By: Karen Velazquez

On September 9th Nepal witnessed something remarkable as hundreds of thousands of youth rose up against entrenched power, corruption, and censorship. The protests were sparked by a government ban on 26 social media platforms and quickly transformed from outrage into organized civic action. 

A non-governmental group called Hami Nepal set up the democratic process using Discord, a tool typically associated with gaming or subcultures. Hami Nepal invited people to debate, vote, and deliberate on leadership and next steps. Discord servers became digital town halls as thousands participated in polls, discussions, and ultimately nominated former chief justice, Sushila Karki as interim Prime Minister.

For the first time in electoral history, young members of Generation Z are using a digital platform to guide political transition. This highlights the adaptability of democracy, even under pressure. In the face of censorship, violence, and lack of accountability; democracy still finds cracks through which light can enter. There is hope, resilience, and power.

This movement underscores how digital technologies, inequality, and human rights converge with echoes of the 2010 Arab Spring. In both cases, social media and digital tools played outsized roles as civil society members were pushed to the brink over unemployment, corruption, exclusion, and oppression. But unlike many Arab Spring cases, where revolutions collapsed into repression, Nepal points to the possibility of sustainable reform.

Nepal offers a lesson for the world and for young people everywhere: activism + organization + digital technology can reshape power. Democracy lives in the voices of those who refuse to be silenced.