SupportGovernance & Political Process

Space for Nepal political history timeline illustration

Governance

Governance & Political Process

Supporting Gen Z in Building New Models of Democracy

Why Governance Matters Now

Interactive timeline: Nepal's political history

Rana Oligarchy → Panchayat → Democracy Movements → Federal Republic

Historical Context

Rana Oligarchy (1846–1951)

Centralized rule, exclusion of citizens from governance

Panchayat System (1960–1990)

No-party autocracy under the King; dissent crushed

Democratic Movements (1990, 2006)

Fought for multi-party democracy and people's sovereignty

Federal Republic (post-2008)

Promised inclusion, but plagued by corruption and elite capture

Principles of Support

Translate, don't dictate

Help Gen Z understand constitutions, laws, and parliamentary procedures

Guardrails, not reins

Provide knowledge of pitfalls without controlling outcomes

Connect, not control

Bridge Gen Z with experts and institutions

Governance Models

Centralized Democracy

Current style in Nepal - easier coordination but risk of elite capture

Example: India's parliamentary model

Pros:

Stability, quick crisis response

Cons:

Elite dominance, exclusion of rural voices

Decentralized Democracy

Local councils with real power - decisions reflect community needs

Example: Porto Alegre's Participatory Budgeting

Pros:

Local empowerment, stronger trust

Cons:

Risk of fragmentation, local elite capture

Deliberative Democracy

Citizens participate in randomly selected assemblies for key issues

Example: Ireland's Citizens' Assembly

Pros:

Inclusive deliberation, counter elite dominance

Cons:

Slower consensus-building

Digital Democracy

Online platforms for petitions, policy suggestions, and voting

Example: Taiwan's vTaiwan platform

Pros:

Real-time feedback, rural inclusion

Cons:

Digital divide, security concerns

How Society Can Participate

Diagram: Citizen participation pathways

Local Assemblies → Open Budgeting → Youth Quotas → Multilingual Access

Local Assemblies

Village/town halls where communities deliberate and forward recommendations

Open Budgeting

Citizens view and influence fund allocation for schools, healthcare, infrastructure

Youth Quotas

Guarantee seats for under-30 representatives in local and national bodies

Multilingual Access

Policies in Nepali + regional languages (Maithili, Bhojpuri, Tamang, etc.)

Transparency Portals

Real-time dashboards showing decisions, laws under debate, and progress

Modern Ideas & Technology

Modern Thought Processes

Intersectionality

Policies must address how caste, gender, and region intersect with inequality

Feminist Governance

Prioritize care, equity, and shared leadership

Climate Justice Lens

Governance must anticipate climate risks and embed resilience

Technology Tools

E-Governance Platforms

Digital grievance filing, case tracking, and project monitoring

Blockchain Transparency

Immutable records for budgets and tenders to prevent corruption

AI for Inclusivity

Policy translation across languages and sentiment analysis

Diagram: Technology integration in governance

E-Gov → Blockchain → AI → Digital Identity

Global Inspirations for Gen Z

Estonia

Digital-first state with online voting and transparent governance

Iceland

Crowdsourced constitution involving thousands of citizens

Kenya

Bold decentralization with strong county powers

Switzerland

Direct democracy with frequent binding referendums

Interactive world map: Democratic innovations

Estonia • Iceland • Kenya • Switzerland

Concrete Ways Millennials Can Help

Capacity Building

Train Gen Z leaders on constitution-writing, law-making, and policy drafting

Documentation

Create open-source guides on governance alternatives in Nepali and English

Simulations

Host mock parliaments, citizen assemblies, or participatory budgeting sessions

Technology Setup

Build secure online portals for debates, votes, and transparency dashboards

Bridge with Experts

Connect Gen Z leaders with lawyers, policy thinkers, and global democratic innovators

Protect from Co-option

Watch for elites or external actors trying to hijack the movement's democratic vision

"Nepal's history shows that democracy without participation collapses into elite rule. Gen Z now has the chance to rewrite governance in a way that is inclusive, transparent, and resilient."
Illustration: Democracy participation cycle

Millennials offer the tools, Gen Z holds the pen

Our role is clear: we provide the global context and hard-learned lessons — while Gen Z holds the chair and the microphone.