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Jagaran Media Center
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The Jagaran Media Center (JMC) was set up in 2000 by journalists from the Dalit community in Nepal. The organization seeks to eliminate discrimination by providing social justice, peace, and establishing human rights. Ultimately, it is aimed at achieving and equal society and eliminating all forms of racial and caste-based discrimination in Nepal.
Since its establishment, JMC has been active in raising the issues of Dalits locally, nationally, and internatioally. Via numerous programs, JMC creates awareness amongst Dalits and non-Dalits about caste-based discrimination. JMC uses various media to achieve its goals, including reporting and disseminating regular e-bulletins on cases of Dalit abuses.
The JMC Campaign has been launched! Learn more about the Partner Campaign to combat discrimination in Nepal.
In 2000, Dalit journalists established JMC in response to the discrimination that their community has faced throughout history, and which continues to be perpetuated. The Dalit community is the lowest strata in the caste system that existed in South Asia throughout history, and it comprises an estimated 22% of Nepal's population.
Today, members of the Dalit community face discriminatory practices with regards to access to public resources including social, political, religious, and economic institutions. Despite an official repeal of discriminatory laws in 1963, little has been done to improve living conditions for the Dalit community. Almost half of Dalit live below the poverty line, literacy rates are 23% compared to the national average of 54%, and they remain largely unrepresented in the bureaucracy, legislature, and political parties.
Using various forms of journalism, JMC strives to combat caste-based discrimination by empowering talented Dalit journalists, writers, artists, and professionals, and generating local and global awareness of Dalit issues. JMC also organizes campaigns, assemblies, and protests as means for placing pressure on the government as well as Nepali society to address issues of discrimination and social exclusion. (Source: JMC)
For more information on the Dalit, visit AP's Global Issues page concerning Monitoring Caste Discrimination.
- In 2006, Pratik Pande, from the Jagaran Media Center (JMC), told the UN Working Group on Minorities in Geneva that the government of Nepal must ensure proportional representation for Dalit and other minorities in the new democratic Nepal. This was first time that JMC had addressed the UN directly. JMC is also pressing the UN Development Program to use its aid to ensure that Dalit do not face discrimination at water taps in western Nepal.
- JMC is lobbying to get more Dalit journalists onto regional newspapers, which are highly influential in Nepal. JMC developed a journalist orientation training to create a favourable environment for Dalits to establish themselves in the mainstream media. JMC also organizes ‘Meet the Press’ programs where journalists from different publications and different areas are invited to discuss about Dalit related topics.
- JMC runs a radio program named Katwal Radio Patrika, a program based on contemporary Dalit and social issues. The goal of the Katwal radio program is to create awareness amongst Dalit and non-Dalit people about basic human rights.
- JMC publishes a feature service, called 'Jagaran Lekhmala' (Jagaran Article Series). By publishing this feature service, JMC seeks to address the lack of investigative and resourceful articles, news items, columns etc. in mainstream media.
- JMC organizes discussion programs named Face to Face which are run regularly in cooperation with the intellectuals in Nepal, including journalists, in order to focus attention on the laws, rules and regulations of the state and their current impact on the activities of the civil society towards Dalits. Other topics include the all around development as well as the social discrimination faced by the Dalits.
- JMC is producing a 25-episode TV series, Dalan, about three generations of a Dalit family in order to increase awareness about Dalit discrimination and promote social change.
- Press Releases
JMC puts out an e-bulletin, which is archived on their website. Visit AP's resources section to view the contents of each e-bulletin with links to the full stories on JMC's website.
- Reports
JMC publishes reports about their various training and workshop events.
- Blogs
In 2008, AP sent Peace Fellows Heather Gilberds and Jes Therkelsen to work with JMC. Read Heather's blog and Jes's blog.
In 2007, AP sent Peace Fellows Ted Samuel and Devin Greenleaf to work with JMC. Read Ted's blog and Devin's blog.
In 2006, AP sent Peace Fellows Nicole Cordeau and Stacy Spivey to work with JMC. Read Nicole's blog and Stacy's blog.
In 2004, Iain Guest visited Nepal and reported on caste discrimination.
- Photographs
JMC's website hosts several of the organization's pictures in their photo gallery
- Advocacy Project News Bulletins: AP has published bulletins about JMC through the news service, AdvocacyNet.
Outreach Partners
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For more information about networking with JMC, please email them.
- Website
AP Peace Fellow, Devin Greenleaf, has helped JMC build a slideshow featuring their journalists who contribute to the organization's e-bulletin.
- Connectivity
You can subscribe to JMC's e-bulletin by visiting this website.
- International Agencies: Responding to allegations raised by Dalit advocates including JMC, the UN Development Program (UNDP) adopted more stringent safeguards to ensure that lower-caste Dalits are not forced to drink from separate water taps in villages. (Dalit Advocacy in Nepal Spurs the UN to Investigate Discrimination at the Water Pump)
- Representation: JMC has won the tentative agreement with the powerful Federation of Nepali Journalists to admit more Dalit journalists.
- Reparations: Suvash Darnal, head of the JMC, trekked into the jungle to meet with a Maoist leader after 50 Dalit families were displaced by Maoists cadres from their homes. The Maoists agreed to punish those responsible and give each displaced family 12,000 rupees ($170). The JMC achievement was widely reported in the local and international press.
Contact:
Buddha Nagar,
Post Box No.19619
Kathmandu, Nepal
Phone: +977-1-4780005
Email JMC