Volunteerism and Social Responsibility
Being a mountainous country with rugged terrain and isolated villages/ communities, living conditions for many people in Bhutan tend to be quite difficult. In spite of a rich pristine environment, the resources available to the people are limited. Such circumstances have been partly responsible for people learning to depend on mutual help within communities.
Born out of necessity, the tendency of receiving and rendering voluntary help became a part of traditional belief systems and national ethos.
In Bhutan, some of the labour intensive works that family or an individual has to take up include building of a house, and farming activities such as sowing, transplanting and harvesting of crops. Such tasks are labour-intensive and difficult to complete if left entirely to an individual or a family; and in a remote place with scarce population where everyone fends for oneself, hired labour is difficult to get. In order to cope with such difficulties, Bhutanese society evolved a system whereby the entire community rendered help to a person or a family in need. Such help comprises provision of free labour by each household of a village towards construction of new houses and rebuilding those gutted by fire or destroyed by natural calamities. In the case of farming activities such as sowing, transplanting and harvesting, each household provides manpower to the other for a number of days on the basis of reciprocity.
Death of a family member is the other occasion when people need help. On such occasions the entire village community stands by the bereaved family by extending monetary help, food grains, emotional support, religious services and manpower.
For carrying out major public projects such as constructing buildings, temples, dzongs and monasteries, the entire community comes forward to provide resources and labour at the village, gewog (block), dzongkhag (district) and national levels. Taktsang monastery in Paro dzongkhag was built that way. After it was partially destroyed by fire, people volunteered and organized manpower for its restoration.
From the traditional view point, such form of cooperation is a continuation of the Bhutanese way of depending on one another for protecting and promoting the welfare of the villages, gewog, dzongkhag and the country. When development work in the country started in 1961, the government provided money and material, while people in their respective dzongkhag and gewog contributed labour for a variety of projects such as building of schools, health centres, irrigation channels and similar public utility works.
For Bhutanese society, giving away possession without expecting anything in return is a virtue and the highest form of selfless action. “It was customary on the part of our forefathers to give alms to the needy and the same holds true even now.” Quite a number of laities support gomchen (lay monk) and anim (nuns) by providing them cash, ration and other basic necessities on a regular basis.
Rendering voluntary service for the welfare of the society is part of tradition and ethos of the Bhutanese people. Students take part in clean-up campaigns and community services. A common initiative of graduates during the annual National Graduates’ Orientation Programme continues to be the raising of funds for the needy sections of society, as well as volunteering labour towards renovation of monasteries and lhakhang.
Under the leadership of the present Je Khenpo, the chief abbot of Bhutan, the Choethuen Tshogpa has taken initiative in renovating the monasteries and sacred places all over Bhutan. Its members include villagers, business community and the civil service personnel. Material contribution comes from those who have the money while physical labour is offered by those who are unable to donate money. “As citizens we should be aware that we have the ability and the will to serve our community. We need not depend on the government to do everything for us. It is, therefore, necessary for us, irrespective of our social status and vocation, to encourage and promote volunteerism. The ultimate aim is to protect the interest and promote the welfare of the community through our own effort,” said a volunteer.
By: Tashi Choden, (Adapted from Traditional Forms of Volunteerism in Bhutan, Published by the Centre for Bhutan Studies)