With the successful completion of the project Investigating the Economic Cost of Corruption in Local Development, and with the further experience we have gained during the first year of the project Good Governance, Law and Justice the CIJ is now focusing on the general area of good governance, with particular focus on rule of law, judiciary, revenue-collection, contraband trade and all related corruption, bureaucratic malfeasance.

The project is supported by the Asia Foundation.

With the imposition of the state of emergency to counter the Maoist insurgency in November 2001, the fundamental rights of Nepali citizens have been withheld and the freedom of the press restricted. Though the civilian government has repeatedly assured in public that the state of emergency wouldn't affect people who are not 'associated with the Maoists many innocent bystanders or unarmed sympathisers have faced the burnt of the actions of the security forces. The Maoists have also killed unarmed civilians.

Under this project CIJ;
1. Prepared field-based stories
2. Monitored and analysed the strengths and
    weaknesses of Nepali media.

The project was supported by the International Media Support.

Western Nepal hills are known for food deficiency for long. As the Maoist insurgency has spread in the area the problem of food shortage has became more acute. As majority of the able-bodied persons fled due to threat to their lives there are very few youth in the village to work on the field. The unfavourable monsoon has adverse effect on the production. On the other hand, because of the insurgency transportation of food supplies in the area have been hampered.

CIJ sent a team to look into the problem. It produced two print stories, one video documentary and one radio documentary.