Looking for 'bridge builders'

KATHMANDU, April 20: A “bridge builder” builds and safeguards a bridge that connects Nepal of today to the “nation builders” of tomorrow. With a strong leap of faith, they plunge headlong to build and sustain this bridge between the coming era of nation builders and the fading era of nation destroyers.



Only, through the bridge builder’s efforts, the nation builders can come in to protect your future, our future and Nepal’s future.[break]



You might ask, “Why don’t we just bring the nation builders here right away?” First, let’s identify who the nation builders are.



Nation builders include passionate entrepreneurs, doctors, lawyers, engineers, technocrats, teachers, community activists, policymakers, bureaucrats, scientists, passionate professionals and more..... Most of us could fit into this list. Congratulations if you are one of the passionate ones!



Yet I argue that nation builders cannot lead Nepal toward prosperity right away. Why? Because even though they have the will and the ability to significantly impact our surroundings, they need a relatively conducive environment to start working their magic and to sustain this change.



Nepal of today does not provide us with that environment as yet. This is why we need a group of bridge builders to connect Nepal to the nation builders.



I believe bridge builders are patriots. They help bring about the era of nation builders.



They could be someone just like you, average men and women who decide to rise up to the challenge by sacrificing their short-term benefits for the long-term, i.e. to change the environment so that the nation builders can take over. They could be people with many shortcomings, who decide on a path of moral integrity.



So do you have what it takes to be a bridge builder?



I feel any of us can rise up to the challenge. Inside each of us is a reservoir of energy waiting to burst out and show what we are capable of.







Here are my personal thoughts on what could be some of your roles as a bridge builder. Feel free to build your own list. This is just one guide:



> Lead by example. Become a stronger moral compass for others to follow.





> Be an uncompromising and a tireless campaigner for consensus and an integrator.



> Inspire each Nepali to search for a common “identity” and “a common sense of purpose” in their community.



> A clean personal conscience helps deal with distractions in this patient endeavor.



> Be a bold yet pacifying voice for confused Nepalis.



> Advocate and organize peaceful resistance to violent systems or groups.



> Forsake the traps of self glorification and cheap popularity. Focus only on “bridge-building.” That’s your job, your“karma”.



> Inspire Nepalis around you, onto the path of nation building along the lines of Ahimsa - non-violence, compassion, and moral integrity.



> Bring together a critical mass of bridge-builders. Guide them to safeguard this bridge.



>Organize and collaborate with small teams of nation builders to ready them to take over from the transition.



> Be ready to face the full force of the system you are trying to change. They are addicts that resist change, when you are detoxifying them.



> Finally, have compassion for your enemy even while you seek to completely destroy the system in which the enemy flourishes.



Hopefully you will be one of the critical Nepalis that will build this bridge into a new Nepal. I leave you with a short phrase to contemplate:

“There are a thousand hacking at the branches of evil to one who is striking at the root.”



Ujjawal Thapa blogs at whynepal.com

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