to receiving financial contributions which are as follows:

  1. HURPES shall not receive any financial support from any foreign governments.
  2. HURPES shall not receive any financial support from any embassies or donor agencies.
  3. HURPES shall not submit any funding proposal to any foundations and shall not  receive any financial donations from them.
  4. HURPES shall not submit any funding proposal to any inter-governmental organizations (IGOs) and INGOS and shall not receive any financial donations from them.
  5. HURPES shall not submit any funding proposal to Nepal Government and shall not receive any financial donations from it.
  6. HURPES shall not accept financial donations from any religious organizations.
  7. HURPES shall not accept any financial support from any political parties.
  8. HURPES shall not accept any financial support from cigarette companies and tobacco related industries.
  9. HURPES shall not accept any financial donations from anyone which might be detrimental to its values and principles.

 

Transparency

Human Rights and Peace Society (HURPES) is a highly transparent organization. Transparency in its internal and external works is one of the functional values of HURPES. Following are the polices adopted by HURPES in relation to transparency:

 

  1. The annual activity report endorsed by the National Council Meeting is made public through the press.
  2. HURPES makes available its activity reports to more than 50 media based in Kathmandu every year.
  3. The annual financial report endorsed by the National Council Meeting is made public through the press. HURPES makes available its financial reports to more than 50 media based in Kathmandu every year.
  4. If there are any queries about such activity and financial reports, the press is requested to lodge them within 3 days after it is distributed to the press. They can even access to related documents if needed.
  5. All the decisions of the central executive committee are made available to district executive committees and the national coordinators
  6. To ensure regular communication, all the district committees are sent Weekly mailings. As a part of internal transparency policy, all information related to organization’s activities, campaigns, publications, press releases, CEC decisions, membership distributions, and financial status are sent to district executive committees.

 

Inclusion and Democratic Decision Making Process

Human Rights and Peace Society (HURPES) has adopted following policies to ensure maximum inclusion and democratic decision making process:

 

  1. Mandatory inclusion of 33 percent women in central executive committee and district executive committee.
  2. Mandatory inclusion of at least 33 percent women in the nomination of national coordinators.
  3. Mandatory inclusion of at least 1 dalit representative in central and district executive committees.
  4. The National Council shall convene every year and the Council is the highest decision making body.
  5. The national executive committee is elected every two years.
  6. The district general meeting shall convene every year.
  7. The district executive committee is elected every two years.
  8. The central executive committee shall meet for at least 4 times every year.
  9. The district executive committee shall meet for at least 4 times every year.
  10. All the expenses including travel, accommodation, and food while attending the central executive committee meeting or district executive committee meeting shall be the responsibility of the concerned member. Similarly, those attending the National Council Meeting also need to bear their own travel.

 

HURPES: A Completely Volunteer Organization

Human Rights and Peace Society (HURPES) is a completely volunteer and not-for-profit organization. Members from around the country involve themselves in its campaign as volunteers. HURPES has proposed 10 points qualities of a good volunteer.

 

  1. Should be dedicated to the human values and human rights principles. One should adopt a non-violent character.
  2. Should be motivated by the desire to serve. S/he should be committed to help the needy people.
  3. Should believe in the rule of law.
  4. Generally, should be the catalyst for conflict resolution, not the cause of conflict.
  5. Should be unbiased and transparent in life style. Where possible, should try to adopt a democratic decision making process in all spheres of life.
  6. Should be sympathetic to the victims.
  7. Should adopt a lifestyle where one can share one’s joys and others’ sorrow.
  8. During volunteer works, one should be guided by thoughts of what I can contribute rather than what profit (may be material gain) I can make.
  9. Should be motivated by values like service, charity, and kindness. One should not bring feelings of hatred and retaliation at any cost.  One should be able to control over his/her emotions.
  10. One should avoid unnecessary criticisms or backbiting. One should not try to entertain by humiliating or making fun of other people in the public life.

Samaya Aandolan (Time Movement)

Human Rights and Peace Society (HURPES) has initiated a tradition to begin all kinds of programme on the sharp time which is popularly known as Samaya Aandolan (Time Movement). As per this policy, if the invitation card mentions that the event will begin at 1 pm, it will sharply being at 1 pm. However, if there are less than 12 people, the event will be postponed, but it will not resume even if more people join in after some time. In the case of public mass meetings, if there is the presence of less than 50 people, the meeting will be postponed; no more participants/audience will be waited.

HURPES has adopted the following policies related to keeping time:

  1. Where ever it be, mountain, hill, plain or the valley, and whenever it be, day or night, the declared programme should begin at the decided time.
  2. After beginning the programme at the right time, attempts should be made to conclude it at the designated time. Participant should be pre-informed about how long the programme will last.
  3. The format of the programme should be prepared and endorsed in advance to conclude the programme on time.
  4. The speakers of the programme also should deliver his/her speech within given time. For this, the speaker should be informed about how much time s/he can take.
  5. The person responsible to conduct the programme will have to give a reminder cheat (in written) to the speaker about the time limit.
  6. HURPES has been continuously requesting other organizations to begin their programmes on time.
  7. If the office bearers or members of HURPES have accepted the invitation of other organizations, it becomes their responsibility to reach to those programmes on time.
  8. If the member seems to unable to reach the programme on time because of the time limitation or other responsibilities, they can also pre-inform the organizers and join the programme within the stipulated time.
  9. Representatives of HURPES are not obliged to sit for the programmes of those organizations that start late.
  10. To begin the programme on time, and to show an example of appropriate time management, it needs similar kind of organizational structure, commitment and preparation of the programme, along with proper attention about the choice of speakers and participants.

Thematic Days and other Regular Programmes of HURPES

 

United Nations has declared various thematic days for the promotion of human rights and non-violence. The National Council and central executive committee has decided to observe the following international and national days by organizing relevant events:

 

8 March, International Women’s Day

21 March, International Day for Elimination of Racial Discrimination

11 Baisakh, Loktantra Diwas (Democracy Day-Nepal)

1 May, International Labor Day

3 May, Press Freedom Day

15 Jeth, Republic Day-Nepal

5 June, World Environment Day

26 June, United Nations Day for the Support of Victims of Torture

21 September, International Day of Peace

1 October, International Day of Older persons

2 October, International Day of Non-violence

24 October, United Nations Day

16 November, International Day for Tolerance

20 November, Universal Children’s Day

3 December, International Day of persons with disabilities

5 December, International Volunteers’ Day

9 December, Anti-corruption Day

10 December, International Human Rights Day

HURPES also observes Jeth 19 (its establishment day) organizing various events.

Some other Policies of HURPES

Human Rights and Peace Society (HURPES) is guided by its policies. National Council Meeting is its highest decision making body. Among many policies, some are given below :

Relationship with other human rights organizations

In the context that that building friendly relations with national and international organizations working for human rights and peace is one of the objectives of the Society, this Council Meeting emphasizes to further develop friendly relationship with all organizations working for human rights and peace, and that it shall not make any negative comments about such organizations. In the situation that there is a rising tendency among Nepali civil society organizations to criticize each other’s activities, HURPES takes its position to refrain itself from such tendency.

(Decision No. 20/2055 decided by the first National Council Meeting held in 1998 AD)

About To Whom It May Concern Letter

Because of the Maoist violence, the state of emergency and the suspension of the fundamental rights, different events have proved that there is the rise in cases of human rights violations and abuses. The pains of internally displaced people due to atrocities by Maoists and security forces in beyond description, and no attention is paid by the responsible authorities to this regard. On the other, there are reports that many Nepali have gone to abroad by their own efforts, and especially those who have gone to Western countries, have applied for refugee status by mentioning themselves as victims from government or Maoist side. …………. In this context, the relatives of people who are trying to apply for such status are approaching the offices of human rights organizations in Nepal because they think that such recommendations about them being victims either from security forces or Maoists, might be of some help to obtain the refugee status outside. Human Rights and Peace Society till date has not written any “To who it may concern letter” about who is a victim, and about who is victimized from whom. In this context, this National Council Meeting decides to adopt the following standards:

  1. District branches of HURPES will not write any letters in this regard. If district committees receive any requests to this effect, they will immediately forward it to the central committee.
  2. Generally, central committee shall not write such letters. But if it receives application with convincing reasons and bases, after a complete inquiry of the person and the case, a recommendation letter can be written only by the decision of the central committee, on cases it thinks very necessary. Such decisions will be notified to all district branches through fortnightly mailings.

(Decision No. 6/2059, Decided from the 5th National Council Meeting, 2002 AD)

(Note: Since HURPES inception no letter has been written by the CEC till diate.)