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A Voice For the Voiceless

The Advocacy Project helps marginalized communities to tell their story, claim their rights and produce social change. We recruit graduate students to volunteer as Peace Fellows with partners.

The Impact of Service "Speaking with locals and living in a country is the best way to learn about the real lives of citizens, not just the stories in the mainstream media. I will be more critical of what I read as a result of this experience. I also feel even more grateful for my education, and I feel a stronger responsibility to assist others who do not have resources or access to opportunities in their communities." Maria Skouras (New York University) volunteered in 2011 as a Peace Fellow for eHomemakers in Malaysia. For more 2011 feedback click here.

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Partner Campaigns > Dalit Rights in N... > Challenge > Gandharbas

Gandharbas

“We played music for the Gods. Now our art is dying”

Most visitors to Nepal meet the Gandharbas through their street music in the Tamel sector of Kathmandu. The Gandharbas are a tiny but impoverished sub-caste with a rich and long musical tradition that goes back centuries. Today, they are struggling to preserve their culture by making and selling instruments to tourists, by begging, and in public performances. Several Gandharbas have formed the Gandharba Culture and Arts Organization (GCAO), to represent this marginalized group. During his 2007 fellowship in Nepal, Ted Samuel took time to understand the cultural tradition of the Gandharbas and helped GCAO member Ganesh Gandhari, to draft the following statement on the plight of the Gandharbas. It was published in the JMC bulletin. Ted also produced a video on the ghandaba musicans, available below.

“We, the Gandharbas, are said to be the people who played music with the gods. For centuries we mastered the art of creating, crafting, and playing musical instruments which have become integral to Nepali culture. Our musical tradition is nothing less than our passion, livelihood, and identity as a community.

“Despite our rich history and traditions, the current situation of Gandharbas is not good. As Dalits, our rights have been curtailed and there are no opportunities for our people. And as modern entertainment technology continues to advance, society increasingly ignores the beauty of our live performances. Some of the most talented musicians from our community are reduced singing in the streets in order to make enough money to survive.

Listen to Gandharba music!

“Gandharbas cover only 0.03% of the whole population of Nepal. With our small numbers, the government has found it very easy to ignore us as a community. We lack educational and job opportunities. Consider the literacy rate among Gandharbas. Only 31.12% of our caste can read and write and, within the context of this discussion, a mere 18.1% of the female Gandharba population is literate. It is yet to be seen how we can advance as a community if we cannot even educate our own children.

“And now we face an even larger crisis. Our art form is slowly dying. Many talented Gandharbas are realizing that playing music and singing is not going to sustain them or their families. In village areas, our musicians can only rely on a bit of leftover rice and perhaps some alcohol as payment for their performances. Within the cities, our fates depend on the strength of the tourist season. This has driven many young Gandharbas to pack up their instruments forever and take on menial and often dangerous jobs in Nepal, India, and the Middle East.

“As we await the upcoming elections, and hear the slogans of a New Nepal, I wonder if the situation for the Gandharba people will change. Hopefully, we will gain the recognition that we deserve as a gifted musical community, and hopefully that will happen within my lifetime."

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