A helping hand

March 25, 2011Posted inCivil society2 Comments
Here's an announcement from Jurmi Chhowing. I won't be in Thimphu, but for those who are ... please attend. My apologies for going off the topic! I’m requesting personal help. We are trying to help raise whatever cash/kind we can for the Tsunami/Earthquake victims of Japan. Its called “A HELPING HAND” – (With The Journalist, Bhutan Today, Radio Valley, Kilu Bhutan Music School & Japanese friends & colleagues using their resources besides many others). We are building up to the event (a MUSIC concert by STUDENTS from KILU), and trying to create avenues/raise publicity for people to chip in…

Zoom on zoom

August 30, 2010Posted inCivil society
Quick updates on my previous post: I’ve uploaded some photographs in the gallery. Most of the officials who were invited to the art festival never did show up … But, many other visitors turned up, especially on the final evening … And, the prime minister made an unscheduled and unannounced visit to the closing ceremony of the festival. I applaud our PM.

Zoom on garbage

August 27, 2010Posted inCivil society, Nature11 Comments
Are you an important government official? If so, did you receive an invitation to attend Young Zoom on Garbage, the art festival currently on at the Clock Tower Square? And if so, did you make it to the festival? Chances are that you didn’t. Young Zoom on Garbage is meant to be an innovative and powerful way of drawing much needed attention to a very serious problem. So the organizers sent out more than 200 invitations for yesterday’s opening function. But only a handful showed up: barely 10% of the invitees were able to attend the inaugural ceremonies. That’s…

Spect-actors

June 21, 2010Posted inCivil society
I tried to avoid eye contact. And deliberately scanned the audience, desperately seeking the volunteer who would rescue me. But there was none. And, from the corner of my eye, I could see the emcee walking purposely towards me. “We have a volunteer,” she announced, smiling yet staring firmly at me. “Me?” I argued, and quickly looked left then right to my immediate neighbours, hopelessly expecting that she was addressing one of them. But the emcee was already looming over me. “Yes,” she declared, and led me on to the stage. As I steadied my buckling knees, I scolded…

Registering CSOs

May 13, 2010Posted inCivil society
Commenting on my last post, several readers reiterated that the Tarayana Foundation is doing some wonderful work. I agree. But did you know that Tarayana Foundation, established seven years ago, is not a registered CSO? Similarly, the Youth Development Fund, established 11 years ago, and RSPN, established 24 years ago, are not registered CSOs. We know that Tarayana, YDF and RSPN are doing a good job alleviating rural poverty, developing our youth and protecting our natural heritage respectively. They’ve proven it. We also know that many other NGOs have made significant contributions to the development of our country and…

Fighting poverty

May 11, 2010Posted inCivil society, Villages
A popular attraction at the recent Tarayana Fair was the Lhop house. The house, which barely measures 8 feet by 9 feet, had belonged to Ap Pen Tshering, and in it, he and his wife, Aum Gagay Lham, had raised their four children. 75 year-old Pen Tshering’s house had been dismantled and transported to Thimphu, where it was carefully reassembled to showcase the lifestyle of the Lhops, Bhutan’s first inhabitants. And Pen Tshering had been more than happy to abandon his house. After all, he had no need for it. Ap Pen Tshering, you see, had built a bigger,…

Happy birthday YDF

June 18, 2009Posted inCivil society
About ten years ago, His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo commanded the establishment of a sustainable funding mechanism for the development of our youth. So Her Majesty the Queen Mother, Ashi Tshering Pem Wangchuck, started the Youth Development Fund to realize the vision of our beloved monarch. During the last decade, Her Majesty has worked tirelessly to build this important institution, which has already benefited countless thousands of our youth. So on 16 June, when friends and supporters of YDF gathered at the Taj to celebrate its 10th anniversary, I respectfully offer tashi delek to Her Majesty and the…

Sustaining happiness

April 29, 2009Posted inCivil society, Monarchy
I’m in Phuentsholing, on my way back from a special trip to my constituency. I went there to receive Her Majesty the Queen Mother, Ashi Sangay Choden Wangchuck, who visited Sombaykha and Gakiling in my constituency, and then to accompany the royal entourage to Dumtoe and Dorokha in Samtse.Her Majesty trekked for eight straight days, from the freezing Tergo-la in Haa to the hot and humid Yaba-la in Samtse. She undertook this arduous journey – trudging in the cold winds and snow, in the rain among leeches, and in the sun in sweltering heat – to meet the people…

Nazhoen Pelri, Phuntsholing

April 15, 2009Posted inCivil society, Monarchy
Yesterday I had the good fortune of attending the opening ceremony of Nazhoen Pelri, YDF’s youth hostel in Phuntsholing. The hostel was inaugurated by the YDF President, Her Majesty Ashi Tshering Pem Wangchuck. I am pleased the post Her Majesty’s address to YDF supporters, the Phuntsholing community and the youth of Bhutan.Almost four years have passed since the Youth Development Fund initiated our plan of making a hostel in Phuntsholing, a hostel which will be useful for providing the youth with low cost housing. Today, our plans have finally become a reality and we now have Nazhoen Pelri Youth…

Women warriors

March 21, 2009Posted inCivil society, Monarchy, Women
Fourteen villages in my constituency, most of them in Gakiling gewog, do not have electricity. Every night, women in these villages turn their rangthang, a traditional stone mill, grinding buckwheat, maize and millet for several hours in virtual darkness. Working the rangthang is hard work in the best of conditions. But in the dark, by a hearth that offers more smoke than light, grinding food is a lonely and backbreaking exercise. Yet is must be done, for they must feed their families the next day.So yesterday, when 35 women from similar villages across Bhutan announced that, in three months,…

Celebrating women

March 8, 2009Posted inCivil society, Women
Today the world celebrates the achievements of women. Today is International Women’s Day.When I last checked, the IWD website had registered that 841 events would take place in 54 countries to observe International Women’s Day. And according to a press release from RENEW, Bhutan alone will hold five events – in Paro, Phuentsoling, Sarpang, Thimphu and Trongsa.Her Majesty Ashi Sangay Choden Wangchuck, the founding president of RENEW, will grace the celebrations in Trongsa and address the nation. This is fortunate. Her Majesty works tirelessly to raise awareness and improve the conditions of our women. And to create social, economical…

Calling young artists

January 24, 2009Posted inCivil society
Asha Karma and his volunteers at VAST are offering a ten-day basic art course for students. The classes start tomorrow. But, so far, only five students have registered. And they need at least ten to make the classes viable.The art course is a good idea. Most children enjoy working with their hands. They love to create: to draw, to paint and to build. But good instruction on art and craft is not easy to find.The VAST course is packed with good instruction and healthy fun. Children will enjoy a range of activities from basic drawing, sketching and charcoal to…

Dragon Mania

January 3, 2009Posted inCivil society
There’s a festival going on at the Clock Tower Square. It’s an art festival. And it features the dragon, our county’s namesake. Young artists have gathered to create dragons of all types, sizes and colours. And our children are invited.Take your children there. It’s warm and sunny outside. And the organizers have put together a range of activities to keep children and parents busy and interested. Naturally, there are plenty of dragons. Plus there are exhibitions, calligraphy, music, outdoor chess, street art, juggling, on-the-spot art classes, and rock climbing.Rock climbing? Yes, rock climbing. The clock tower, it turns out,…