Nepal is a country inhabited by 133 ethnic groups, yet it is dominated by a power structure that empowers only those from a few elite classes. In July of 2015, members of Nepal’s Madhesi ethnic community began protesting against their marginalization in a movement that the government responded to with little compromise or willingness to accommodate this group within the national framework. Madhesi protesters created a massive blockade along the Nepal-India border that is ongoing and has lead to economic and humanitarian concerns so severe that many are calling the movement “the second earthquake.” Nearly 60 Madheshi protesters have been killed in the past five months by Nepal police forces and there is currently no resolution in sight to this struggle.

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