KEY POINTS:
New Zealand has lost a great and popular son, Nepal has lost a bosom friend and the world has lost a great mountaineer and adventurer.
The world is mourning the loss of Sir Edmund Hillary. We pray for the peace of his departed soul and offer our sincere condolences and sympathy for his bereaved family.
Sir Edmund has left a memorable treasure of unmatched adventure, courage and selfless humanitarian works that will always remain in our hearts.
As a tribute to this hero and to commemorate this unbearably difficult time, I would like to remember and review the bilateral relationship between New Zealand and Nepal that he fostered.
Bilateral relations with Nepal in practice started some 55 years ago when Mt Everest was conquered.
On May 29, 1953, New Zealander Edmund Hillary and Nepali Tenzing Norgay stood on the top of the world, establishing a landmark mountaineering feat. As the news spread, world media also focused on the Himalayas themselves.
Since then, Sir Edmund has been an excellent and active intermediary between the two countries.
Sir Edmund was compassionate enough to realise the contribution of the little Himalayan country and Sherpas to his success. And he played played a very significant role in developing part of the zone in Nepal where Sherpas live.
A New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs record states: "In political terms, New Zealand's relations with Nepal are warm and friendly but not substantive. The High Commissioner in New Delhi is accredited as Ambassador to Nepal. There is an Honorary Consul in Kathmandu."
It continues: "As a previous High Commissioner, Sir Edmund Hillary has a long-standing involvement in Nepal through the development work carried out by his Himalayan Trust organisation. Sir Edmund's efforts are regarded highly in Nepal, and have been, and remain, a very positive element in the bilateral relationship.
"Evidence of this special relationship could be seen in the celebrations hosted by the Nepalese in May 2003 for Sir Ed to mark the 50th anniversary of his ascent of Mt Everest."
The adventure has continued as other New Zealanders attempted to scale Mt Everest and other peaks from time to time, some with success, including two women, Lydia Bradey in 1990 and Jan Arnold in1993.
One recent success was achieved on May 15, 2006, with the news that mountaineer Mark Inglis, a double leg-amputee, had successfully scaled the mountain. What a great adventure to report from Nepal about a New Zealander.
In addition, many New Zealanders have become great mountaineers, guides and team leaders through mountaineering exercises and expeditions in Nepal. They could not be recognised without their experience of Nepal's Himalayas.
Sir Edmund's love for the mountains and the Sherpas created the Himalayan Trust in 1960. He actively contributed as a chairman and in the last five years as a supporter.
His presence in the area was a big boost to Sherpa community development and contributed to the fulfilment of the basic needs of the community such as education and health, and to the opening of hospitals, health centres and a chain of schools. Through the trust, many New Zealanders have contributed their physical labour, skills and love to the local people.
And as a result of Sir Edmund's hard work, many Sherpas have become mountaineering operators, trek and tour operators, businessmen, educators and managers in the national and international arena.
He was the first to draw attention to littering in the Mt Everest area (particularly the South Col area). It was an eye-opener for the Government of Nepal, and necessary and practical measures were taken to reduce such pollution in what is called the "Abode of God" for Nepalese.
Sir Edmund was made an honorary Nepali citizen in 2003. He has also been a great help and support for the Nepali communities living in New Zealand and was the patron of the Nepali Society in New Zealand.
Other activities concerning the bilateral relationship and New Zealand-Nepal co-operation since the early 1950s have included New Zealand offering a number of scholarships for training, diplomas and degrees, particularly in forestry and dairying. There are quite a few New Zealand-trained experts in the Nepal Dairy and Ministry of Forestry.
And some Nepalese have been migrating to New Zealand over the past 40 years. Currently about 150 families are here as residents and citizens of New Zealand.
Similarly, some New Zealanders live in Nepal and run businesses, although the number can be counted on fingers.
Some 40 years ago, New Zealand used to send overseas development volunteers to Nepal to help in developmental works. In 1973 Nepal started a programme called the National Development Service. This included one year of compulsory social service as a part of an academic programme.
Two New Zealanders, Andrew and Diana Quaramby, helped develop a pilot project. It was introduced at the postgraduate level in 1974. This was a very successful programme in many ways, but was suspended in 1988 for political reasons.
Many New Zealand institutions still offer helping hands to Nepali institutions. The eye hospital of the University of Auckland has a regular programme of visiting and helping people through eye camps.
Although New Zealand works through Unicef and Oxfam, it would be more beneficial if New Zealand social organisations contributed directly to many demanding social and economic problems facing Nepal and the Nepalese.
Nepal regularly imports dairy products, particularly milk powder, and wool worth $14.3 million, and New Zealand imports $545,000 worth of textiles, clothing and footwear. Besides, a lot of New Zealand-based consultancy firms have work experience in Nepal and are able to win contracts from transnational agencies such as the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, USAID and ODA - providing substantial income for these consultancies.
Nepal is a very popular tourist destination for trekking and mountaineering. It is also popular for cultural and nature tourism. An average of 2500 New Zealand tourists visit Nepal every year. This number could go higher if political stability came to Nepal.
The estimated number of Nepalese coming to New Zealand is very limited.
What of future bilateral relations? In the present context of changing foreign policy towards Asia, Nepal could play an important role. China and India are now considered very important trade partners, covering a large part of the physical area and population of Asia.
Nepal is just in between and could be the centre of mountaineering and related studies, and hydropower development activities.
In such a context, and particularly with an improved political situation in Nepal, bilateral relations with New Zealand could be closer than ever before.
As a developing country, Nepal needs help in all of its developmental programmes. It has vast natural resources and untrained manpower. It needs ways to constructively exploit its resources for the use of its people.
New Zealand is a developed country with available technology and expertise in the needed fields.
This is where Kiwi experience can work, starting from high mountain adventures to tourism, horticulture, silviculture, wool and meat production. It might start as a co-operative venture but eventually go on to trade and business enterprises benefiting both Nepal and New Zealand.
Kiwis have a lot of interest in exploring opportunities for trade and business with Nepal, and the Nepal Government also encourages foreigners with relevant expertise to come and invest. There is plenty of room for closer, strategic ties.
In finding ways to remember Sir Edmund, strengthening bilateral ties by extending a cooperative hand towards Nepal would be beneficial for both nations. That would be a great tribute to Sir Edmund.
* Mahendra K. Giri is a Nepali who came to New Zealand as an immigrant in July 1996. He was founder and first president of the Waitakere Multicultural Society and is a member of the New Zealand Nepal Society. He has held high posts in Nepal and has met and maintained close contact with Sir Edmund and Lady June Hillary. This article constitutes his personal observations about the contribution of Sir Edmund.
