1. Joy, Agony and Silence in Bhutan

2. The greatest thing that the Buddha has done is to tell the world that the world cannot be reformed except by the reformation of the mind of man, and the mind of the world

3. Agenda 1) Bhutan at a glance 2) The positives GNH
3) Some problems - Joy, Agony and Silence

4. Map Of Bhutan

5. Bhutan at a Glance Population: 634.982 ( M:333.595, F:301.387)
Population age structure: 0-14: 33.1%, 15-64: 62.3%, 65+: 4.7%, median age-22 years
Population by areas: Urban-30.9%, rural-69.1 %
Poverty rate: Overall: 23.8%, urban-1.7%, rural-30.9%
Literacy: literate-59.5%, illiterate-40.5%
Happiness: very happy-45.2%, happy-51.6%, not very happy-3.3%!
Multi-cultural society (three separate ethnic groups – Ngalong, Lhotshampa and Sharchop) – One official language Dzongkha (language of the palace) – English medium of instruction in schools etc – up to 15 other languages

6. Bhutan at Glance
Inequality: top 20% of population consume 6.7 times more than to the poorest 20 % of the population.
Net-enrolment rate: at primary level (82 %).
91% of the population have access to improved water sources.
Proportion of households with access to BHU – 99.2

7. Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan or Druk Yul – Land of the Thunder Dragon
The relative success has been explained by at least three salient features: Gross National Happiness (GNH or gyel yong gakid pelzom) which has replaced GNP as a measurement of well-being of the individual and the nation.

8. Another explanation refers to the peaceful transition from absolutist monarchy to democracy exposing the country to international spotlight as a potential role-model of peace and harmony in contrast to some of its neighboring countries in South Asia, not least Nepal, where a similar transition has been chaotic, violent and still contains features of autocratic governance

9. The third reason is related to Bhutan’s social system
The third reason is related to Bhutan’s social system. By having a quite effective free delivery of public social services, not least education and health universally accessible to the whole population, it has become one of the most successful nations in the region in terms of social achievements and an example for others to follow.

10. The positives GNH
Gross National Happiness (many more dimensions than those associated with GDP, better quality of life, 4 pillars, attempt to use scientific approach, 9 domains).
Pro-poor public policy (rural development, decentralization, 24 % of total 9th FYP budget on social services, balanced regional development…)
Economic growth rate 7 % (PAA, ).
Bhutan and MDGs , SDGs & Vision 2020.

11. GNH
Creation of an enlightened society in which happiness and well-being of all people is the ultimate purpose of governance

12. Means and ends of GNH Means Ends Human GNH / Well-being Ecological
Resources
Ends
Community Vitality
Education
Health
Culture
Governance
Lifestyle (Time Use)
Ecology
Economies
(Living standard)
Technology
(Natural Systems)
Human
Human
GNH / Well-being
Ecological
Ecological

14. Some problems In recent historical perspective
Government created a national identity
homogeneity a uniform political-cultural matrix denoting and promoting one dominant ideology
related to the expulsion and marginalization of ‘the other’
Ethnic nationalism the denominator and “collective exclusiveness” created the space for establishing a discourse relying on ethnic purity and the pretention of cultural affinity or “shared amnesia” of non-existence of minorities in general and more specifically of the Nepali Bhutanese ethnic entity

15. It is interesting to note the sequence:
First step … denial of Bhutanese citizenship and subsequent exodus of more than Nepali Bhutanese (Lhotshampas in Dzongkha meaning Southerners)
Laid the foundation for creating an ‘ethnic clean sheet’ or in other words Buddhist hegemony and the royally sanctioned imposition of ‘one nation, one people’ as overarching ideology

16. Second step…. introducing GNH by the throne as the overall encompassing ideology based on the paradox “at least one country in the world has decided that cultural homogeneity is a vital part of its citizen’s happiness”
Not possible to question or criticize GNH

17. Third step …. gradual introduction of ‘guided democracy’ by fifth King Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck
Although the backbone of the emerging Constitutional democratic monarchy formally rests on a multiparty system and separation of powers and check-and-balances it is probably more accurate to see it as “democracy by decree” or “a gift from above”
But the democratization process has so far not let to a situation where the multi-ethnic composition of Bhutanese society and GNH can be questioned or debated in public. This ‘silence’ and ‘invisibility’ of opposition or competing views is a major characteristic of present day politics in Bhutan
No autonomous civil society, no trade unions, no political party question the role of the King or GNH

18. Taktsang “Tiger’s Nest” Monastery

19. Joy, Agony and Silence Real explanations for Bhutan´s success:
Over dependency on ODA
Over dependency on India
A Technocratic developmental state – high autonomy of the bureaucracy
Clever use of ODA (raising human dev. And health)
Dogmatic Mahayana Buddhism – no one perform hard labour except in agriculture and animal husbandry (infrastructure, butchering animals etc poor Assamese)
Etc
Silence about almost all political issues, Lhotshampas, conflict, the King and the elite, inequality, GNH etc
Below the surface and behind closed doors… Agony…..

20. This way, GNH becomes an ideological instrument
utilized by political authorities, i.e. those in power, to install one, and only one, development trajectory
leaving virtually no space for opposition, competing discourses or alternative visions for directions of Bhutan’s future
The elite and the King mainly belong to the Ngalong ethnic community, who speak Dzongkha