Unlikely Twitter encounter that led to creating awareness on discrimination in Nepal
Jan 21, 2015
Story
Last Sunday I shared a story on my first earthquake experience . In my story I talked about how after the earthquake I logged onto twitter to get updates on the extent of the earthquake and what to do in-case of the earthquake.
In the process of following different hash-tags on the earthquake. I connected with a journalist Dinesh from Ekantipur.com. He had tweeted about his experience. After two or so tweet exchanges. I though that was going to be the end of our connection and considered the subject closed.
However... the following day I was surprised to get DM ( Direct Message ) on twitter from Dinesh asking me to share my experience as a Foreigner living in Nepal. He said that the article would feature on the following Saturday 24th September.
I was surprised but happy to share my story. He asked me to write as I wished. (A rare chance). I said all the good things I had experienced in Nepal and emailed it to Dinesh. However Dinesh wrote back and asked me whether I had any negative experience in Nepal.
The following is part of our email correspondense
DINESH : A quick question: Did you, by any chance, during your stay in Nepal face questions about the color/race and Nepali behavior based on that? I ask this because one of our columnists, a white man from UK, hinted that he didn't like how some Nepalis behaved with some of his Africans friends who worked at UN Mission in Nepal
MY RESPONSE: Yes indeed we have experienced it. i just didnt want to bring it up...
DINESH: I am ashamed to hear about that and I am so sorry that you had to face such situations. But I think telling about those incidents will be the most effective way to crate awareness among those people and educate them
Anyway to cut a long story short. The article was published in Ekantipur in Nepali this past Saturday with both sides of my experiences.The Foreigner's eye is a column in Kantipur newspaper, Nepal’s top daily in which foreigners who have lived or visited Nepal or are living in the country write about their experience with Nepali society. And since then I have received quite a number of apologies in my blog from Nepalese who feel bad about any unkindness that I have experienced.
Read my reflections on my days in my Nepal ( http://yaotieno.wordpress.com/2011/09/25/reflections-of-my-days-in-nepal/) COPY and paste to browser to access article.
The Nepali version of the story is accessible here ( http://unitedweblog.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/an-african-experience-in...)
As Dinesh says, I hope that the article will help create awareness and educate the masses that people are more than their colours. All this is possible only because on the unlikely connection through Web 2.0. I am also grateful to journalists like Dinesh who don't shy away from addressing issues considered sensitive.
Dinesh's twitter adress is @wagle
Does any one else have an unlikely connection that led to raising awareness on pressing issues? I would really love to read about it.