Freedom of Expression

Thier opinion through my journey

2011-11-21T21:31:00.000-08:00

As I traveled for almost two weeks meeting with the newly elected local government leaders of Thimphu, Paro, Haa, Wangdue, Punakha, Gasa, Tsirang, Dagana, Samtse and Chhukha to orient them on the Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic Substance and Substance Abuse Act 2005 and Tobacco Control Act of Bhutan 2011 and related issues, I have been greeted well by these leaders and Geog Administrative Officers (GAOs).

Over the weeks, I have given with lots of insights and impacts of these laws. On the drugs, merely any queries were there. But on the tobacco control act, there were numerous questions and queries. Some of the questions the local leaders and the GAOs raised were:

1. Did any of the parliamentarians consult the general public on these issues since the draft bill remained there for almost two years?
2. There are talks on the amendment of the Tobacco Control Act. Did any of the MPs ask the implementing agencies on this?
3. Few raised that should the parliament amend the Act just because few elite and urban dwellers raised some issues on the forums? What about the majority of the people living in the rural areas? Aren’t their opinions are important?
4. Some MPs are seen smoking, Are they checked whether they possess any receipt or not? If checked, who checks them?
5. In the olden times, after the parliament session is concluded, the representatives come and brief the resolutions of the outcome, but not these days. Why is it?

These were some of the major opinions raised by the local leaders and GAOs as the democracy matures along.

How Moral are our Bhutanese Media are?

2011-11-13T19:20:00.000-08:00

The latest BBC’s IQ2 debate on the theme “MEDIA HAVE NO MORALS” during 2011 Festival of Dangerous Ideas the held in Opera House, Sydney, Australia has sparked few thoughts in me about how moral are our local media in Bhutan.

Like any other democracy, media in Bhutan is also considered the fourth arm of the government and is often called the “Watch Dog”. However, in the recent years Bhutanese media have faced numerous challenges. One prominent challenge the media today face is the survival and sustainability. When the multi-billion media company like BBC, Aljazeera or Fox News are questioned by the consumers about their credibility and morality, I wonder how credible or what morality does our media have considering their struggle to sustain themselves., with very few not professionally trained reporters and their infancy. If it fortunate that , until now, we did not any reports of media not being morally high,. Till today, they have never been questioned any of the media by the consumers, on their morality. Yet there are gossips that each media is inclined to their own agenda than they are required by the basic principle of journalism. Despite of lack of enough evidences, many readers talk of their choice because each media brings the same issue much more differently except on few occasions.

In Bhutan media houses are fully dependent on the government advertisements. They also depend on the government policies and implementations when it comes to making headlines. And they are also regulated by the government. One of the speakers Mrs. Mona Eltahawy during the BBC debate said that media should be regulated by the government irrespective of the government “dictatorship or democracy”. She quoted the example how it hampered the morals of journalists in Egypt.

The speakers also mentioned how international media companies are swayed by the money and other incentives. They mentioned that even the same company broadcasting or publishing the news in different languages differ in their content on the basis of where they are published or broadcast. They cited Aljazeera English and Aljazeera Arabic.

In short, if even the multi-billion media companies are swayed by the some factors, I am worried how much our small media houses with limited markets, with no professional journalists could have absolute high morals in future. This article is just a tip of the ice-berg and hope to bring more issue on this theme.

Note: This is not to offend any media international or local, the issue is brought out of curiosity and apologize if this article hurts the sentiments of any individual or organization.

UN Volunteers Day 2012 preparation:

2011-11-03T20:09:00.000-07:00

Internationally acclaimed singerdedicates song to volunteers worldwide as UN General Assembly prepares forlandmark volunteerismdiscussion.

Internationally acclaimed singer and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, AngéliqueKidjo, joined forces with the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme this week,ahead of a 5 DecemberUN General Assembly Session on volunteerism.UNV’s message to Member States is clear -millions of volunteers are changing lives for the better every day and with better recognition and support much more can be done.

When the internationally acclaimed singer, AngéliqueKidjo, is not wowing audiences with her music she is often volunteering to help UNICEFadvocate for children. As a Goodwill Ambassador, Ms. Kidjo travels to refugee camps and far-flung villages in some of the world’s poorest countries. On a recent trip she met a child soldier and a victim of rape and shared her music with them. “The moment I saw them smile I had won the battle againstthesolitaryconfinement they had put themselves in because of their trauma,” she said.“Volunteering matters to me because there are many things all of us can do every day to helpothers.”

Ms. Kidjo is among the millions who volunteer worldwide every year. From the community health volunteer whose medical know-how reaches the remotest places, to the rescue-trained volunteer who joins government efforts to bring relief when disaster strikes, volunteers are changing lives every day, says UNV Executive Coordinator, Flavia Pansieri. In fact, a recent study of 36 countries estimated that 140 million people engage in volunteer work annually, which taken together, would comprise the 9th largest country in the world.

This week Ms. Kidjo dedicated her song ‘Agolo’ to volunteers everywhere ahead of a landmark UN General Assembly session, which will be the culmination of the tenth-anniversary of the International Year of Volunteers.Hopes are high that the 5 December Session will result in better recognition and support for volunteering.

“If volunteering were better recognized and supported, it would have the power to change many more lives, and evenhelp the world reduce poverty, environmental degradation and other major challenges of our times,” Ms. Pansieri said. “This is our message to the UN Member States.”

Ahead of the Session UNV is calling on volunteers, especially UN Volunteers and Online volunteers, to show the world why volunteering matters by sending a photo that demonstrates the power of volunteer action where they are serving. UNV is active in 130 countries every year, and for this campaignaims to collect one photo from every country in the world. The globalphoto collection will be online and a mosaic of photos collected will be revealed on 7 December.

To furtherstrengthenthe case for volunteering, UNV will also release the first-ever State of the World’s Volunteerism Report on 5 December – International Volunteer Day.

Through her work with UNICEF, Ms. Kidjo says her respect forUN Volunteers and community volunteers has grown immensely because they inspire lasting change.“People might not remember your name as a volunteer, but they will remember how you have helped them to take the lead in their own life.”

You can join the global effort to show why volunteering matter in the lead-up to International Volunteer Day bysending photos from where you are. Simply visit: http://volunteeringmatters.unv.org and follow as the world lights up with examples of volunteer action from every country in the world.

For more information, please contact: elisabeth.hiller@unvolunteers.org.

About UNV:The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme is the UN organization that promotes volunteerism to support peace and development worldwide. Volunteerism can transform the pace and nature of development, and it benefits both society at large and the individual volunteer. UNV contributes to peace and development by advocating for volunteerism globally, encouraging partners to integrate volunteerism into development programming, and mobilizing volunteers.UNV directly mobilizes more than 7,700 UN Volunteers every year nationally and internationally, with 80 per cent coming from developing countries, and more than 30 per cent volunteering within their own countries.

Youth leadership

2011-10-28T00:34:00.000-07:00

Like any country, Bhutan is no exception when it comes to the youth leadership. Recently, media reported on the emergence of two new political parties in Bhutan. The report cited that lack of competent and senior leaders to take part in the parties are the major setback for forming such parties in the country thought more than 60 percent of the population comprise youth below 30 years of age.

As I dwell around this issue for while, numerous answers came to my mind. One of the prominent answers that came to my mind is WHY CAN'T OUR YOUTH BE THE POLITICIANS? IS IT THE LAW OF THE NATURE THAT POLITICIAN HAS TO BE SENIOR CITIZEN? WHY SENIOR, WHY NOT YOUNG PROFESSIONALS OF BHUTAN?

The issue seemed complex , very complex for the simple reason that no one trust leadership in youth. Everyone seems to go by the saying "Wisdom grows with age". No one seem to find wisdom in youth because they are not able to take the risk, they are not ready to accept new ideas.

For instance, in any office, if a young officer take initiative, he would be blamed for over acting smart, with lots of ego, with no respect to elders. Not realizing that these people are the ones who think more and know more of the future than the rest. The elders want to subdue and suppress the ideas of the youth not remembering that the ideas of the young are more direct, more fresh, more innovative, more futuristic and modern. All they want is the archaic from of life.

Till the world realizes that old needs to listen to young and its only through the young that bridges the gap between the future and past, there will be no real youth leaders anywhere.

Note: This article is subject to review in future for final version

The Celebration continues

2011-10-18T02:01:00.000-07:00

Bhutan is yet to come out of the Royal Wedding fever as another day comes for celebration of the Royal Wedding that will happen in Paro tomorrow. Unlike the celebrations in Punakha ad Thimphu last week, the celebration is Paro would not see many foreign guests and crowing of the Queen. Rather, His Majesty the Kind and the Her Majesty the Queen will join the Parops to become a family as Paro was one of the hardest hit by the recent earthquake.

Over the recent days, Parops had completely erased the tragic moments of the earthquake as His Majesty himself met the Parops prior to the Royal wedding and assured them that government and the people will build thier homes together. It has further erased by the Royal visit tomorrow as everyone is taking every opportunity to thank and congratulate the Royal Couple.

Glimps of International News on Royal Wedding in Bhutan

2011-10-16T21:13:00.000-07:00

As Bhutan concludes the official ceremony of the Royal Wedding, His Majesty the King, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Her Royal Majesty the Queen Jetseun Pema, numerous journalists, blogger and writers gathered here in the country to write the history of the nation, I would like provide a few links to the my fellow loggers on the International News Coverage.

For details, please click at the end which is highlighted and bold.

Bhutan's rare form of polygamy, in which men or women take several sisters or brothers as partners, is dying out as the kingdom modernises, with this week's royal wedding another sign of its demise. AFP

Even before the royal wedding bells began to ring in Bhutan Thursday morning, greetings from India could be heard. Economic Times

From a distance, across the Thim River, they resembled a field of bobbing sunflowers. World Blog from NBC News

The "Dragon King" of Bhutan married the 21-year-old daughter of an airline pilot Thursday in a ceremony at which there was a notable lack of bizarre hats (like those seen earlier this year at the British royal wedding), but a great deal of color and stately beauty. Los Angeles Times

The humble 'puri' and 'aloo dum' were among 52 delicacies served to high-profile guests from 25 countries at Bhutan's royal wedding. The Indian Express

Despite its modesty and simplicity, the first royal wedding under Bhutan's democratic constitutional monarchy is fast becoming a national affair for the people. Alja Zeera English

The young king of the Himalayan nation of Bhutan married a commoner in a traditional Tibetan Buddhist ceremony on Thursday. NHK Japan

The will-he, won't-he guessing game ended on Saturday when South Asia's political royal scion Rahul Gandhi made an appearance on the second day of the wedding celebrations of Bhutan's King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuk.Hidustan Times

King of Bhutan Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Queen Jetsun Pema stand together during their marriage ceremony in the main courtyard of the 17th-century fortified monastery or dzong in Punakha. (AFP/PRAKASH SINGH) - 14 Oct 2011

The King, who is a Oxford graduate married a student 10 years his junior in an isolated valley high in the Himalayas as an hour of blessings, prostrations and prayers culminated in the queen taking the throne. (AFP/PRAKASH SINGH) - 14 Oct 2011

Sharing a private moment amidst the ceremony, King Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck and Queen Jetsun Pema cast a glance at each other during Buddhist: Channel News Asia

THE prayer wheels are being repainted on the wooden footbridge to Bhutan's most imposing fortress. The Sunday Morning Australia

Bhutan's King marries in an elaborate royal wedding ceremony. Julie Noce reports. Reuters