1. Youba Raj Acharya
(Yuvraj Acharya)
85.19, Rameshwor Marg, Birauta, Pokhara-17, Kaski, Nepal
Phone: 977-9851048282; 9808335592
Email: yuvrajaa@hotmail.com; yacharya@gmail.com
Education:
M.Phil. in English Pokhara University 2014-2015
(Thesis due in Oct 2016)
MA in Political Science Tribhuwan University 1994-1996
Work Experience:
1. Regional Dialogue Coordinator UNDP Nepal Apr 2014-present
2. Project Coordination and UNDP Nepal April 2011-Feb 2014
Liaison Officer
3. Political Affairs Officer UNMIN June 2009-Feb 2011
4. Editor, Political Affairs Republica Daily Nov 2008-May 2009
5. Senior Reporter The Kathmandu Post Dec 2001-Nov 2008
6. AP Writer Associated Press, USA Dec 2004-May2009
7. Nepal Correspondent Times of India July 2005-July 2006
8. Reporter Space Time Today Jan 2001-Dec 2001
9. Post Graduate Teacher Modern Indian School Aug 1998-Dec 1999
10. Nayab Subba Election Commission, Nepal April 1997-Nov 1997
Dist Office (Rasuwa)
11. Nayab Subba Election Commission, Nepal Sept 1994-Apr 1995
Dist Office (Khotang)
Major Responsibilities within UN:
Program/Project Management at regional level:
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2. Headed Regional Field Office of UNDP’s Social Cohesion and Democratic Participation (SCDP)
Program (Formerly Conflict Prevention Programme). Formulated Annual and Quarterly Work
Plans, implemented the plans, managed micro grants, monitored activities; wrote progress
reports, situation reports, and financial reports; and managed Regional Field Office for two
years. Led all the activities related to conflict management through dialogue among key actors,
and promoted culture of dialogue through use of media and civil society networks.
Analysis of Political and conflict dynamics:
Conducted series of research on socio-political dynamics and conflict situation as part of
scoping exercise before rolling out of Conflict Prevention Program of UNDP in Far Western,
Midwestern, Western and Eastern Regions. Identified major causes, actors and possible triggers
of conflict, explored factors and actors of peace building, provided dialogue skills and
leadership skills to political party and civil society leaders and encouraged them to apply the
skills in their respective fields.
Media engagement and production of public information materials
Worked extensively for laying foundations for effective media engagement under UNDP’s
Conflict Prevention Program {now Social Cohesion and Democratic Participation (SCDP)
Program}, build strong working relations with senior editors of major national media outlets,
thrashed out media strategy, developed training modules for journalists on media’s role in
conflict management and promotion of social cohesion, and worked as trainer in four
development regions. Drafted factsheets, brochures and other publicity materials for the CPP.
During stint in UNMIN, supported the Mission’s Public Information Office in fact-checking and
sanitizing outgoing UNMIN documents and reports.
Knowledge management
Spent significant amount of time in assessing the local political and conflict dynamics in
all the five development regions of the country before rolling out of Conflict Prevention
Programme of the UNDP. During pilot phase of CPP, I worked extensively on capturing
lessons, producing lessons-learned documents and disseminating them among internal
and external audiences. I worked as focal person for scoping exercise conducted by a
group led by a University Professor in 10 districts regarded as possible hotspots for
inter-community tensions. I prepared a parallel assessment report to guide strategic
planning for further expansion of the CPP. Before starting full time work with the CPP, I
supported UNIRP in preparing Knowledge Management document (jointly with Isabela
Leao under Sweden-based FBA’s support), capturing field-level lessons on four
fundamental areas of the programme--Content, People, Process and Technology. I
supported UNIRP in making its database on VMLRs understandable to public, and also
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3. supported the UNIRP team in checking political sensitivity of public information
materials.
Skill development training on conflict management, dialogue, leadership and social
cohesion
Provided training to leaders of political parties and civil society, government officials and
journalists on conflict management skills, dialogue facilitation tools and techniques of
strengthening social cohesion. Training included ways to increase number of women and
vulnerable groups in politics, local governance and public affairs; and enhance their capacity to
influence policies and assert their rights in local government affairs.
Partnership with local NGOs/CBOs
Identified key political, conflict and development issues in the region, identified key
stakeholders, selected local partners for activities, provided guidance for using micro grants,
provided technical support for planning, implementation and monitoring of the works under
the micro-grant scheme, ensured quality of work of the partners through monitoring of their
activities. I worked as focal person for UNDP/CPP’s Electoral Violence Prevention initiative that
worked with central-level youth and student leaders of major political parties and provided
financial and technical support to Demo Finland in mobilizing youths in select hotspots in terms
of election-related violence in five development regions.
Political Coordination (during combatant management process):
Worked as focal person for coordination with Special Committee for Supervision Integration
and Rehabilitation of Maoist Army, Nepali Army Officers, Maoist Army leaders, leaders of major
political parties and Ministry of Peace and Reconstruction officials during rehabilitation of 4,008
Maoist combatants who were ineligible for integration into Nepal Army. Worked as UNMIN
representative in Thematic Group on Combatant Management comprising people from
different UN agencies and other donors as well as from government agencies.
Drafting reports and code cables (While at UNMIN’s Political Affairs Office)
Drafted Secretary General’s Reports, periodic and thematic code cables, Joint Mission Analysis
Cell (JMAC) report and situation reports while in UNMIN as Political Affairs Officer. Liaised with
major political parties, bureaucracy, Nepal Army and Maoist Army Combatants as part of
UNMIN’s good offices mandate.
Training
1. Natural Resources Management as part of DDR Planning
(UNDP-BCPR, UNEP, Montreux, Switzerland Feb-Mar 2012)
2. Training of Trainer (ToT) on Parliamentary Affairs Reporting
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4. (Media and Advocacy Group, Canada and Nepal Press Institute Feb 2009)
3. Political Reporting
(Knight Foundation and Asian Media and Communication Center, Singapore Sept
2002)
4. Working in the Same Space (Multi-agency coordination in Peacekeeping Missions,
(US Naval Postgraduate Institute, Monterey, California, Nov 2010)
5. US-Nepal Media Exchange, Delphi International, USA
(USA, Internship at Florida Times-Union, Jacksonville, April-May 2007)
6. Mediation and Negotiation Training for UN Personnel
(Mediation Support Unit, UN HQ, 2010)
Some Research Works/Knowledge Management Products:
 Quakes, Blockades and Social Media: Reinventing Nepal’s Cold War-Era Geopolitics
{MPhil Dissertation, Pokhara University, Nepal, 2016 (Approval awaited)}
 Combatant Management in Nepal: A study of UNIRP Support to Rehabilitation of Maoist
Combatants {FBA-supported research (Lessons-learned document) prepared jointly with
Dr Isabela Leao 2011-12}
 Politics of Combatant Management in Nepal (CPRSN and UNIRP’s lessons-learned
document 2011/12)
 Study of Armed Groups in Eastern Hills (UNMIN’s internal research conducted jointly
with Vasantha Sritharan 2010)
 United Nations’ Involvement in Yugoslav Crises (Master’s Degree Dissertation, Political
Science, Tribhuvan University, Nepal, 1997)
 Assessment of Conflict and Political Dynamics in the Field: Reports prepared as part of
UNDP/Conflict Prevention Programme’s Strategic Planning before roll out of activities in
East, West and Far West regions, 2012/13.
Other professional associations/involvements:
1. Co-edited Journalism, FNJ’s Bi-monthly Magazine (2005-2006)
2. Chaired Kantipur Chapter of Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) (2005-2008)
3. Worked as Secretary of Parliamentary Affairs Journalists’ Group (2006-2008)
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5. 4. Published hundreds of Articles, news reports and analyses in Republica Daily, Associated
Press, Times of India, The Kathmandu Post (2001-2009)
5. Co-Chaired Political Science Students’ Association, Tribhuvan University (1995-1996)
References:
1. Damakant Jayshi, Country Representative, PANOS South Asia,
Email:damakant@gmail.com
2. Tilak Pokharel, UNIFIL, Lebanon, Public Information Officer
Email: tilak.pokharel@gmail.com
3. Yohn Medina Vivanco, Program Manager, UNMAS, Bogota, Colombia
Email: yfmedina@gmail.com
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6. 4. Published hundreds of Articles, news reports and analyses in Republica Daily, Associated
Press, Times of India, The Kathmandu Post (2001-2009)
5. Co-Chaired Political Science Students’ Association, Tribhuvan University (1995-1996)
References:
1. Damakant Jayshi, Country Representative, PANOS South Asia,
Email:damakant@gmail.com
2. Tilak Pokharel, UNIFIL, Lebanon, Public Information Officer
Email: tilak.pokharel@gmail.com
3. Yohn Medina Vivanco, Program Manager, UNMAS, Bogota, Colombia
Email: yfmedina@gmail.com
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