October, 2009
Talking democracy in world’s youngest democracy
Asia has the promise of democracy with democratically elected Governments in all of South Asia and in many other parts of the region. Countries in Asia have adopted different systems and models of democracy that have been influenced by their historical past. Countries like Bhutan and Maldives, two of the world’s youngest ... [more]
Bhutan leads again
Bhutan once more made headlines in the regional media. This time it was the youngest democracy in the world bringing together its South Asian neighbors for a dialogue on democracy. Last week about 100 representatives from several Asian countries met in Paro for three days to share and learn from each ... [more]
A little light in a dark place
World Poverty Day 17 October, 2009 - uneven rock and earth mounds fill the path leading to the small ramshackle traditional Bhutanese house on the outskirts of Thimphu. The low door on the ground floor is open. Inside Zangmo, 11, with short cropped hair, matted with dust, rests on her ... [more]
Bhutanese in NY raise funds for quake victims
A group of Bhutanese in New York are raising funds for the earthquake victims in Bhutan. According to Tashi Dorji, the coordinator, they have collected around 5,800 USD which will be transferred to HM’s kidu fund. Tashi has created a temporary blog, www.earthquakeinbhutan. blogspot.com, where the list of contributors and links ... [more]
Democracy – Moving from conference to culture
17 October, 2009 - The high profile three-day democracy conference in Paro ended on a high note with experts and intellectuals lauding the success of the conference. Some are even taking home lessons and ideas from the conference. Back home, the prime minister Lyonchhoen Jigme Y Thinley summed up our ... [more]
JD National Park chosen for McArthur Foundation funding
Jigme Dorji National Park, which covers five dzongkhags (Paro, Thimphu, Gasa, Wangdue Phodrang and Punakha), has been identified as the first reserve forest in the country to receive funding from the McArthur Foundation for conservation efforts. The funds received will be used for the sustainable community-based nature tourism to make the ... [more]
Moral Intelligence in a Democratic Polity
It does not seem naive to imagine that our small and spiritually vibrant society can provide a lush environment for a morally intelligent democratic polity to grow and sustain. It will be naive to think we can build a paradise of democracy without hard work, deep political sincerity, and inner ... [more]
Youth network for climate action
A group of young volunteers in Thimphu have set up a network called Bhutanese Youth for Climate Action (BYCA).The network will be formally launched on October 24 in Thimphu, coinciding with the International Day of Climate Action. The network’s main objective is to strengthen actions to tackle climate change. The immediate emphasis ... [more]
Deepening Asian democracies
The three-day regional conference on deepening and sustaining democracy in Paro provided an opportunity for 12 Asian countries to share experiences and learn from each other’s successes and failures. It was found that countries in Asia have adopted different systems and models of democracy that have been influenced by their historical ... [more]
Dungse Rinpoche administered oral transmission
His Holiness Dungse Rinpoche on Wednesday administered oral transmission– bazaguru lung—to thousands of devotees in Royal Bhutan Police ground in Thimphu. His Holiness Dungse Thinley Norbu Rinpoche, a pre-eminent teacher of the Nyingma lineage of Tibetan Buddhism, is in Bhutan on a month-long visit with his two sons, daughter and 28 ... [more]