The Catalyst

The Catalyst is an initiative promoting leadership among young Nepali to encourage them to contribute to Nepal’s development.

Through this initiative we seek to develop young people’s potential as catalysts of change in Nepal and provide them with guidance and mentoring to strengthen their leadership, critical thinking, analytical and writing skills.

As part of our blog and Facebook page:

  • We feature inspiring stories of young social changemakers in Nepal, who are leading the way in their respective fields.
  • We also publish blogs written by young people on different aspects of Nepal's development.
  • We provide tips on leadership and information on leadership opportunities

Check out our past blogs below as well as our publication 'SOCIAL CHANGEMAKERS IN NEPAL, STORIES OF YOUNG PEOPLE TRYING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE '.



CONTRIBUTE SUBSCRIBE
Turning “Shocking Life” Into “Rocking Life”- The Story of Sristi KC, Founder, Blind Rocks!, SOCIAL CHANGEMAKERS BLOG ISSUE NO. 15July 18, 2018 Bikas Udhyami (Mahima Poudel)
I think it is really important that able-bodied people interact with people with disability as much as possible. Only then this barrier of the idea that people with disability are different will break. The more you interact, the more you work together, the more you understand. Read More
HIV Infected Children Need Empathy Not Sympathy –Rajkumar Pun, SOCIAL CHANGEMAKERS BLOG ISSUE NO. 14July 12, 2018 Bikas Udhyami (Lokmani Subedi)
The change should come from within. It is very hard for me to answer but people should adapt themselves to humanity. They should be welcoming to everyone. Why we should not discriminate against them is also because they have no fault in carrying this virus. Read More
Turning Weakness into Strength- A Story of Pradeep Ghimire and Debate Network Nepal, SOCIAL CHANGEMAKERS BLOG ISSUE NO. 13July 10, 2018 Bikas Udhyami (Anupama Adhikari)
If you believe in the existence of absolute truth in terms of religion, culture, politics, and more, I just want to say that your belief doesn’t necessarily have to have just one-sided. There are always multiple sides to any story and every point of view has its flaws. Read More
The Man Behind the Murals - Laxman Shrestha, Wall Painter, SOCIAL CHANGEMAKERS BLOG ISSUE NO. 12June 19, 2018 Bikas Udhyami (Anupama Adhikari)
My paintings portray the chaotic and indifferent situation that we are living in. I don’t have an accurate or a fixed goal to explain. But, I try to make sure that my painting has something to make pedestrians and locals ponder for a while and have their own perception and story for the painting. So… Read More
The Joy of Helping Others Has A Different Level of Satisfaction - Ayusha Jonchhen, Social Worker, Social Changemakers Blog Issue No. 11June 5, 2018 Bikas Udhyami (Anupama Adhikari)
When you start something, you start with great energy, interest, motivation, and excitement. But over time you lose interest and motivation because things always don’t go as we expected. Sometimes our own ego about achievements obstructs further progress. Read More
Children Should Be Our Priority – Kedar Shrestha, Children Literature Activist, Social Changemakers Blog Issue No. 10June 4, 2018 Bikas Udhyami (Lokmani Subedi)
Drama can teach them good behavior and help them in their personal development. It includes reading, writing, playing, dancing, music, and painting altogether. It teaches them to have patience while following their passion Read More
Courage has No Gender - Meghna Lama, Third Gender Model, Businesswoman, SOCIAL CHANGEMAKERS BLOG ISSUE NO. 9May 28, 2018 Bikas Udhyami (Anupama Adhikari)
In order to make yourself visible in the society and to make yourself count you need to be economically independent. And to people who still don’t know about us and may discriminate knowingly or unknowingly, I want to say is we are also like you, born from parents like yours. Read More
People’s Trust on Me Keeps Me Going – Sarita Gurung, Social Worker, SOCIAL CHANGEMAKERS BLOG ISSUE NO.8May 18, 2018 Bikas Udhyami (Anupama Adhikari)
People love to donate as much as they can whatever amount they are earning. We are happy and proud to be a mediator to transfer their giving hands into assistant materials and reach to the people who need that desperately. When we post on Facebook asking people for the donation, their response is so… Read More
SOCIAL CHANGEMAKERS BLOG ISSUE NO.7: GOPAL SHIVAKOTI, DOCUMENTARY MAKER: Documentary making requires you to follow your passion and startMay 1, 2018 Bikas Udhyami (Jyoti Vaidhya)
A documentary makes any issue eternal and serves as a vital tool to both educate and inspire. If done well, documentaries have the power to transform, move and change the world. Read More
SOCIAL CHANGEMAKERS BLOG ISSUE NO.6: Sabita Acharya, Program Producer, Saathi Sanga Manka Kura: Giving Voice to Nepal's YouthFebruary 2, 2018 Bikas Udhyami (Aditi Rai)
The recent problem that most of the youth and adolescents are facing is harassment/ abuse. These days, most families are busy. Working parents cannot give much time to their children, so children spend more time with friends/ peer group. Read More
SOCIAL CHANGEMAKERS BLOG ISSUE No. 5: Rajan Lamsal, CEO, Living with ICT- FROM NEWSPAPER PAGE TO IT MAGAZINEJanuary 9, 2018 Bikas Udhyami (Lokmani Subedi)
I agree that due to the advancement of technology, media are being digitized. The online market has grown, but despite that print media has value in the market. It is maybe hard for the daily newspapers, because of the short-term value of hard news but magazines are different. They are more focused… Read More
SOCIAL CHANGEMAKERS BLOG SERIES ISSUE NO.4: BASANTA ADHIKARI, SOCIAL ACTIVIST, BIRATNAGAR- YOUTHS SHOULD READ POLITICAL ECONOMYDecember 18, 2017 Bikas Udhyami (Lokmani Subedi)
Either positive or negative, change is always a continuous process. We can’t stop its way. There are various factors influencing this. We should try to let positive factors influence and try to reduce the effects of the negative factors. Absolute positive change never happens. Read More
SOCIAL CHANGEMAKERS BLOG SERIES ISSUE No.3: Sulakshyan Bharati, Theater Activist, Mandala Theatre- Dramatists Should be Attentive Towards Social IssuesOctober 6, 2017 Bikas Udhyami (Lokmani Subedi)
Let me tell you one thing, each and every story we choose comes from society. I try to give a perception on a social issue, so that people can interact and find themselves the path towards social change. I love to question everything, so my plays are all about questioning social structures. Read More
SOCIAL CHANGEMAKERS BLOG SERIES ISSUE No. 2: Beshraj Neupane, Library Activist-It is Your Mind That Matters the MostSeptember 21, 2017 Bikas Udhyami (Lokmani Subedi)
The only thing I want to say to young people is that in the current world it is your mind that matters the most. If you cannot be a Mahout, your life elephant goes out of control. Read More
SOCIAL CHANGEMAKERS BLOG SERIES ISSUE NO 1: Saroj Karki, Founder Youth For Blood- Be the changemaker, not the trouble makerSeptember 11, 2017 Bikas Udhyami (Lokmani Subedi)
I think by leaving everything for social activism, I set a wrong example and I felt that nobody should do the same. So, we encouraged our volunteers to see first look after themselves, their families, study and then only the social work. I think that is the right model we should adopt. If social… Read More
Strangers Become Friends Through Travelling - Suyesha SthapitDecember 27, 2017 Bikas Udhyami (Simon Paudel)
There’s research that shows many people who burn out at work, actually have unused vacation time. This means they are not giving enough attention to self-care. I am so afraid I might become part of that statistic that I carve out time to relax. And relaxing for me means traveling (among other… Read More
A teacher has doubt when students do not ask questions - Maheshwar GiriOctober 27, 2017 Bikas Udhyami (Jyoti Vaidya)
To make its citizens well aware of what is happening and why, good education is needed. This is the area where teaching can contribute. Teaching can motivate students to be aware of and play better role in the development aspect. Read More
In Writing, Quality of the Content Matters: Suraj SubediNovember 3, 2017 Bikas Udhyami (Makina Nyachhyon)
Thus it is hard to create a noticeable work. People are reading many things, so they expect something new every time. The growing readership has brought a necessity for writers to show the originality of thought in every writing. Read More
Life Among Red Bricks Through A Black & White LensJuly 31, 2017 Arjun Bhusal
Bricks were popular in our country even before Lord Buddha. Many historical or ancient palaces like temples were made of bricks. Old Nepalese temples and other constructions are the testimonials of a long history of brick production and its use. Apart from their historical significance, bricks have… Read More
INTERVIEW WITH ANIL REGMI, CO-FOUNDER OF ‘SMART KRISHI’: A MOBILE APP SUPPORTING FARMERS ACROSS NEPAL WITH INFORMATIONMarch 20, 2017 Bikesh Maharjan
We sat down with Anil Regmi, the 25 year old Nepali person behind ‘Smart Krishi’, a mobile app for android helping many farmers to get the information about types of soil, improvised seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, weather forecast, modern farming processes etc. Read More
Gender Equality Through Different EyesJune 24, 2017 Roman Prajapati
Gender equality traditionally has always been understood and still is in the minds of many about women. However, gender equality is not about women only. What do men perceive to be the state of gender equality in Nepal? How is the new generation of young men thinking about gender equality? How are… Read More
Such a Waste: Moving to a Culture of Less Garbage and More RecyclingFebruary 16, 2017 Krishma Poudel
“Waste”- What is the first image that came to your mind when you saw the word? A pile of huge unwanted plastics, cans, bottles, remains of vegetables, etc., which have a nasty smell? How many of you know that the place of empty cans, packets of noodles, junk, wrappers, or paper is in the green or… Read More
Changing Our Education System, Changing NepalJanuary 23, 2017 Apekshya Pal
“Education is the most powerful tool which can be used to change the world.” – Nelson Mandela. Nepal has made significant progress over the last couple of decades when it comes to increasing access to education. As a country with one of the youngest education systems in the world, Nepal, when it… Read More
The Journey To Go To School: Ending Corporal PunishmentJanuary 6, 2017 Sushant Rijal
In Nepal, going to school especially for many children living in rural areas is not easy. As a former teacher of Maths in a public school in a rural Lalitpur village, I have seen the long journey many students make every day to get to school, often having to walk for several hours while carrying… Read More
Finding a Job: Practical AdviceNovember 28, 2016 Tara Bohara
Youth unemployment is an exacerbating problem in Nepal. Nepal’s population is young with one third of all people in the age group of 15-29 years. According to ILO research, each year more than 300,000 young Nepali enter the job market and only 5% of them succeed in finding work. University graduates… Read More
Social Norms Continue to Affect Women’s Labor Force ParticipationNovember 28, 2016 Sagma Maharjhan
When I was in school, one day, my teacher asked all of us in the class about the “Aim of our life”. I want to become a nurse and replied the same to my teacher, and my other female friends stated other professions mostly from the service industry; a teacher, an NGO worker, and a banker. Most of the… Read More
Youth Unemployment: Nepal's Unfulfilled PotentialNovember 28, 2016 Neeti Pradhan
Young people are the future of any country, but in Nepal their potential remains largely unfulfilled as result of unemployment. A total of 40.3 percent of Nepal’s population of 28 million falls within the age category of 15-40 years based on the definition of youth of the National Youth Policy… Read More

-- MODAL CONTENT --

blogging for the catalyst

Thank you for your interest to blog with us!

Before we jump-start, let’s make sure you meet our basic eligibility criteria:

  • You are between 18-35 years old
  • You are passionate about writing
  • You are eager to contribute to the development discourse in Nepal
  • You are able to write in English

Yes? Great, here is how THE CATALYST works:

  1. Select one of the four themes and come up with your own sub-theme and a specific topic. We love unexpected topics and fresh opinions, so the more authentic and creative you are – the better! Our themes are:

Social Innovation in Nepal

Politics in Nepal

Young Nepal

Entrepreneurship

  1. Select your blog style. We accept:
  • Regular blogs (700-900 words in English)
  • PhotoBlogs (Template)
  • Interview Proposals (Template)
  1. Refer to Writer’s Guidelines for information on structure, style and other tips.
  2. Send your blog, photoblog or an interview proposal together with Personal Information Form to catalyst@bikasudhyami.com by the 10th of every month.
  3. If you have questions email or call us at 01-5261093 in advance.
  4. If your article is selected, our editorial team will help you edit and provide mentorship and advice on writing.
  5. FInally we will publish your blog online at www.bikasudhyami.com and www.facebook.com/thecatalystblog

DEADLINE: the 10th of every month!

WHAT DO WE LOOK FOR WHEN WE SELECT BLOGS FOR THE CATALYST?

  • Strong voice of the writer
  • Originality of ideas and critical viewpoints
  • Well-researched analysis and personal stories
  • Structured, clear and convincing articles
  • Multimedia that adds new information or perspective
  • Enthusiastic young people willing to collaborate

RESOURCES

Click on the resources below for guidance and templates:

Writer’s Guidelines

Personal Information Form

PhotoBlog Instructions & Template

Interview Proposal Template