KATHMANDU, March 9: A total of nine community mediation centers in nine different wards of Rangeli Municipality in Morang district came into operation from Friday. The mediation centers, established with the assistance of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), will assist the municipality to develop mechanisms for enhancing access of marginalized and poor people to justice at the local level.

 Mayor, deputy mayor and chief administrative officer of the municipality and JICA officials jointly inaugurated a mediation center in ward no 2 of the municipality and announced formal opening of all the nine centers set up in the municipality.

 Addressing the inauguration function, JICA Nepal Chief Representative Jun Sakuma said that the centers would set an example for other local governments in the country on institutionalizing community mediation program in the future to address concerns of the marginalized communities, according to a statement issued by JICA. 

Prior to the opening of the centers, JICA had provided a two-week training to mediators of the centers at Birtamod, Jhapa. 

Earlier, JICA had helped various local units in Morang, Dhanusha and Tanahun districts to establish such centers at the ward-level. JICA Nepal has been assisting Nepal government to formulate Community Mediation Capacity for Peaceful and Harmonious Society Project since January 2010.

 
• mediation
 
• centers
 
• come
 
• operation
 
• rangeli