Career biography of Dev Kumar Sunuwar

Dev Kumar Sunuwar Journalist & Law practitioner, Kathmandu, Nepal [email protected] (Email) (977)-1-9841-666831(Mobile) devsunuwar7 (Skype) +977-9841666831 (Viber/whatsapp) Dev Kumar Sunuwar, is advisor to the UN Secretary General António Guterres on behalf of Indigenous Peoples from the Asia-Pacific region, on the use of the UN Voluntary Fund for Indigenous Peoples (UNVFIP), as a member of the advisory Board of Trustees of the Fund. Sunuwar, as a journalist and law practitioner in Nepal, has covered and written extensively on International Human Rights and Issues concerning Asian Indigenous Peoples in national, regional and international forums and equally in the media. He has an extensive network and hands-on experience in the field of Asian Indigenous Peoples’ rights and issues. He comes from Koĩts-Sunuwar, one of the 59 Indigenous Peoples, legally recognized in Nepal. He has worked in radio, television, newspaper, magazine and online assuming different posts including as investigative journalist. Sunuwar is also a Asia Program Coordinator of Cultural Survival, one of the internationally pioneer organizations exclusively working on indigenous peoples since 1972, and has brought various issues and challenges faced by Asian Indigenous Peoples at various UN bodies and other international forums. Sunuwar as a coordinator of Indigenous Media Caucus, a thematic group at UNPFII also has an extensive network among indigenous broadcasters and communicators globally.
EMPLOYMENT
Academic Positions:	Assistant Professor, Public International law, from November 2014-present, Kathmandu School of Law, Purbanchal University, Nepal
	- Teaching courses covering general international law, its sources, law of treaties, including role of UN in development of Internatinoal law, Human rights, mainly scope of human rights protection, international justice, state responsibility including selected special areas such as international humanitarian law law of sea, diplomatic laws and so forth. For more visit: https://www.ksl.edu.np/faculties/adjunct-faculty
Institutional Position:	Asia Program Coordinator, from January 2015-present, Cultural Survival, 2067, Massachusetts, Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02140, USA.
	- Managing and overseeing Cultural Survival’s programs in Asia conducting site-visits, reporting and covering about Asian indigenous peoples’ rights, issues and challenges through article and radio programs, also drafting of shadow reports and communications for CS’ advocacy program for UN treaty bodies and represent Asia at various international forums for CS. For more visit: https://www.culturalsurvival.org/about/staff
LEADERSHIP Experience
Board of Trustees	Appointed by UN Secretary General António Guterres as member of Advisory Board of Trustees of the UN Voluntary Fund for Indigenous Peoples (UNVFIP) for a three-year tenure, from January 2021 to December 2023
	- The mandate is to advise the Secretary General on the use of funds through OHCHR: https://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/IPeoples/IPeoplesFund/Pages/BoardofTrustees.aspx

Founder & Coordinator	Founding Coordinator, Indigenous Media Caucus, from 2016-present, UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, UN Headquarter, New York, USA
	- A network of Indigenous Journalists, Media practitioners and communicators from around the world, to advocate the rights of indigenous peoples and indigenous media and communication around the world. For more visit: https://www.indigenousmediacaucus.org/
Foundater & Chairperson	Founder Chairperson, Indigenous Media Foundation, April, 2011-present, Anamnagar, Kathmandu Nepal,
	- A not-profit making and distributing organation of working journalists from Indigenous peoples, founded to empower indigenous journalists and create media contents andmedia platforms and channels for educating and informing Nepalese indigenous peoples, about their rights in the language they speak and understand, For more visit: https://www.indigenousmediafoundation.org/about-us.html
Founder & chairperson	Indigenous Television, Nepal’s only Indigenous Community Television, August 9, 2016 to date
	-Overseeing and Managing overall Television operation, content production. Ensuring indigenous peoples voice, access and participation in Media and influencing policy makers for ensuring indigenous peoples’ rights. Indigenous Television is the first and only Indigenous Community Television not only in Nepal but also in South Asia, was official media partner for UN International Year of Indigenous Languages, 2019. Produces TV programs into 15 different indigenous languages of Nepal, along with Nepali and English. For more visit: www.indigenoustelevision.com
Editor	Online news site, : www.indigenousvoice.com/en (both Nepali and English
	- Editor in chief for only the news site dedicated to 36% indigenous peoples of Nepal, available both in Nepali and English. The site now has been one of the best sited for research on the issues, current affairs of Indigenous Peoples of Nepal.
Founder and Chairperson	Indigenous Community Radio—Radio Kairan 96.4 Mhz, 2013 to present.
	- Helping increase access, participation and voice of Indigenous Peoples living remote indigenous peoples living in eastern Nepal, northern Ramechhap, where there is access of internet, telephone and other means of communication. First radio in the area which produces radio programs into 3-different local indigenous languages—Sherpa, Sunuwar, Tamang along with Nepali
Founder and Chairperson:	Indigenous Community Radio—Radio Likhu 91.3 Mhz, 2013 to present.
	- Helping increase access, participation and voice of Sunuwar Indigenous Peoples by smotth operation of radio, dedicated to Sunuwar Indigenous peoples in the land and territories in their mother tongue, only radio in Nepal dedicated to produce content in Sunuwar indigenous langauges.
EXPERIENCE IN MAINSTREAM MEDIA
Colomn Writer:	At ‘My Republica Daily’, English Newspaper, Kathmandu, Nepal, April 2014- December2015
	- Weekly Colomn writing for ‘The Week’ weekly edition, on the issues and rights concerning Neplaese Indigenous Peoples and minority groups of Nepal.
Investigative Reporter:	Centre for Investigative Journalism, Nepal (CIJ-Nepal), Kathmandu, Nepal, March 2013 – April 2014
	Conduct indepth-research & investigation, write investigative news stories and feature stories on contemporary social issues.
Sub-Editor:	The Kathmandu Post, Subidhanagar, Kathmandu, Nepal, the largest selling English Daily in Nepal, December 2008 – June 2012
	News reporting, writing and editing relating to health, education, court and social issues.
Reporter:	Kantipur Television, Kathmandu, Nepal from October 2007 – March 2008
	- News reporting on socio-political issues.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Assistant Consultant	Lawyers' Association for Human Rights of Nepalese Indigenous Peoples, (LAHURNIP), Kathmandu, Nepal, April 2011- October 2015
	Conduct research and provide technical assistant to the expert team formed to give Indigenous Peoples' perspective to the members of Consituent Assembly-I and Constitutent Assembly-II during for delivery in the parliament and include Indigenous Peoples’ rights in new constitution of Nepal.
Researcher:	Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP), Chaiang Mai, Thailand, October 2014 – February 2015
	Conducted research on violation of Indigenous Peoples’ Human Rights by ‘Kabeli-A Project: partially funded by World in eastern Nepal.
Researcher:	Central Department of Law, Nepal Law Campus, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu Nepal, December 2014 – June 2015
	Conducted research titled, “International Water Law (with reference to Nepal-India water relation);
Researcher:	Central Department of Political science,Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu Nepal, from May 2012 – January 2013
	Conducted research titled, “Water Diplomacy: Nepal-India relation’
Researcher:	Central Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, Ratna Rajya Laxmi Campus, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu Nepal, from December 2011 – June, 2012.
	Conducted research titled, “Indigenous Communication System: Continuity and Change’ among Sunuwar Indigenous Community
EDUCATION
Master of Laws (LLM) Degree:	Central Department of Law, Nepal Law Campus, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal, 2015,
	-Specializing in Public International law and International Human Rights Law.
Master’s Degree in Political Science:	Central Department of Political Science, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal, 2013,
	-Specializing in International Politics, International relation and Diplomacy.
Master's degree in Journalism and Mass Communication (JMC):	Central Department of Journalism and Mass Communication (JMC), Ratna Rajya Laxmi Campus, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal
	-Specializing in International Communication and Indigenous Communication system.
PUBLICATION & ACADEMIC ARTICLES
	- ‘Trafficking and Indigenous women, a chapter of a book titled ‘In search of Identity’ sub-titled, “7, out of every 10 vicitms of trafficking in person are indigenous women and girls in Nepal, 2015, February.
	- Private Property Rights versus Eminent Domain in Nepal, a reference to road widening drive in the Kathmandu valley, its impacts on Indigenous Peoples, A journal article published in Kathmandu School of Law Review, a peer review journal
	- some published articles and writings can be found in 1) https://www.minorityvoices.org/news.php/en/1707/nepal-indigenous-youth-need-support 2) https://tribhuvan.academia.edu/DevKumarSunuwar 3) https://www.linkedin.com/in/dev-kumar-sunuwar-b2430036/?originalSubdomain=np 4) https://devkit.wordpress.com/, 5) www.cijnepal.org.np 6) www.indigenousvoice.com/en 7) https://www.culturalsurvival.org/news
FELLOWSHIP AND TRAINING
OHCHR Indigenous Fellow, 2010	Office of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Headquarter, Geneva, from April 2010 to July 2010
	•Fellowship Program on Human Rights aimed at building capacity and expertise of indigenous representatives on the UN system and mechanisms dealing with human rights in general and indigenous issues in particular.
Young Indigenous Leaders Fellow-2017	Dejusticia and Racial Discrimination Watch, from December 9 to 16, 2017, in the sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in Northern Colombia.
	-Attended First Global Workshop on Human Rights Strategies for Indigenous Leaders in the Global South.
TRIAL Fellow-2014	Track Impunity Always (TRIAL), a a Swiss law Association against Impunity, from January to May 2014
	- Fellowship program about the mandate and functioning of UN Special Procedures and drafting of a communication to UN Special rappporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrarary Executions
Trainee, 2010	UN Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), from 19 to 23 July, 2010.
	Training Program to enhance the Conflict Prevention and Peace-building capacities of Indigenous Peoples' Representatives
Trainee, 2010	International Labour Organization (ILO), Geneva, 7 to 11 June 2010
	Training program on 'ILO standards concerning the rights of Indigenous and Tribal peoples' and their implementation, ILO mandate and its role in UN system, core International Labour standards no. 182m 138, Child Labor and ILO C. No. 29, 105, No. 107 and 169.
AWARDS & HONORS
Media Award 2014	Outstanding Reporting Award on Indigenous Peoples’ Issues and Rights in Media on 2^nd October, 2014, Bangkok, Thailand, by Indigenous Voices in Asia, by Asian Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP)
Media Awards, 2016	Best Reporting Media Award, 2016 in Nepal on Indigenous Issues and Rights, by Federation of Nepalese Indigenous Journalists (FONIJ)

January 2021

Career Biography

Dev Kumar Sunuwar