CILIP | Anthony Thompson Award Winner 2008

Anthony Thompson Award Winner 2008

The winner of this year's Award is Raj Kumar Gandharba, recently promoted as Executive Director of the non-government organisation the Jana Utthan Pratishan (JUP) in Nepal. Raj's work includes management of Community Learning Centres with special importance given to the underprivileged Dalit peoples.

Raj's proposal for this Award outlined the need for education of the Dalits in Nepal to help them advance with other sectors of the community. He said that the Dalits are a particularly vulnerable group subject to discrimination and exclusion.

One of the areas that ILIG Committee was looking at for this year's Award was rural library and information services. They were impressed by the fact that under Raj's leadership a community learning centre has already been established and the Jana Utthan Communicative Network has been formed to run it.

Raj says 'I was born in a typical family of the Gandharba (Gandharbas are the musicians of Nepal) in a remote village of Lamjung District of Nepal. My work now mainly comprises library related activities including editing the journal Dalit Solidarity. I also support my own Gandharba community and as their Chief Advisor give technical help to the Gandharba Cultural Art Organization. Building on the Anthony Thompson Award visit to the UK, I plan to promote and expand on all rural learning centres in Nepal'.

He will take up his Award in the UK from 7-29 June, 2008. Anyone wishing to communicate with him on his work with the Dalits in Nepal can e-mail: raj.gdv@gmail.com or raj_gdv@yahoo.co.in

Updated: 06 May 2008

International Library and Information Group

Anthony Thompson Award Winner 2008