Kantipur Conclave 2026 began in Kathmandu on Monday, bringing together political leaders, thinkers, policymakers, entrepreneurs, journalists and young activists for two days of debate on Nepal’s political, social and economic challenges.

Organised by Kantipur Media Group, the conclave aims to create a common platform for dialogue at a time marked by political instability, institutional weakness and growing public dissatisfaction.

In his welcome speech, KMG chairman Kailash Sirohiya said Nepal is heading towards another election amid growing public frustration, driven in part by protests led by younger generations demanding broader democratic accountability.

He said democracy should not be reduced to periodic polls, noting that despite multiple elections, peace, prosperity and public trust remain elusive.

Sirohiya said the real strength of democracy lies not only in the ballot box but in informed citizens, debate and dialogue.

“A conscious society is built on accurate information, discussion and dialogue,” Sirohiya said while addressing the opening day of the fifth edition of the conclave in Kathmandu. He said KMG has continued to promote forums for debate on issues of national importance alongside its daily journalism.

He added that the conclave is part of KMG’s effort to encourage public discourse and reflect public opinion at a time when the country stands at a critical crossroads.

Mahesh Swar, chief executive officer of Kantipur Media Group, said the conclave seeks to bring diverse voices together to discuss the country’s core problems and explore shared solutions. “This is not merely a formal conference. It is a national initiative to move from uncertainty towards clarity and collective direction,” he said.

The conclave features 52 speakers from Nepal and abroad. Nobel Peace Prize laureate, writer and jurist Shirin Ebadi is the keynote speaker.

The first day opens with From Protests to Possibilities, featuring Emel Mathlouthi, the Tunisian-American singer-songwriter known as a voice of the Arab Spring; Kamanthi Wickremasinghe, senior journalist at Sri Lanka’s Daily Mirror; Marzana Mahanaj, research associate at the Centre of Governance Studies, Bangladesh; and Nepali Gen Z activist Tanuja Pandey. The session will be moderated by Biswas Baral, editor of The Kathmandu Post.

This will be followed by Gen Z Revolt: Story of a Shoe, in which Prakash Bohara will recount the personal and political story linked to his injury during the Gen Z protests.

In Revisiting Nepal’s Revolutions, political analyst CK Lal will reflect on Nepal’s political movements and their long-term implications.

The session What’s Funny about Politics? In Nepal, Almost Everything will bring together comedians Adarsha Mishra, Sita Neupane, Prabhat Lama and Sundar Khanal, with Manoj Gajurel moderating the discussion on satire and politics.

A conversation titled The End of Ideology? will feature political scientist Hari Sharma and politician Ghanashyam Bhusal.

The first day concludes with Rebuilding Economy, Restoring Confidence. The panel includes Biswo Nath Poudel, governor of Nepal Rastra Bank; Chandra Dhakal, president of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industries; Nirvana Chaudhary, managing director of CG Corp Global; Michael Foley, chief executive officer of Ncell; and Aanchal Kunwar, managing director of Daraz. Economist Nishant Khanal will moderate the session.

The second day begins with Public Discourse in the Age of Algorithms. Panellists include AI scientist Dovan Rai; Prateek Pradhan, editor-in-chief of baahrakhari.com; Asheem Man Singh Basnyat, head of Pathao Nepal; and politician Nisha Adhikari. The session will be moderated by Dipesh Tripathi, founder of The Nepali Comment.

The People’s Panel will feature Durga Prasain, medical entrepreneur and activist; politician Rishi Dhamala; and politician Khushbu Oli. Journalist Sama Thapa of Kantipur Television will moderate the session, with mediaperson Santosh Deuja also participating.

In Nepal in Multipolar Crosshairs, experts will discuss Nepal’s geopolitical position amid competing global powers. Panellists include Gao Liang, deputy director of the Nepal Study Centre at Sichuan University; Sneha Kumcha, research analyst at the South Asia Centre of MP-IDSA, India; Robert York, director of regional affairs at the Pacific Forum, the US; and Mrigendra Karki, executive director of the Centre for Nepal and Asian Studies at Tribhuvan University. The session will be moderated by Anup Kaphle, editor-in-chief of Rest of World.

The session New Voices of Republic will bring together Gen Z activist Raksha Bam, youth leader Ajay Kushwaha and Gen Z activist Majid Ansari. The discussion will be moderated by Daya Dudraj, journalist at Kantipur Daily. Gen Z activist Pradip Gyawali will also participate.

All seven provincial chief ministers will then take the stage in Federalism on Trial: System or Solution?. Participants include Hikmat Kumar Karki of Koshi Province, Krishna Prasad Yadav of Madhesh Province, Indra Bahadur Baniya of Bagmati Province, Surendra Raj Pandey of Gandaki Province, Chet Narayan Acharya of Lumbini Province, Yamlal Kandel of Karnali Province and Kamal Bahadur Shah of Sudurpaschim Province. The session will be moderated by Rupesh Shrestha, news chief of Kantipur Television.

The conclave will conclude with Policy, Politicians and Leadership. The panel includes Pradip Paudel, general secretary of the Nepali Congress; Yogesh Bhattarai, deputy general secretary of CPN-UML; and Sumana Shrestha, politician and former minister. Umesh Chauhan, editor-in-chief of Kantipur Daily, will moderate the session.

Kantipur Media Group said Kantipur Conclave 2026 is a national initiative aimed at collective reflection on Nepal’s future, seeking to transform uncertainty and mistrust into clarity through dialogue on politics, democracy, technology, the economy and geopolitics.