11 April 2008
Nepali Actors Set Scene for Upcoming Elections
Theater group entertains and informs about vote for Constituent Assembly
The following article was produced and originally published by IFES (formerly the International Foundation for Election Systems). Additional information on elections around the world is available on http://www.ifes.org/home.html.
Kathmandu, Nepal – Men climbed trees and a woman peered between the legs of audience members to get a glimpse of the drama unfolding in Kathmandu’s Ratna Park. More than 1,000 Nepalis came to watch the Aarohan theater group entertain and inform citizens about the Constituent Assembly election scheduled for April 10.
Drumming, dancing and more than a few good jokes held the crowd’s attention as the actors explained election-day procedures and the importance of voting. The performance was the first of 1,500 street dramas supported by IFES that are expected to take place throughout Nepal in the lead up to the election.
In collaboration with Nepal’s Election Commission, IFES is supporting Aarohan, Sarwanam and Kushum theater groups as they perform in all of Nepal’s 75 districts. The commission, IFES and the theater groups developed the script and held a weeklong training for district-level theater partners who will deliver performances in 15 languages.
IFES Chief of Party Peter Erben said street theater is an effective way to reach citizens that may not have easy access to television or print media.
“Performing street drama to audiences in remote and rural locations is one of the most effective voter awareness methods, and one that is particularly suited to the rich and culturally-diverse context of Nepal,” he said.
After performing, the actors discuss with audience members about electoral issues and distribute voter education brochures produced by the Election Commission. The theater performances are funded by the U.S. State Department and are part of IFES’ program to strengthen the electoral process in Nepal.
The April election will select 601 members to form a special Constituent Assembly, which will rewrite Nepal's constitution and decide whether to replace the world’s last Hindu monarchy with a different political system. The election is an important part of Nepal’s peace process, which in 2006 saw communist rebels give up a decade-long armed revolution.
IFES expects the civic education dramas will directly reach at least 450,000 voters, with several millions more hearing the information secondhand from friends, family and the media.
Audiences throughout Nepal are already giving the performances rave reviews. People in the Terai district of Kailali asked the actors for an encore performance, and other communities have postponed cricket matches in favor of hosting the actors. Performances are scheduled to run through April 5.
