Nepal Unites organized a two-day workshop on social media handling.
On July 22–23, 2022, Nepal Unites, a chapter of Global Unites, a youth organization active in 13 countries, held a two-day workshop on social media handling. The present context has had a lot of detrimental effects on the use of social media, and many individuals have fallen victim to scammers, fraudsters, and other con artists. The team believed that the message should be delivered timely to reach out to young people to spread awareness with the message on how to use social media appropriately. Nepal Unites thought that this was a need of the time. With the support of Global Unites, the primary facilitator, Mr. Danu Innasithamby (https://www.facebook.com/DanuInnasithamby), a media personality based in Sri Lanka, was recommended.
The two-day workshop was indeed a success. Everyone is welcome to attend the session and engage in meaningful and active participation. Anubhuti Bhattarai, a representative of Nepal Unites, oversaw participant registration on the first day of the workshop. The national anthem was played to kick off the event. In his introductory remarks, Mohammad Jiyaul Rahaman, the President of Nepal Unites, welcomed every participant. Mohammad Ayatullah Rahaman, the National Director, provided information on Nepal Unites and Global Unites and how to get involved in the organization. He also highlighted how many countries the Unites movement is active in. Rajan Bhandari, Nepal Unites Program Coordinator, introduced the facilitator, the guest visitors, and the participants.
The speakers and facilitators were highly engaging and provided information for the participants. As a representative of the Nepal Police, Central Cyber Bureau, Bhotahity, Kathmandu, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Pradin Tamrakar led discussions on cybercrime, cyber issues, cyber security, cyberbullying, current trends, and cyber legislation in Nepal. Mr. Danu provided instruction on utilizing social media for local advocacy and promoting local customs, culture, and products on the global market. He demonstrates the power of social media in changing systems and mobilizing people even without funding. He also shared how the GOTAGOGAMA (GGG) campaign, the country's largest brand, utilizes social media. He went into further detail throughout the discussion on the possibilities for peacebuilding and the new spaces that social media can help people connect, coordinate, and mobilize around peace. The presentation by Dr. Gopal Dhakal was important for understanding how social media impacts a person's mental health. The Nepal Unites team also recognized Dr. Gopal Dhakal, a psychologist, for his invaluable commitment to community peace and well-being through the Mental Health Initiation in Nepal.
The workshop participants' feedback was greatly acknowledged. After learning about the fraud email lottery and other cyber concerns, participant Jeevan Bhandari gave his thoughts. He also provided statistics on various social media users to raise awareness of this problem. On social media, Nanu Maharjan also expressed how the lockdown's flashbacks made her feel. According to Maharjan, many users have psychological issues due to their increased social media usage, and lengthy material is unattractive to the users.
Ten females and 14 males selected from online applications attended the workshop. The participants had been chosen based on their responses to the application questions and their geographical proximity. Mr. Sagar Panday, a “Life Skills Coach,” was invited as an observer in a two-day workshop. In the end, the participants received their successful participation certificates from the primary facilitator and observer.
Mohammad Ayatulla Rahaman
National Director, Nepal Unites
School of Peace Alumni 2017
