Citizen, especially poor and marginalized people in Nepal are not aware about their rights, many Nepalese are unable to go to court to seek justice due to the location, formal and lengthy process and expensive court and lawyers fee. Unsolved conflicts are getting very often politicized and violent, because there is no effective conflict solution mechanism at local level. Access to justice to the marginalized, poor and minorities is very far. HURF supports to solve conflict in a non-violent manner and that poor and marginalized people have better access to justice.

HURF Nepal has been working as a resource center for conflict, peace and Justice. HURF is authorized mediation center based on Mediation Act 2068 and a training providing organization under the same Act. HURF is providing technical support to enable local judicial structures and establish mediation service in Koshi Province. HURF support on policy making, law making, planning and capacity building of local governments and development of skilled human resources in peace and justice.

HURF Focuses on the following major programs : 

• Peace building through conflict transformation
• Social Justice
• Transitional justice
• Psycho-Social Support
• Mediation
• Dialogue and facilitation on Contemporary, burning issues
• Non Violent Communication
• Mediation centre and mediation related services & activities
• Restorative justice

Experiences of HURF Nepal
Strengthening local judicial structures and developing human resources to establish local justice services :
After the restructuring of Nepal and adoption federal system, justice delivery is legally possible through local judicial committees. In this context, HURF Nepal has been capacitating the local judicial committees, executives of local government to aware and capacitate to establish local judicial system and its structure to establish the local justice services in local government. HURF is capacitating the judicial committee on their role, process of handeling the cases and need of mediation. Likewise, the executive boards are educated on the need of local justice service, role of executive boards and local government and process of making law, policy, procedures and plans. HURF has focused in three major issues Capacity building, functional justice service and quality justice delivery. HURF has been supporting to establishing mediation centers, developing trained mediators in local levels in all 14 districts of Koshi province. HURF is working with cooperation with Civil Peace Service (GiZ-ZFD) & Open Society Policy Center on this issue.

Community mediation program:
HURF Nepal is an authorized organization as training providing organization on mediation as well as an authorized organization for implementing mediation related activities according to Mediation Act 2068. HURF Nepal has been working in the field of community mediation very first in Nepal, since 2001. HURF established community mediation committees in 30 VDCs of Ilam District. The members of these committees received regular trainings on mediation, basic legal rights and Human Rights. These committees got training on mediation, conflict transformation, conflict, communication skills, federalism and working as a common and impartial platform in former VDC level. There are  more than 500 trained and experienced mediators who are working in these CMCs. These Community mediators mediate cases in local level.19 long term trained mediators / facilitators are handling the mediation program in Eastern Nepal. These facilitators provide tranings to differenrt level stakeholders such as Local Peace Committee in District level, in VDC level and other stakeholders in Eastern Nepal.
After the introduction of federal system, the constitution of Nepal provisioned that there is a judicial committee in each local government and this committee should register trained mediators to settle the cases through mediation. In this context, HURF Nepal is capacitating the local judicial committees and supporting them to develop mediators, establishing mediation centers in ward level. Furthermore, HURF Nepal is supporting to prepare their laws, procedure and guidelines in all districts of Koshi province. HURF has been worked with different national and international partners especially with CIVICT, DFID, CPS, ded, GIZ, and SDC in the field of Mediation.
 
Training for Local Peace committees:
Since 2009 HURF is actively working in the Local Peace Committee (LPC) of District Ilam. Together with CPS/GIZ a conflict transformation and mediation training was given in 2011 for the member of LPC. HURF members work actively as mediators and help to resolve conflicts in a non-violent manner. HURF Nepal had trained the then 36 LPCs (District & VDC Level) in 6 districts in Eastern Nepal. More than 400 trained LPC members are working in local level to deal with conflict and disputes through non violent tool of conflict resolution in the principles of mediation and conflict transformation.