Rural Reconstruction Nepal (RRN) is a non-government, not for profit, social development organisation in Nepal. It was founded in 1989 in the form of a small organisation created by a group of creative graduates of the Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science in Chitwan district of central Nepal, with its initial name 'Grass Roots Institute for Training and Services-Nepal' (GRITS-Nepal). Later on, by subscribing to the basic rural reconstruction principles of the international movement of Rural Reconstruction, GRITS-Nepal turned into RRN. With the passage of time, RRN has been able to expand itself into one of the fast growing NGOs in the country together with its diverse development programmes covering the vast geographical area and the population.

RRN enjoys the Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council

United Nations Economic and Social Council

The Economic and Social Council of the United Nations constitutes one of the six principal organs of the United Nations and it is responsible for the coordination of the economic, social and related work of 14 UN specialized agencies, its functional commissions and five regional commissions...

 (ECOSOC) of the United Nations. RRN is also accredited to the Global Environment Facility

Global Environment Facility

The Global Environment Facility unites 182 member governments — in partnership with international institutions, nongovernmental organizations, and the private sector — to address global environmental issues....

 (GEF). Currently, it is hosting the Secretariat of the South Asia Alliance for Poverty Eradication (SAAPE) - a South Asia regional network of mass based civil society organisations and individuals, and International Secretariat of LDC Watch

LDC Watch

LDC Watch is a global alliance of national, regional and international Civil Society Organisations LDC Watch is a global alliance of national, regional and international Civil Society Organisations LDC Watch is a global alliance of national, regional and international Civil Society Organisations...

: two of several of RRN's civil society alliances with which RRN is associated to fight against poverty and for the realisation of human rights, democracy and peace. RRN also hosting National Secretariat of the National Network on Right to Food Nepal (RtFN)http://right2foodnet.wordpress.com, a national level loose network for undertaking collective efforts and coordinating individuals and organisations engaged in promoting the human Right to Food in Nepal.

Remaining within the centre of Credo of the International Rural Reconstruction Movement

Rural Reconstruction Movement

The Rural Reconstruction Movement was started in China in the 1920s by Y.C. James Yen, Liang Shuming and others to revive the Chinese village. They strove for a middle way, independent of the Nationalist government but in competition with the radical revolutionary approach to the village espoused...

, RRN has been working with the poverty trodden and disadvantaged rural communities for more than one and half decade. During this period, based on the four-fold approach of rural reconstruction - education, health, livelihood and self-government, it has implemented a wide range of community development programmes and projects to address the crucial problems of the country and the people. These programmes include education, healthcare, natural resource management for livelihood, empowerment of women, children and the Dalit, and ethnic minority groups. Besides, it has also implemented activities that produced positive results in the community within a short period, particularly at the time of disasters and conflicts. Such activities included the emergency relief and rehabilitation, rural infrastructure development, life skill development, and local resource generation programmes, among others.

Since its inception, RRN has been working with the poor and marginalised people in rural Nepal to facilitate them in the process of meeting their basic needs, improving livelihoods and building their own institutions. It contributes to rural people's empowerment and socio-economic reconstruction process, by embracing the rights-based approaches to development. RRN is also committed to creating an enabling environment for building a just, equitable, peaceful and prosperous society through social, economic and political empowerment of the rural poor, particularly the poor rural women, peasants, landless people and other disadvantaged and socially oppressed strata of Nepalese society.

Besides implementing integrated community development programmes at grassroots, it is also engaged in advocacy, lobbying and networking at local, national and international levels for the cause of protecting and promoting human rights and social justice.

In the post conflict context of Nepal

Nepal

Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...

, RRN has positioned itself to facilitate in conflict transformation initiatives by adopting the approach that strongly focuses on institutionalising democracy and peace building through reconstruction, rehabilitation and reconciliation - RRR process. In order to successfully embark on such a significant process, RRN considers such key aspects - people's genuine participation, gender equality and social inclusion, transparency, accountability, social justice, coordination and collaboration, and community's demand, community ownership over the interventions and sustainability as its strategies.

Core Beliefs

• The rural poor in Nepal, as elsewhere in the world, are confronted by four basic and interrelated problems: poverty, ignorance, disease and civic inertia.
• Because the rural poor comprise two thirds of the world's population in the developing world; hence, social peace is likely to always remain as an unattainable dream unless these rural poor are able to solve their basic problems and achieve a standard of living equal to that of the rest of the society.
• The rural poor have the potential power for self-development, what they lack is the opportunity to release and develop this power.
• The rural poor also have personal dignity and should be regarded with respect, not pity.

Four Fold Approach

RRN focuses all its development programmes on the four-fold approach of Rural Reconstruction as the foundation upon which its programme and project activities are based. The focus lies on the following four key building blocks:

• Education and awareness - to combat illiteracy, and provide exposure to the outside world
• Livelihood - to fight poverty and hunger
• Health - to prevent disease, and promote rights to health
• Self-Government - to overcome

RRN's Credo

RRN subscribes to the philosophy and principles of the International Rural Reconstruction Movement, which are encapsulated in the following credo:

• Go to the people
• Live among them
• Learn from them
• Plan with them
• Work with them
• Start with what they know
• Build on what they have
• Teach by showing
• Learn by doing
• Not a showcase but a pattern
• Not odds and ends but a system
• Not piecemeal but an integrated approach
• Not to conform but to transform
• Not relief but release

RRN's Working Districts

RRN has been able to successfully implement diverse community development programmes and projects in several districts of the country; covering the Mountain, Hills and Lowlands (Tarai) ecological zones. It is estimated that these programmes have benefited over 400,000 households.

Eastern Region

• Ilam, Jhapa, Morang, Sunsari, Bhojpur, Sankhuwasabha, Khotang, Siraha, Solukhumbu, Saptari, Sarlahi, Mahottari and Dhanusha

Central Region

• Ramechhap, Sindhupalchowk,Dolakha and Chitwan

Western Region
Mid-Western Region

• Dailekh, Surkhet, Bardia, Banke, Salyan, Rolpa and Dang

Far-Western Region

• Kanchanpur