French Embassy celebrates French food
The French Embassy in Kathmandu is holding the fourth edition of ‘Goût de France /Good France’. Goût de France/Good France is a unique global event held across five continents in over 150 countries, involving French embassies and chefs from around the world. It unites all of them on March 21 with one common objective: to celebrate French gastronomy with local products and talents. The fourth year of Goût de France /Good France will see some 3,000 participating restaurants worldwide.
“There is a traditional link between diplomacy and gastronomy,” says His Excellency Yves Carmona, the French Ambassador to Nepal. “There was a cuisine ‘à La Française’ already in the 14th century, well before there were permanent Embassies [16th century]”.
He said the event was not about diplomacy but business. France decided to promote its attractiveness to add to the already healthy tourist arrival rate in the country (89 million in 2017). Gastronomy has helped them in this regard. The ‘Gastronomic meal of the French’ has been declared as ‘Intangible Heritage’ by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
The event is growing popular in Nepal and is running in its third consecutive year in Kathmandu. Eight restaurants and school are taking part in this year’s prestigious event. On March 21 they will serve special French cuisine.
“Although the origin of the event is French, it can be considered a very Nepali event since almost all restaurants and schools are run by Nepalis,” says Carmona.
The restaurants and schools that are participating this year are
- The Old House Pvt. Ltd, Durbarmarg, Kathmandu
- Garden Terrace (Soaltee Crowne Plaza)
- La terrace (Global Academy of Tourism and Hospitality Education)
- Rox Restaurant (Hyatt Regency Kathmandu)
- The Chimney Fine Dining (Hotel Yak and Yeti)
- Silver Mountain School of Hotel Management
- Olive Garden (Radisson Hotel)
- Pauline’s Garden, Baluwatar, Kathmandu
Musicians raise suicide awareness
The Mental Health Promotion and Suicide Prevention Center (MHPSP) has been working to raise mental health awareness among students and teachers. According to MHPSP, 13 to 14 people commit suicide every day in Nepal. With many people lacking access to psychiatric care, MHPSP is looking to establish a toll-free suicide helpline by collaborating with the Ministry of Health.
As part of an awareness raising program, musicians came together with the MHPSP in a fundraising event held in Tangalwood on March 3. Among the performers were Mental Radio, a band started with the express intent of raising awareness on mental health. The Elements, Joint Family International, 1974 AD, and a contemporary singer-songwriter from Iceland, Högni Egilsson, also performed.
Joint Family International had the crowd dancing to reggae beats but when the final band came on stage the audience really came to life. 1974 AD did not disappoint and gave a wonderful performance.
For more information about MHPSPC, contact the organization on 01-4411264.
Rights, justice and peace the focus of film festival
The sixth edition of the Nepal Human Rights International Film Festival 2018 (NHRIFF) kicked off on March 7 on the premises of Nepal Tourism Board (NTB). Organized by Human Rights Film Center (HRFC), NHRIFF will be held till March 10, and will showcase more than 70 films from across the world, 20 of which will be based in Nepal. The films will be followed by discussion with the filmmakers.
The film festival started eight years ago, and Kathmandu has hosted five of them. The theme this year is ‘Women Empowerment’. “December 10 marks the 70th anniversary of the UN Universal Declaration on Human Rights,” said Renaud Meyer, UNDP country director for Nepal. “This film festival is the beginning of the celebrations which will be held throughout the year to mark the anniversary,” he added. UNDP has been associated with NHRIFF for the past two years. Also, this year, the organizers plan to take the festival to other provinces.
The center believes films are the most influential tool to advance human rights, justice and peace. Films offer an effortless way to reach people. They appeal to the emotion of the audience, say the organizers, and can spur marginalized people into action.
“I still recollect a movie I watched 65 years ago but can barely recall a book I read recently,” said Anup Raj Sharma, the NHRC chairman, who was also the chief guest at the inauguration program. “The visuals leaves a lasting mark on people’s minds,” he added.
The film festival provides a stage for filmmakers and rights activists to come together and exchange ideas. It also helps put Nepal on the radar of the international community.
Moreover, the festival, according the film center, offers an occasion for Nepali filmmakers learn about the work of internationals filmmakers. At the festival, the best and the second-best films will bag a cash prize of Rs 50,000 while the third-best film will get Rs 40,000. The judges will be Tsering Rhitar Sherpa (Nepal), Andrea Morghen (Italy), Zohreh Zamani (Iran), Noriko Yuasa ( Japan) and Angeli Bayani (Philippines).
A dying community in the mountains
Today, the Tamang people live mostly along the Nepal-Tibetan border. They still suffer from a legacy of decades of marginalization from Kathmandu. To make matters worse, the Tamang people of Langtang Valley were among the hardest hit by the April 2015 earthquake. Apart from losing many loved ones, the Tamang people of Langtang Valley do not even have proper homes to live in. Life is made more difficult due to inadequate access to healthcare, work, technology and schools. The young ones are moving to Kathmandu for work, leaving an aged population behind. The Tamangs of Langtang are truly a dying breed.
In late February, I set out with my colleague, Victoria Garcia, to the town of Mundu in Langtang Valley to talk to the Tamang people to better understand their hardships.
When we got there, we realized that the biggest problem was not any one of the issues previously mentioned, but rather what all these issues together produced: a loss of hope.
As we came to understand their issues and culture better, we thought of some action that can be taken to revive their lives again. First, we must reinforce these modern buildings with their traditional architecture, and in return, contribute to preserving the Tamang culture. We must also teach them the skills necessary to build back their communities and find gainful employment.
Further, we must encourage the younger generation to return from Kathmandu to help, as the elders of villages like Mundu cannot do this alone. Moreover, one major aspect of rebuilding the resilience of this area and culture is the development of tourism. Before the earthquake, Langtang Valley was considered Nepal’s third main trekking site; now the industry is suffering in this area. Proper shelters must be built to house trekkers and awareness raised to revitalize this area and open it back to Nepal and to the world.
The Tamangs are as much a part of Nepal as any other people. They have a shared history and have contributed to the identity of Nepal as we know it. Nepal needs them as much as they need Nepal. The preservation of Tamang culture can begin with Mundu’s revitalization.
by Sudin KC
