Story number 1 for 29 Oct 2002

(Nepal)–Topping the news, Nepal’s Maoist rebels say they are ready for peace talks. An increasingly deadly insurgency has racked the Himalayan kingdom for six years. Against the backdrop of a newly appointed Cabinet, FARMS International’s Joseph Richter trained a partnership outreach. With the ministry in its fledgling stages, he’s keeping an eye on the current events. “The new government, right now, that was installed by the king has come with much opposition. I don’t know exactly how this is going to play out, whether things will stabilize, or things will get worse.” Richter says church body is eager for the help FARMS brings to their poverty-stricken country. “It’s made it a little more difficult in some areas, but in fact, the believers there see this as a real encouragement at a time when they’re oppressed not only by the Hindu government of Nepal, but now, also by the Communist Maoists.”