Democracy First Responders - Nepal - Narayan Adhikari
b'In this series of Global, we\\u2019re meeting some of these \\u201cDemocracy First Responders.\\u201d We\\u2019ll travel around the world \\u2013 virtually, of course \\u2013 and talk to politicians, activists, medical workers, journalists, tech pioneers, government officials, and everyday citizens like you and me. These are very different people, but everyone we spoke with has one goal in common: To respond to this crisis successfully and protect their country\\u2019s democratic institutions \\u2013 or even build new ones. \\n\\nSituations like the coronavirus can quickly become a catalyst for social conflict through the spread of rumors and misinformation. Unfortunately, Nepal is no stranger to this dynamic, but neither is the Accountability Lab. After the Gorkha earthquake in April 2015, the Lab immediately began gathering, validating and disseminating essential information so citizens could decide how to react AND hold the government accountable for its response. Recently, the Lab launched the Coronavirus CivActs Campaign to counter COVID-19 disinformation, give citizens access to real facts, and give leaders the data they need to make better decisions.'