Nepal Became Part of Who I Am: Former US Envoy DeLisi

More than a decade after completing his diplomatic tenure in Nepal, former US Ambassador Scott H. DeLisi (2010–2012) continues to remain deeply connected to the country he says “became part of who I am.” Now serving as Executive Director of Engage Nepal, a nonprofit working in healthcare, education, livelihoods and climate adaptation, DeLisi along with his wife Leija is currently in Nepal to oversee a range of philanthropic initiatives. In this conversation with Republica Editor Kosh Raj Koirala, DeLisi reflects on Nepal’s political evolution, the resilience and generosity of its people and his enduring bond with the country decades after first arriving here. He also speaks about youth migration, healthcare, education, climate adaptation and the untapped potential of the Nepali diaspora.

Excerpts:

You served as US Ambassador to Nepal from April 2010 to June 2012, a period when Nepal was going through a difficult political transition after a decade-long Maoist conflict. Since then, Nepal has promulgated a new constitution and held three parliamentary elections under the federal system. Looking at Nepal today, what changes encourage you the most?

I have only been back for a few days, so time will tell. But I have been following events in Nepal over the past months, and I'm very encouraged by the new government. It was time for generational change.

When I was ambassador here, our engagement with young people was always with the understanding that this generation would ultimately shape the direction of the nation. The question was whether there would be a genuinely new vision for Nepal, or simply a new generation copying the patterns of the old.

I think it was time for change and I welcome it. What I'm hearing from people so far is a message of hope and promise, along with a recognition that there are challenges ahead. Every government can have the best intentions, but there are always unintended consequences. Something I learned as a diplomat is that you manage those challenges, balance them, and move forward.

Like many people I have spoken with in Nepal, I am hopeful that we will see a Nepal better prepared to deal with the challenges of this century and of a rapidly changing world. Nepal has to change with it and I hope this new government will help lead that change.

Even after completing your diplomatic assignment in Kathmandu, you have remained actively engaged with Nepal through initiatives such as Engage Nepal. What inspired you and your wife to continue working for Nepal after retirement from diplomatic service?

That sense of engagement with the world - the opportunity to make a difference - came to define me over 35 years as a career diplomat. That does not just disappear when you retire. You still want to help, to do something positive, to reflect the vision you have for the world.

There is a lot of need in the world and many ways to contribute. But for my wife, Leija, and me, Nepal was a very special place. My first visit was in 1982 and I had come many times before becoming ambassador.

Ambassador DeLisi with his wife Leija

I have seen tremendous changes in Nepal, but one thing hasn't changed: the people. Nepalis have always shown us tremendous generosity of spirit, decency, compassion and a willingness to engage in a way I did not always find in every country where I served. That touched our hearts.

So, when we asked ourselves where we wanted to continue this work, Nepal simply felt right. I have been honored and humbled to have the chance to continue trying to help.

What inspires me most are the partners we work with - their dedication to the people of Nepal. There is still tremendous poverty and many challenges, and if we can help change lives for the better, I'm all for it.

Engage Nepal has been working in areas such as livelihoods, climate adaptation, education, and healthcare. Among these efforts, which interventions do you believe have created the most meaningful or lasting impact so far?

That is a tough question because I'm proud of all our partners.

Some of the work we're doing with Home Net Nepal has real long-term potential. I especially appreciate their work with women - women with disabilities, survivors of violence, single mothers, women who are often forgotten. Giving them a chance to feel empowered and build a hopeful future for themselves is incredibly meaningful.

We are also beginning a new partnership in pediatric health. I'm optimistic that we'll enter into a three- to four-year commitment focused on child health in at least four districts in Nepal. Children are the future, and if we neglect their health and education, we do a disservice to the nation.

Another project is with Project Hope, where we're working in three municipalities to improve the quality of education, especially for disadvantaged children. Wealthier families can access private tuition, but for poorer families, education is the door to opportunity. If children don't receive quality education, that door can slam shut.

We are building partnerships with local governments willing to invest in their people, and together I hope we'll create lasting change.

One of Nepal’s growing concerns today is the decline in external funding, including support from agencies such as USAID. In your view, how can Nepal strengthen rural healthcare delivery while reducing long-term dependence on foreign aid?

I look at organizations like the Binayatara Foundation and their work in cancer prevention and building a world-class cancer hospital in Janakpur. This isn't being done through massive government aid programs. These are local initiatives led by committed people raising funds to make a difference.

The challenge is always resources. We struggle every year to raise money for our programs, and so do many of our partners.

But I think there's tremendous untapped potential in the Nepali diaspora community, especially in the United States. Nepalis there are increasingly successful - professors, engineers, scientists, doctors. Initially, immigrants focus on building a life abroad, but now many are established and in a position to think about how they can help back home.

I would like to see stronger systems of accountability and collaboration. Often people donate money informally to someone they know, but there's no transparency about what happens afterward.

This is where Engage Nepal hopes to play a role: building connections among organizations and encouraging more strategic, collective efforts in health, education, and livelihoods.

With international aid declining, we need to think differently. We may never recreate the old aid systems, but we can preserve a culture of giving, caring and engagement.

When we started Engage Nepal, we had almost no money and focused on small projects. Now, because we have built relationships with strong partner organizations, we're trying to think more strategically about broader, long-term impact.

Nepal’s post-conflict transition carried promises of jobs and opportunities for young people, yet large numbers of Nepali youths continue to leave the country for foreign employment. What sectors or opportunities do you think should Nepal prioritize to create sustainable livelihoods at home?

I am not enough of an expert to claim I have the answers, but I think many thoughtful people have already raised these questions and simply weren't listened to.

Past governments did not focus enough on agriculture, job creation or the fact that the world itself is changing dramatically. Technology is transforming economies everywhere.

The future of work is changing. Artificial intelligence, automation and digital economies are redefining employment globally. Nepal's challenge is to prepare young people for that future.

I remember inaugurating the Deerwalk campus when I was ambassador. The promoter Rudra Pandey understood that Nepal needed to prepare young people for fields like software engineering and technology.

In fact, I am visiting Deerwalk during my visit this time because I have asked students there to help redesign the Engage Nepal website. I think it is wonderful that young Nepalis are contributing in that way.

The world today is very different. Geographic borders no longer define us the way they once did. Nepal does not have to see itself merely as "a yam between two boulders." Nations must think creatively and proactively about how they engage the world.

The future belongs to the next generation. These are the questions they must ask and answer.

Climate change has emerged as another major challenge for Nepal, despite the country contributing very little to global emissions. What kinds of climate adaptation efforts do you think deserve greater international attention and support?

Those are the big policy questions leaders in Washington and Kathmandu need to address. I ca not shape global climate policy anymore, so I ask myself: what can we do?

I look at small projects like Green Homes, Green Kathmandu. It works at the household and ward level, encouraging people to make small but meaningful contributions. The project has expanded into green schools, getting children involved too.

In Solukhumbu, we're helping restore communal ponds that villages depended on for centuries but that dried up because of climate change. We can't stop climate change ourselves, but we can help communities adapt.

These restored ponds are once again collecting rainwater, helping villages survive and giving young people a reason to stay.

The work may be local and modest, but it matters.

You have maintained a deep connection with Nepal over several decades. On a personal level, what has Nepal taught you, and how has the country shaped your worldview?

Nepal has changed me deeply.

It is hard to define exactly how, but it comes from observing the culture, the people, the harmony between Hinduism and Buddhism and the way Nepalis rebuilt coexistence after conflict. I've seen countries go through conflict and never recover that sense of social harmony.

You may know I wrote a book about The Ambassador's Dog*, inspired by a trek in Upper Mustang. After publication, people from the Campaign for Tibet told me the book captured elements of Tibetan Buddhist spirituality. I had not consciously intended that, but I realized Nepal's worldview had influenced me profoundly.

Nepal became part of who I am.

There are places here that ground us emotionally. For my wife and me, Bouddha Nath is one of those places. We feel peace there.

And it is the everyday kindness that stays with us. We are older now. Leija had surgeries and uses a cane. I broke my ankle recently. But everywhere we go in Nepal, people help us - not because I was once an ambassador, but simply out of respect and kindness.

That generosity and humanity have touched us deeply.

I remember during my first visits in the 1980s, people in villages inviting strangers into their homes to share dal-bhat, even when they themselves had little. That resilience and sense of community left a lasting impression on me.

Looking back over your long association with Nepal, was there any particular moment or interaction that fundamentally changed your perspective about life or development work?

There were many.

I remember visiting farming communities in the Terai where development projects introduced higher-value crops. One woman told us, "Now my husband doesn't have to go to India for work."

Another powerful moment came through an early Engage Nepal women's entrepreneurship project in Biratnagar. We helped provide training and sewing machines. One woman told me she no longer had to wait for her husband to send money from abroad because she herself could now pay her daughter's school fees.

I saw the pride in her face. I saw how empowerment changes lives, families, and futures.

Experiences like that transformed my understanding of what truly matters.

When I joined the State Department decades ago, I never imagined that helping people in these deeply personal ways would become so important to me.

The Nepal Youth Foundation's nutritional rehabilitation work also affected me profoundly. For about $400, a child suffering from severe malnutrition could receive treatment and a chance at a healthy future. It amazed me how difficult it sometimes was to raise such relatively small amounts of money for something so life-changing.

But these experiences reinforced for me that engagement matters. Helping others changes not only their lives but our own.

You remain remarkably active and engaged even years after retirement. What continues to motivate you to keep working in and for Nepal more than a decade after your ambassadorship?

The world is a richly beautiful place, and we can make a difference in it.

There is a reward in giving of yourself, in engaging the world constructively rather than allowing anger and frustration to dominate your life.

This is also the example I want to set for my children and grandchildren. I do not need to impress anyone anymore. I simply want to live in a way that feels meaningful.

Being active and engaged is what keeps us alive. If I sat at home all day watching television, all my aches and pains would define me. Instead, we stay active - whether through travel, gardening, walking our dogs or working in nature.

These things bring richness to life.

So, my philosophy is simple: don't stop. Never stop. Just keep going.

*Corrected