THE U.S. FUNDED A YOUTH PROGRAMME IN NEPAL TO COUNTER INFLUENCE OF INDIA, CHINA

The recordsare from July 2021 to June 2022 and give a view of how the externally funded initiative operated.

- ABHINANDAN MISHRA

Scene from Nepal youth protests.

‘ewly obtained internal records reveal how Washington quietly funded and directed a youth mobilisation pro-gramme in Nepal—blending political training, protest strategy, and geopolitical messaging to counter India and China’s influence.

Internal documents from the International Republican Institute (IRI), a U.S. organisation funded by the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), reveal the structure ofa $350,000 political programme in Nepal that trained and mobil-ised young Nepalis to advocate against the influence of India and China in national policymaking and to push for governance reforms aligned with US. priorities.

The records—contracts, budgets, proposals, research reports, funder updates and training briefs—cover the period July 2021 to June 2022 and give a granular view of how the externally funded initiative operated.

On 16 February 2022, IRI signed a $9,135 fixed-price contract with Kathmandu-based Solutions Consultant Pvt. Ltd. to conduct a nationwide qualitative study on youth political participation.

From the IRI side, the documents were signed by Matthew Carter, the then IRT’s Asia division Associate Director. Carter, who is now Deputy Director in the organization, two months ago had visited Dhaka to meet Jamaat leaders with his team. Emails sent to both these entities seeking their versions did not elicit a response till the set deadline.

Interestingly, the landing page of the website of IRI makes it clear about the reason for its existence. “Around the world, dictators are working together against American interests. They are invested in America’s failure - but they will not prevail. For more than AO years, the International Republican Institute (IRI) has helped to make America safer, stronger, and more prosperous by equipping partners with the tools they need to build successful democratic societies.”