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News from
CILIP
31 April 2008
For immediate
release (Please copy to online discussion lists)
Winner of CILIP’S
Anthony Thompson Award 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.
The Award was created by
Anthony Thompson, first full-time Secretary General of IFLA (International
Federation of Library Associations and Institutions) from 1962 - 1979, when on
his death he bequeathed money to bring young librarians to the UK to study UK
library and information work. Anthony Thompson Award Funds are managed by
CILIP (Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals) and visits
are arranged with assistance from ILIG (International Library & Information
Group of CILIP) in the United Kingdom. Raj is the 9th person to receive
this Award.
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 the 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'.
NOTES
Notes for Editors
- Photograph of Raj Kumar Gandharba
- CILIP International Library and Information Group
ILIG exists
to unite CILIP members both in the UK and abroad who have a strong
interest in international work. Its purpose is to foster good international
relations within the profession; lessen professional isolation; encourage
closer international understanding, and contribute to the development of
library and information services overseas. Further
information.
- CILIP: the Chartered Institute of Library and Information
Professionals is the leading professional body for librarians, information
specialists and knowledge managers. It forms a community of around 36,000
people engaged in library and information work, of whom around 21,000 are
CILIP members and around 15,000 are regular customers of CILIP Enterprises.
CILIP members work in all sectors, including business and industry, science
and technology, further and higher education, schools, local and central
government, the health service, the voluntary sector, national and public
libraries. For more information about CILIP, please go to www.cilip.org.uk
- Anthony Thompson Award
- Further details on Raj Kumar Gandharba's career
Raj Kumar
Gandharba studied for an M.Ed.at Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu. He also
holds a B.Ed in English language and an I.Ed. in English language and
Mathematics.
After a variety of library
related jobs, when he had particular interest in fund raising, organising
workshop s and developing strategy to make the library accessible to
vulnerable groups, he was appointed Programme Coordinator of Jana Utthan
Pratisthan – Nepal, Katmandu. He has worked with a wide range of social
organisations such as the World Council of Churches, Actionaid Nepal, World
Bank, Lutheran World Federation Radio Programme and others all with the aim of
improving the lives of the Dalits.
Raj is also employed
as a teacher of English language and literature in Kathmandu Valley College, and
has a background of teaching in University and schools in Napal.
Furthermore, he is Editor-in-Chief of Dalit Solidarity a quarterly
publication for the advancement of the Dalits and other works relating to
them.
The Gandharbas, of which
Raj is one, are the indigenous musicians of Nepal and Raj has presented several
papers at conferences about their music. As an archival aspect of folklore
of the region, works about these musicians are of vital importance.
- ends -
The views expressed herein are those of the author(s) and should not be taken as those of London South Bank University, unless this is specifically stated.
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