A team including Mr. Lief B. Sauvik (Senior Adviser of NORAD’s Civil Society Department), Elisabeth Forseth (Adviser of NORAD’s Civil Society Department), Mr. Raj Kumar Lekhy (NEFIN’s Chairperson), Ms. Pasang Dolma Sherpa (National Coordinator of Climate Change and REDD Partnership Program), Mr. Eak Rana (ICIMOD- REDD Coordinator), Mr. Khem Jung Gurung (Chairperson of NEFIN-DCC, Lamjung), Mr. Dharma Raj Shrestha (Secretary of NEFIN’s DCC, Lamjung) and Mr. Lakpa Nuri Sherpa (CCMIN Officer) visited the demonstration area of NEFIN (Khasur Village, Banjhakhet VDC, Ward No. 1) on 12 Sept. 2010. Villagers heartily welcomed the team.

The program in the village started with the cultural show from the villagers, where guests enjoyed various cultural dances of the Gurung communities. The cultural show was followed by the interaction with the villagers.

During the interaction program, villagers raised their queries on REDD and about NORAD’s working areas. The NORAD’s advisers gave justice to the queries of the villagers. Mr. Raj Kumar Lekhi underscored that any projects or activities in the indigenous peoples’ territories must follow the free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) enshrined on United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples’ (UNDRIP).