Educating Dalit Lawyers Program Fall 2024 Update

Educating Dalit Lawyers Program Fall 2024 Update

The Nepal Youth Foundation is thrilled to share the latest developments in our Educating Dalit Lawyers (EDL) scholarship program. This transformative initiative is supporting 31 aspiring lawyers from Nepal’s Dalit community as they pursue legal education and work to break barriers of caste-based discrimination.

Since our last update in Spring 2024, the EDL program has continued to grow. Students are excelling both academically and in extracurricular activities. Many are now focusing on specialized areas such as child rights, women’s rights, and policy development. These are fields that urgently need Dalit representation.

Read on to learn more about the incredible strides being made by these determined future leaders!

*Please note that our team has received permission from each of these students to use their real names in updates moving forward.

Program Highlights

This fall, the EDL program reached significant milestones. This included the Mentorship Initiative, where students get paired with mentors working in legal professions. All second-cohort students were paired with their respective mentors, who will offer practical advice, constructive feedback, and emotional support to guide the students in their legal journeys.

Student Achievements:

  • Sarita Mijar participated in a Moot Court Training Session, focusing on International Criminal and Commercial Law, where she honed her skills in research, advocacy, and parliamentary procedures.
  • Amrita Darji, a 5th-semester student, attended a Law, Politics, and Justice conference, exploring the interplay between legal frameworks and social justice.
  • Pradip Nepali engaged in a Mock Parliament Simulation, developing his legal research and argumentation skills through immersive practice.

Leadership and Advocacy:

On July 27th, 2024, Dalit law students in the Kathmandu Valley formally established the Dalit Law Students’ Society, a groundbreaking initiative providing support and resources to Dalit students pursuing legal education. Nine of the 14 founding members are NYF’s very own EDL scholarship recipients, highlighting the profound impact of the program. EDL superstar Shishir Bishwakarma was elected as president, Rudra Bahadur Sarki as secretary, and Tara Bishwakarma as joint secretary!

This society, supported by Dignity Initiative, aims to:

  • Coordinate caste-related fieldwork and human rights programs.
  • Facilitate leadership training and networking opportunities.
  • Build a fraternity-style network to assist final-semester students with internships and career placements.

As a result, by organizing this society, our EDL students are paying forward the generosity they’ve received, creating pathways for future Dalit law students to succeed and advocate against caste-based oppression.

Additionally, EDL students eagerly participated in the global event, “Breaking the Caste Bars: Sustainable Development Goals Framework for Justice and Inclusion of Dalits.” This high-level virtual discussion featured speakers from Nepal’s government and a global network of civil society organizations addressing caste-related issues.

In short, the program explored the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) from a Dalit perspective, highlighting how caste influences a wide range of international challenges. It also provided opportunities for students to build global connections.

Spotlighting Excellence:

Ghanashyam received nationwide recognition as a “Glocal Teen Hero,”

Ghanashyam Bishwakarma, 19, received the prestigious Glocal Teen Hero award for his advocacy efforts. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Ghanashyam used radio broadcasts to share safety information with remote communities. Since his tween years, he has shown remarkable leadership, in issues including child protection, climate justice, and ending child marriage.

Shishir Bishwakarma (front row, far left, in sunglasses) and the Youth Sounding Board.

Shishir Bishwakarma, a third-semester EDL scholar and president of the Dalit Law Students’ Society, was elected to Nepal’s Youth Sounding Board, an EU initiative amplifying youth voices in global policy. From August 2024 to September 2025, he’ll work with 30 young leaders to advise the EU office in Nepal on youth-focused programming.

Looking Ahead

Your support is enabling Dalit students to thrive in Nepal’s competitive law programs and to advocate for justice and equality. As they advance in their studies, these students are emerging as advocates for child rights, women’s rights, and policy development. Their work is driving efforts to dismantle caste-based oppression at systemic levels.

Dhanyabad!

Thank you for standing with us and these courageous students as we create pathways to justice and empowerment. We look forward to sharing more updates in Spring 2025!

NYF Launches Phase I of Caste Equality Project: Educating Dalit Lawyers

NYF Launches Phase I of Caste Equality Project: Educating Dalit Lawyers

We are so thrilled to officially announce the launch of Educating Dalit Lawyers (EDL), the first phase of NYF’s Caste Equality Project! Educating Dalit Lawyers is an enriched law school scholarship for graduating Dalit high schoolers aiming to become human rights lawyers.

In partnership with Dignity Initiative, a Dalit-led NGO based in Kathmandu, NYF will provide incoming law school students with full-ride scholarships through five years of law school at some of Nepal’s best colleges. We’re also excited to provide accommodation and food stipends; extracurricular, mentorship, and leadership opportunities; and internship placement support.

As of now, we have received over 100 applications from hopeful students from all seven of Nepal’s provinces. Applicants come from a strong mix of male and female candidates, with individuals coming from a wide variety of Dalit subcastes.

Our team will select 20 students who will come to Kathmandu to prepare to take Nepal’s rigorous law school entrance exam. The top 15 students will receive the full scholarship.


Your Support

Join us in launching NYF’s most daring program yet! NYF is currently raising funds in support of Educating Dalit Lawyers. One year of support for each student in this program costs approximately $4,000. To support these determined students, please donate now.


Timeline

July 2022 – Testing Prep
20 promising students are selected from applicants from all over Nepal and brought to Kathmandu to attend prep classes for the competitive law school entrance test. All expenses are paid.

Aug. 2022 – Law School Entrance Exams

Sept. 2022 – Selection & Mentorship
The top 15 students are selected for the full 5-year scholarship. As they receive acceptance notification from law schools, NYF facilitates housing, enrollment, and other logistical matters. Courses begin. Each student is matched with a human rights lawyer mentor.

Winter 2022 – First Semester!
As classes get underway, NYF works with Dignity Initiative to organize special program features like advocacy trainings, leadership activities, workshops, celebrations, and more. These activities dovetail with law school, enhancing it without interrupting it.

Spring 2023 – A New Start
NYF releases the 2nd year’s call for applications across the country, committing to select an additional 15 law school students.

Summer 2023 – First Annual Dalit Law School Student Conference
NYF, Dignity Initiative, and our scholarship recipients hold a networking conference for Dalit law school students across Kathmandu, creating an opportunity to make connections, present learnings, share personal stories, and more while practicing skills like public speaking.

2027 – Graduation & the Bar Exam
NYF’s first group of 15 lawyers completes their final year of law school. Each graduate is matched with a paying internship opportunity at a local law firm, allowing them to gain experience while preparing for Nepal’s Bar Exam. NYF also provides community-based legal awareness workshops, including fieldwork in Dalit communities experiencing significant hardship. NYF funds all expenses associated with preparing for and taking the Bar Exam at the end of this period.

Spring 2028 – First Graduates Now Practicing Law!

Questions about this project?