A week long workshop on "Envisioning Future of Old Towns: The people's way" concluded on 29 March 2015 in Kathmandu highlighting the essentiality of conservation and promotion of our traditional culture and heritage. The workshop was organized by Lumanti Support Group for Shelter, in partnership with Community Women Forum (CWF) with the aim to bring communities in different peri-urban communities in Kathmandu and think collectively their status as old heritage towns. The workshop also helped to make space for architects, planners etc to support the community process in the ground. In addition, it as well helped in creating a platform for the communities to partner with the National government. 

 

National and international young architects, community people representing 10 peri-urban cities from Kathmandu namlely Tokha, Khokana, Panga, Machhegaon, Thankot, Thecho, Chyasal, Inaya Tole, Thaiba and Sano Gaon along with the members of organizing team from Lumanti and Community Women Forum participated in the workshop. During the workshop, each group led by the people from each peri-urban cities along with youth architects discussed on the traditional culture, heritage and monuments of respective cities and identified the issues, challenges and opportunities. On the same occasion, the youth team of architects and the community people also visited three selected peri-urban cities Thecho, Sanogaon and Thankot to observe the existing status of culture and heritage of the cities and to understand the initiatives that they have done in preserving their traditional culture and heritage. The architect team, during the workshop, in participation of the people of Machhegaon community, worked in detail in indentifying the issues, challenges and opportunities of the culture and heritage in Machhegoan. The team also developed short-term, mid-term and long-term plan for the conservation of the traditional culture and heritage monuments in Machhegoan and presented during the closing ceremony of the workshop.

 

Addressing the gathering in the closing ceremony, Chief Guest of the program Padam Sundar Joshi, Program Manager of UN Habitat urged for the our own initiatives for the conservation of our traditional culture and heritage rather than expecting support from outsiders. He said, the traditional culture and heritage monuments are our own product. All these are developed and created by our ancestors, then why are we expecting and requesting the outsiders to preserve these. He added, we should take our own initiation for the conservation and promotion. A joint effort from all of us by developing a conservation plan in leadership with the community can bring the change, he said.

 

Speaking on the occasion, Executive Director of Lumanti Support Group for Shelter Lajana Manandhar said, as our culture and heritage are very much connected with our daily lives, its conservation in partnership with community people for the development of the community is the prime objective of the workshop. Talking about the lack of interest and awareness about the traditional culture and heritage in young generation, she stressed the need of encouragement for effective participation of youth in such conservation works. She also urged for the collaboration, support and partnership between the stakeholders for the conservation.

 

Earlier, member of Community Women Forum Menuka Shrestha, on her welcome remarks had enforced the need for the conservation of heritage and monuments like Rajkulo, traditional oil production in Khokana, tradition ponds etc.

 

Concluding the Closing ceremony, President of Lumanti Support Group for shelter Prafulla Man Singh Pradhan highlighting the need of initiation for the conservation of culture and heritage said, while developing the plan for conservation the work should be prioritized. The conservation work that can be accomplished by the community without external support should be the first priority, then the one that can be accomplished by the community but with little external support falls in the second priority. In such as way, the five year plan should be developed for tangible output, he said.

 

It is expected that the workshop will bring all the stakeholders together to think about their future as a community, a settlement and use the workshop to develop plans for upgrading in one of the peri-urban communities, Machhegaon and use this as a demonstration process for other settlements.