0. His Excellency M. Nirmal Raj Kafle, Ambassador of Nepal to Brazil

Vice-President of Brazil Antonio Hamilton Martins and Ambassador Nirmal Raj Kafle of Nepal (2022)

Argentine President Alberto Angel Fernández and Ambassador Nirmal Raj Kafle (2023)

The President of Colombia Gustavo Petro with H.E... Nirmal Raj Kafle, Ambassador of Nepal (2023)

Brazilian Minister of Tourism Anna Carla Lopes and Nepalese Ambassador to Brazil Nirmal Raj Kafle (2024) – Photo: Roberto Castro

1. Our meeting with H.E. the Ambassador of Nepal to Brazil (24/10/2023)

The 24 october 2023, we had the honor of being invited by His Excellency Nirmal Raj Kafle, Ambassador of Nepal, at his home.

In his Residence, His Excellency M. Nirmal Raj Kafle, the Ambassador of Nepal to Brazil, stands alongside the founder of the Autistan Diplomatic Organization (who prefers not to be publicly exposed) as he holds the flag of Autistan, with the official flags of Nepal and Brazil behind.

Being in the Ambassador's Residence, under the jurisdiction of Nepal, we felt deeply honored by this invitation, that's why we were happy to take the opportunity to adorn ourselves with traditional Nepali hats, graciously offered, and participate in the celebration of Dashain, symbolized by the red marks on our forehead.

His Excellency the Ambassador of Nepal in Brasilia, showing the flag of Autistan, is accompanied by a member of the delegation of the Autistan Diplomatic Organization on the left (wearing a blue shirt), and by the founder of the organization on the right (wearing a blue tie, and who prefers not to be publicly exposed).
The rather casual clothing reflects the less formal atmosphere of the Ambassador's Residence, promoting a relaxed atmosphere conducive to collaboration.

Our meeting lasted until late in the afternoon., as we were warmly welcomed to join the Ambassador's family and several Embassy staff members for lunch.

Ambassador Kafle also explained to us that even though we do not represent an official country, this poses no problem because, for him, this meeting is part of the concept of ‘Public diplomacy‘.
This is complementary to our approach, which corresponds to the ‘Parallel diplomacy’ as explained in our previous article (on np.Autistan.org).

ChatGPT helps us better understand the relationship between the two concepts:

Public diplomacy and diplomacy Track II [or ‘parallel diplomacy’ in French] are related concepts in the field of international relations, but they serve different purposes and operate in different spheres.

Public diplomacy:

• • Public diplomacy involves efforts by governments or organizations to communicate with foreign publics in order to influence their opinions, perceptions, and attitudes towards a country or organization.
  • This often involves cultural exchange, educational programs, media awareness, and other forms of communication aimed at building relationships and fostering mutual understanding.
  • Public diplomacy is usually carried out by official representatives of governments or organizations and is part of their formal diplomatic efforts.

Parallel diplomacy:

• • Parallel diplomacy (Track II Diplomacy), on the other hand, involves unofficial, non-governmental efforts to facilitate dialogue and problem-solving between different actors in international conflicts.
  • This usually involves academics, former diplomats, experts, and other private citizens who engage in informal discussions, workshops, and conferences to address sensitive issues and explore potential solutions.
  • Parallel diplomacy (ou Diplomacy Track II) operates independently of official government channels and is often used when official diplomatic channels are ineffective or unavailable.

Relationship between public diplomacy and Track II diplomacy:

• • Although public diplomacy and Track II diplomacy serve different objectives and operate in different spheres, they can complement each other in certain situations.
  • Public diplomacy efforts can create an enabling environment for Track II diplomacy by fostering goodwill and trust between countries or communities.
  • Reciprocally, Diplomacy Track II can provide valuable insights and lessons to inform public diplomacy initiatives, help adapt messages and strategies to better resonate with foreign audiences.
  • In some cases, Public diplomacy efforts can also support parallel diplomatic initiatives (Track II, or route II) by creating an environment more conducive to dialogue and cooperation between conflicting parties.

In summary, while public diplomacy and Track II diplomacy serve distinct functions, they can work together in synergy to advance international understanding, the dialogue, and cooperation.

Our discussions were varied, but focused on two key points:

1.1. Initiate collaboration with the competent Nepalese authorities on disability and autism issues

The previous email from the Embassy of Nepal expressed their desire to coordinate with relevant agencies in Nepal, which gave a positive tone to our relationship.

When we contact embassies to address the issue of autism, especially in Brasilia, our main objective is to establish ‘human connections’, which then facilitates cooperation with the respective public authorities of the countries.
Indeed, local authorities (in the countries) often remain distant or unresponsive, by perceiving our approach as being (too much) unusual.
However, our dialogue with Nepal has been an example of understanding and receptivity, paving the way for strengthened relations with national authorities in Kathmandu.

1.2. Exploring the concept of supporting people with autism around the world through trained Nepali expats

Moreover, we touched on a less obvious subject described in our first correspondence, summarized as follows by ChatGPT:

The idea suggests the establishment of an international assistance program for autistic people. This initiative involves hiring young men and women from Nepal to reside with and support these people in other countries, with appropriate compensation provided for their services.
This concept aims to capitalize on the exceptional qualities of the Nepalese, like adaptability, helpfulness, kindness, lack of selfishness, bravery, l’endurance, to provide meaningful support to autistic people around the world.
The training of these caregivers could be supervised or assisted by our organization to ensure consistency and relevance..
Despite usual skepticism, the success of notre initiative au Kazakhstan demonstrates the potential for tangible results.
The proposal highlights the importance of recognizing and utilizing the unique strengths of Nepalis to make a positive impact globally.

Excerpt from the chapter « 0.4. The Nepal : lone of the richest countries in the world, and hidden potential » from our previous article:

« For an autism specialist immersing themselves in Nepalese culture, a remarkable revelation occurs.
It becomes obvious that the collective state of mind and behavior of Nepalese society are perfectly adapted to the support and care of autistic people.
As previously mentioned, traits such as humility, compassion, generosity, patience, and courage are not only widespread but seem woven into the fabric of daily life.
Furthermore, we cannot neglect the virtues of adaptability, resilience, and an innate ability to ignore offense or selfishness. »

En substance, our proposal highlights the inherent and remarkable qualities that we see in Nepalis in general, perfectly suited to help autistic people around the world.

Ambassador Kafle liked the concept, recognizing the apparent feasibility and usefulness of using specialist Nepali expatriates for this purpose.

Although the implementation presents challenges beyond our usual framework, this deserves further examination and study.

2. Conclusion

This meeting only marks the beginning of our collaboration, with a lot of work ahead of us.

However, this serves as a demonstration of the power of positive attitudes, a quality often illustrated by the Nepalese, as pointed out our previous article (on np.Autistan.org).

This illustrates that with the right mindset, people understand our message, they refrain from rejecting us, and so, seemingly insurmountable obstacles become surmountable.

We sincerely hope that other nations will grasp these fundamental principles and emulate Nepal's exemplary conduct..