Stella Tamang: Inspirations

Inspired by the work of Stella Tamang, Nepal Forum for Restorative Justice established a peace award called “Stella Tamang Peace Innovations Award”. Please find more about her below:

Stella Tamang is the founder and executive director of Bikalpa Gyan Tatha Bikas Kendra and the Alternative Traditional Learning and Development Center, as well as the founder and principal of Bhrikuti Secondary School. A passionate activist, she has dedicated more than 40 years of her life to advancing the rights of children, adolescent girls, and women, with a particular focus on indigenous communities, religious minorities, and socially, economically, and politically marginalized groups. Mrs. Tamang is the founding chair and advisor of the National Indigenous Women’s Federation of Nepal and the founder of Nepal Tamang Women Ghedung. 

Born on the outskirts of Kathmandu, in Nepal’s Gorkha district, Mrs. Tamang was the first member of her tribe to receive formal education. Her parents’ work as laborers in a mine in Burma provided her the opportunity to attend school, an experience that profoundly shaped her worldview and inspired her to champion education for underprivileged children, adolescent girls, and women. Recognizing the transformative power of education, she collaborated with various NGOs to create alternatives that empower marginalized groups to access learning opportunities. 

Mrs. Tamang has been a longstanding advocate in Nepal’s peacebuilding efforts. She served as a member of the Peace and Conflict Management Committee of Nepal and as a commissioner on the Government of Nepal’s High-Level State Restructuring Commission. She is currently the vice president of the Nepal Transition to Peace Institute, a former board member of the Minority Rights Group UK, and an international trainer in nonviolent conflict resolution at Kurve Wustrow, Germany. Additionally, she is a member of the Women Peace Program in the Netherlands, an advisor to the International Network of Engaged Buddhists in Thailand, and a board member of Cultural Survival, USA. 

Expanding her efforts in education, Mrs. Tamang established Bikalpa Gyan Kendra, an organization dedicated to eradicating child labor through alternative educational initiatives. She introduced programs such as the Bikalpa Women Education Program, Bikalpa Aangan School, Bikalpa Open Class, and Bikalpa Mobile School, which provide life skills and learning-based education to underprivileged children, girls, and women. Recognizing that many individuals view their suffering as an inescapable reality, she founded a center for alternative learning to empower young girls with the tools to understand and overcome systemic challenges. 

Mrs. Tamang’s work has been widely recognized. She is a recipient of the prestigious One Hundred Heroines Award from Rochester, USA, and has twice received the National Education Day Award from Government of Nepal.