Spring Update - Bhutan Foundation

Spring Update
2015
bhutanfound.org
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Environment
Environment
Scientists and students collaborate to address
climate change
The scourge of climate change experienced in the Himalayas as extreme
weather patterns and increased glacial
melt is becoming more common. But
understanding climate change in Bhutan
remains a challenge due to the dearth of
data centers that can provide real data
to give scientists a better picture of how
climate change affects the surrounding
environment. To counter that gap in understanding, Bhutan is taking action in a
way that informs scientists and educates
the next generation of Bhutanese citizens.
Last year, almost 100,000 data entries
were contributed by students from 20
public schools across Bhutan that are part
of a network feeding plant phenology information into a database managed by
the Ugyen Wangchuck Institute for Conservation and Environment (UWICE). To
better understand the impact of climate
change on plants and animals, teachers and students from these schools are
participating in a citizen science project:
the Himalayan Environmental Rhythms
Observation and Evaluation System (HEROES). Time of budding, first leaf flush,
flowering, and leaf fall are uploaded by
participating schools into a web-based
database. In addition, weather stations
at these schools record temperature,
humidity, rainfall, and other climatic
data. In March 2015, 30 teachers from
across Bhutan gathered in Phuentsholing
(Southern Bhutan) to discuss the project,
share lessons, and improve data collection and management.
Through this project, scientists, teachers, and students are coming together to
help us better understand climate change.
“Climate change science takes on a whole
new meaning when we have students,
teachers and even yak herders in our
mountains collecting and providing us
with data on how important plants and
flowers in our surroundings are responding
to change. Climate data is crucial, but
engaging schools and youth across the
whole country is just as meaningful. ”
—Changa Tshering, Geospatial Specialist
and HEROES project manager, UWICE
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Spring Update 2015
© Jamyang Wangchuk
Areas in need of support in 2015
• Add three schools and nature clubs to the existing 20 schools to collect
data.
• Maintain web-based database to collect data from all the schools and
analyze them to understand climate change patterns.
• Provide cameras to schools for further documentation.
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Environment
Environment
Celebrating 100 years of coverage of Bhutan by
National Geographic
Last November, the National
Geographic Society’s Committee for
Research and Exploration convened in
Bhutan to celebrate 100 years since the
first coverage of Bhutan by National
Geographic. President and CEO of the
National Geographic Society, Gary Knell,
and members of senior management
received an audience with His Majesty
the King. At a reception to celebrate
the occasion, Mr. Knell praised
Bhutan’s leadership in environmental
conservation and its balance between
1907: Nobgang, Photo by John Claude White
economic growth and caring for the
planet. Her Majesty the Queen of Bhutan,
Gyaltsuen Jetsun Pema Wangchuck, was
guest of honor at the event.
Addressing
the gathering, Her
Majesty said, “Today, we move forward
on the philosophy of Gross National
Happiness and strive for sustainable
development. We are bound by
duty to ensure the resilience of our
cultural values and our pristine
natural environment, which remains
indispensible in our pursuit of collective
happiness.”
The National Geographic Society,
through its NG/Waitt grant, is supporting
Bhutanese wildlife biologist Tshering
Tempa of the Ugyen Wangchuck Institute
for Conservation and Environment
(UWICE) in detailed surveys of tiger
populations in two national parks in
Bhutan. This information feeds into the
government’s initiative to assess tiger
populations for the whole country.
© National Geographic
2014: Nobgang, Photo by Tshewang R. Wangchuk
© UWICE
Areas in need of support in 2015
• Build on the existing tiger surveys to better understand tiger movement
and home range in the Himalayan landscape.
• Address human-wildlife conflict within communities that encounter wild
cats.
• Tell the story of Bhutan’s wild cats through imagery and video
by supporting camera traps and other accessories.
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Spring Update 2015
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Development
Development
Prioritizing health research in Bhutan
Areas in need of support in 2015
•
•
•
•
Support health research training in Bhutan.
Develop institutional linkages with medical and public health schools in
the United States.
Fund public health research grants according to priorities set by the
Khesar Gyalpo University of Medical Sciences in Bhutan.
Start a program to improve nutrition in public schools.
© Chhimi Om
One of Bhutan’s biggest challenges is
how it will be able to sustain free health
care and improve the quality of care and
equity of health services – particularly to
those living in rural communities. Bhutan’s
Ministry of Health is thus looking to prioritize health research to ensure efficient
and effective use of available resources
and to maximize benefits for the larger
interest of the Bhutanese population.
Addressing this need, in November 2014,
Bhutan’s Ministry of Health, Khesar Gyalpo
University of Medical Sciences of Bhutan,
and the Bhutan Foundation organized a
four-day “Health Research Mapping and
Priority Setting Workshop.”
the importance of prioritizing Bhutan’s
health research needs. Its purpose was to
determine the scale and scope of health
research in the country and identify a preliminary list of priority research agendas.
The workshop was the first of its kind in
Bhutan, where stakeholders met to discuss
During the workshop, preliminary priority research areas were drafted, which
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Spring Update 2015
Workshop facilitators were representatives from the Ministry of Health, Khesar
Gyalpo University of Medical Sciences of
Bhutan, and Bhutan Foundation Advisory
Council member, Dechen Wangmo. Professor Kaveh Khoshnood from the Yale
School of Public Health was also brought
in to present on Health Research Priority
Setting and to facilitate discussions. Over
25 stakeholders attended the workshop.
include areas such as health systems and
universal coverage, non-communicable
diseases, maternal and child health, human
resources, quality of care, anti-microbial
resistance, and communicable diseases of
public health significance. Barriers for research, such as lack of funding, capacity issues, unreliable health data, no in-country
health research journals to publish articles,
and no incentives or dedicated time for
research, were also discussed. Research
capacity gaps also need to be identified
and filled through short- and long-term
trainings. The workshop concluded with
the Ministry of Health taking on the task
to continue further consultations with
stakeholders and to publish national research priorities by 2015.
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Development
Development
Development
Expanding the reach of special education
Last summer, the Bhutan Foundation initiated a Training of Trainers (ToT)
Program to support master trainers with
the knowledge to train local Bhutanese
teachers and stakeholders about special
education needs (SEN) programs. We successfully trained 20 master trainers in the
art of training through effective communication and presentation skills and the science of training by focusing on building an
effective SEN program within schools. The
ToT Program focused on two modules on
disability awareness, accommodations for
children with learning difficulties, explicit
instruction, and the SEN process. These
modules were then incorporated into the
National Inclusive Education module that
the Ministry of Education developed in
partnership with UNICEF Bhutan.
This January, with support from UNICEF
Bhutan, nine of the master trainers from
the ToT Program conducted a five-day
workshop using the National Inclusive
Education module to train more than 80
teachers from around the country. These
Bhutanese master trainers are now able to
turnkey and train Bhutanese teachers who
will return to their schools to develop their
special education needs programs. Cur-
rently, the Bhutan Foundation, in partnership with UNICEF Bhutan and the Ministry
of Education, supports 12 public schools
across the country that teach students
with disabilities. The Royal Government
of Bhutan hopes to further expand the
number of schools to 15 by 2018.
We are proud of to have supported the
master trainers through the ToT program
who are now able to share their acquired
knowledge of inclusive education and expand special education needs programs
throughout the Bhutanese school system.
“The well-structured and
practical activities, guidance,
and tips inspired and
enriched my facilitation
strategies. Thank you to the
ToT Program for making me
a better professional. ”
—Madam Yeshey Choeki,
Special Education Needs
Coordinator, Mongar
Lower Secondary School
Areas in need of support in 2015
Further strengthen trainers in both content knowledge and presentation
skills through the Training of Trainers Program.
• Support training of more Bhutanese educators in special education.
• Expand and add one additional public school that teaches children
with disabilities.
• Provide resources to carry out special education programs in the public
schools.
•
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Spring Update 2015
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Development
Development
A wider world for the visually impaired young
adults
Areas in need of support in 2015
•
•
•
The Bhutan Foundation is proud to have
supported the training of Bhutan’s first
visually impaired certified spa therapists.
Last April, the Bhutan Foundation in
partnership with the Disabled Persons’
Association of Bhutan (DPAB) launched
a project with the goal of transitioning
young people with disabilities into better
and more stable jobs. In collaboration with
AmanKora resorts, the Bhutan Foundation
trained four visually impaired youth for a
ten-month certification program in spa
therapy in Thimphu, Bhutan. In addition,
AmanKora resort staff began another sixmonth training of a second group of four
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Spring Update 2015
visually impaired youth at their resort in
Paro.
Eight youth with visual impairment are
now certified spa therapists and eligible for
employment in hotels, resorts, and spas
throughout the country. With the hotel and
spa industry growing in Bhutan, a career as
a spa therapist could mean a more secure
future for the trained youth.
Tshering Dorji, one of the trained spa
therapists, is planning to start his own
spa-house business along with some of his
friends who were trained. “I’ve met many
local people who are interested in visiting
Support Tshering Dorji and his friends set up their spa house,
Wonders of Touch.
Donate equipment for the spa house, including massage beds and tables
and reclining facial chairs.
Transition program at Amankora resorts to train individuals with
disabilities in housekeeping, baking, cooking, and other aspects of the
hotel business.
my spa house when we open one,” he said.
“The hotels in Thimphu with spa facilities
are mainly targeted for tourists, and therefore, many locals are not able to afford
these services. We want to offer reasonable rates for both tourists and the locals.”
In addition, AmanKora resorts have
agreed to hire two of the certified spa
therapists. AmanKora resorts also agreed
to continue the training of additional individuals with disabilities in other fields, such
as housekeeping and baking, in their seven
lodges throughout the country.
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Culture
Culture
Royal support for Wangduechhoeling Palace
restoration and adaptive re-use
The Wangduechhoeling Palace was
the first large structure in Bhutan to be
built as a residential manor and not a
fortress. The palace was built by Jigme
Namgyel, a legendary leader credited
for consolidating the warring factions
and the father of the first king of Bhutan.
The palace bears a special significance
in the history of Bhutan, as it marks an
era of peace and stability in the country
that continues to this day. The Bhutan
Foundation is working in partnership
with the Ministry of Home and Cultural
Affairs, Royal Government, in the restoration and adaptive re-use of the Wangduechhoeling Palace and is now honored
to receive support from Her Majesty the
Queen Mother Ashi Tshering Pem Wangchuck as the Royal Patron of the project.
On March 29, 2015, Her Majesty
launched the restoration project in dedication to the Fourth King Jigme Singye
Wangchuck’s 60th birth anniversary
in a traditional ceremony. Her Majesty
expressed sincere concern about the
condition of the palace and ensured her
full support and guidance for the project. This day was chosen to launch the
project to coincide with the birth anniversary of Kuenkhen Longchen Rabjam,
a renowned Buddhist teacher of the Nyingmapa school of Tibetan Buddhism.
The launch was immediately followed
by a special Peling festival initiated on
the grounds of the palace, drawing hundreds of excited visitors from the region
as well as tourists. The three-day festival showcased the Peling mask-dances
with performers from all 20 districts of
the country.
In the following months, a project
site office will be set up along with work
sheds and campsites for the implementing team. The consolidation of the Linga
Lhakhang (temple), an ancillary structure
within the palace complex, will be undertaken within this year in order to relocate
the monks from the palace. Next year,
restoration work will commence on the
five Chhukor Mani (water prayer wheels)
and the Shakor (palace structure).
The documentation and planning for
the entire palace was completed in August 2014 and was made possible with
support from the U.S. Ambassadors Fund
for Cultural Preservation and a few of our
dedicated supporters.
“It always broke my heart to see it empty and
falling apart, but today I am full of emotion
to learn that some importance will be finally
given to the Wangduechhoeling Palace.”
—Aum Yeshi Choden, 90-year-old local resident of
Bumthang valley, who spent many days playing in
the palace grounds during the Second King’s time
Areas in need of support in 2015
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•
•
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Spring Update 2015
Conserve wall murals and paintings within the palace walls and the
surrounding structure.
Develop and implement fire and earthquake mitigation strategies for all
structures within the palace grounds.
Document oral history of the palace collected over the years.
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Governance
Governance
Encouraging active citizenry
Areas in need of support in 2015
•
•
•
•
Support BCMD’s media lab by supplying IT equipment and cameras.
Provide training for Bhutanese journalists and news reporters through BMF.
Sponsor a Bhutan Development Forum or a Visiting Speaker’s Series
through QED Consulting Group.
Assist the Bhutan Democracy Dialogue in organizing an all-party conference
on democracy and good governance.
© Jamyang Wangchuk
© Thinley Choden
To supplement the government’s efforts to ensure Bhutan’s smooth transition
into democracy, the Bhutan Foundation
initiated a good governance program in
partnership with the International Republican Institute (IRI). Under the partnership, we have successfully worked with
three local partners: the Bhutan Center
for Media and Democracy, the Bhutan
Media Foundation (BMF), and QED Consulting Group. A democracy would not
be inclusive without the participation of
its citizens. To make greater impact, each
of our local partners targeted their programs toward different groups of their
fellow citizens.
The Bhutan Center for Media and
Democracy worked mainly with youth
groups and engaged over 500 youth
throughout the country through their
media clubs in schools and colleges to
promote active citizenry. These media
clubs provided youth a platform to express their voice about society and how
to engage with policymakers to make an
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Spring Update 2015
impact within their communities.
Recognizing the importance of the
role of media in a democracy, the BMF
built capacity of local journalists and
media personnel through workshops on
investigative journalism and television
reporting. BMF also conducted a panel
discussion on the fundamental rights
and responsibilities of media, which was
well received by the media community.
QED Consulting Group also promoted active citizenry through the Bhutan
Development Forum and the Visiting
Speaker’s Series by addressing more
mature citizens. Both their programs invited speakers to present and allowed for
a public space to discuss current issues
that address key government policies.
In consultation and partnership with
the Election Commission of Bhutan, we
also worked toward strengthening the
capacity of political parties and existing
members of parliament. We provided
support to the Bhutan Democracy Dialogue, an initiative jointly conceptualized
by all registered political parties in Bhutan to facilitate, nurture, and strengthen
democracy through a public forum. We
also worked with the National Assembly Secretariat to help catalogue the
National Assembly’s entire library and
conducted a workshop for the committee secretaries on parliamentary research
to help them better support the members of parliament. This was conducted
in partnership with the Congressional
Research Service of the Library of Congress in Washington, DC.
In the next phase in our partnership
with IRI, we look forward to working further with our local partners to increase
active citizenry. The Bhutan Foundation
is also eager to work with the National
Assembly of Bhutan in showcasing Bhutan’s history of governance for our future
generations to learn about the visionary
leadership of our monarchs to presentday democracy.
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Events
Events
Raising the profile of Bhutan in the United States
Bhutan For Life: The most important conservation
story you’ve never heard
“Bhutan for Life is extremely innovative in that it allows the world to come together
with common purpose, with a common vision to help a country, a government, and its
people who are committed to protecting the environment for the world, ultimately.”
—Lyonchhen Tshering Tobgay, Prime Minister of Bhutan
A TOTAL OF 5 MILLION
ACRES OF PROTECTED
LAND, RICH IN FORESTS
AND RIVERS
JIGME DORJI
NATIONAL PARK
WANGCHUCK
CENTENNIAL
BUMDELING
WILDLIFE
SANCTUARY
ONLY COUNTRY IN THE WORLD
WHERE ALL PROTECTED AREAS
ARE CONNECTED , ALLOWING
WILDLIFE TO ROAM FREELY
TOORSA
STRICT
NATURE
RESERVE
THRUMSINGLA
NATIONAL PARK
BHUTAN
JIGME SINGYE WANGCHUCK
NATIONAL PARK
ROYAL MANAS
NATIONAL PARK
WILDLIFE CORRIDORS
PHIBSOO
WILDLIFE SANCTUARY
PROTECTED AREAS
The Bhutan Foundation promotes
broader understanding and knowledge
of Bhutan in the United States as a critical
aspect of our mission. We began spring
of 2015 with exciting events across the
United States, from celebrating the Bhutanese Losar (New Year) in San Francisco
to welcoming the Prime Minister of Bhutan on his first visit to the United States.
San Francisco: The Bhutan Foundation organized an event to celebrate
our accomplishments in Bhutan in 2014
and to recognize the success of our local
partners. One such partner is the Loden
Foundation. With increasing youth unemployment in Bhutan, the Loden Foundation provides a unique opportunity for
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Spring Update 2015
youth throughout the country to make
their own stories a success through the
Loden Entrepreneurship Program.
New York: The Bhutan Foundation’s
Board of Directors welcomed Bhutan’s
Prime Minister, Lyonchhen Tshering Tobgay on his first visit to the United States
after taking office. Also in New York, the
Bhutan Foundation screened a film on
Bhutan at the Rubin Foundation’s 8th
Floor to celebrate the work of our young
filmmakers in Bhutan.
Washington, DC: Over the last six
years, the Bhutan Foundation has partnered with the Environmental Film Festival in the Nation’s Capital (EFF), the
largest environmental film festival in the
United States, to tell stories of Bhutan’s
conservation efforts through film. This
year, two talented Bhutanese filmmakers,
Ms. Dechen Roder and Mr. Tashi Gyeltshen, participated in the festival. Along
with screening their films, The Boy of
Good Waste and The Red Door, we also
screened Made in Bhutan by Hirondelle
Chatelard.
Through events like these, the Bhutan
Foundation hopes to increase awareness
throughout the United States and celebrate the work of our local partners in
Bhutan to build friendships and partnerships with international organizations.
Since the 1970s, Bhutan’s monarchs
have championed the cause of environmental conservation and have put in
place visionary conservation policies.
BANGLADESH
Today, the Prime Minister and the newly
elected democratic government remain
fully committed to continuing this conservation legacy for the benefit of Bhutan
and the world at large.
For many years, the Royal Government of Bhutan, the World Wildlife Fund
(WWF), local nonprofits in Bhutan, and
the Bhutan Foundation have worked together to address the challenges Bhutan
bhutanfound.org
INDIA
is facing. But climate change, enormous
development pressures, and a dramatic
shift in demographics—60 percent of the
population is under age 34—are among
the factors that have contributed to a
country in transition. More is needed to
keep pace with the speed and scale of
change now affecting Bhutan.
The solution is Bhutan For Life (BFL):
an innovative funding mechanism to
mobilize, in a single agreement, all the
governmental, financial, and other commitments needed to develop Bhutan’s 5
million acre network of national parks,
SAKTENG
WILDLIFE
SANCTUARY
KHALING WILDLIFE
SANCTUARY
Courtesy of WWF
wildlife sanctuaries, and biological corridors. BFL is a joint effort of the Government of Bhutan, WWF, and other partners
to continue Bhutan’s success in protecting its natural resources that benefit the
people and wildlife of Bhutan, the region,
and the world. BFL serves as a model for
other countries in the region seeking
to balance economic development and
conservation at larger scales.
The Bhutan Foundation is pleased to
support this exciting initiative. To support
Bhutan For Life and learn more about
it, visit www.worldwildlife.org/Bhutan.
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Stay Connected
Stay Connected
Our Local Partners
Our International Partners
Ability Bhutan Society
Anderson Center for Autism
Bhutan Canada Foundation
Asia Society
Bhutan Center for Media
and Democracy
Clinical Data Management
Meet the newest
member of our
team!
Ways to give
With your support, the Bhutan Foundation and its Bhutanese partners can make a bigger impact. Here are some ways to be
involved:
Donate online www.bhutanfound.org/MakeAGift
Bhutan Ecological Society
DBA Trauma Program
Services LLC
Bhutan Health Trust Fund
Geographic Expeditions
Bhutan Media Foundation
Harvard Humanitarian Initiative
Bhutan Nuns Foundation
Health Volunteers
Overseas (HVO)
Make a wire transfer
Humane Society
International (HSI)
Make a stock gift
Bhutan Youth
Development Fund
Jangsa Animal Saving Trust
Khesar Gyalpo University of
Medical Sciences of Bhutan
QED Consulting Group
Perkins International
Respect, Educate, Nurture
and Empower Women
Phelps Memorial Hospital Center
Tarayana Foundation
Ugyen Wangchuck
Institute for Conservation
and Environment
VAST (Voluntary Artists’
Studio, Thimphu)
Please contact the Bhutan Foundation office by telephone or email once the transfer has
been arranged.
© Thinley Phuntsho
Smithsonian Institution
Snow Leopard Conservancy
Squire Patton Boggs LLP
The International
Republican Institute
The Shelley & Donald
Rubin Foundation
The University of Montana
The Wildlife Conservation Society
U.S. A.I.D.
U.S. Ambassadors Fund for
Cultural Preservation
World Monuments Fund
World Wildlife Fund
Yale University
Spring Update 2015
The best method of transferring donated securites into the Bhutan Foundation account
is via a DTC Transfer. You will need to initiate the transfer with your broker.
For further inquires, please contact Ms. Dawa Sherpa at +1 (202) 609-7363 or
email: [email protected]
Rubin Museum
Tsao & McKown Architects
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To make a wire transfer please contact the Bhutan Foundation at +1 (202) 609-7363 or
email: [email protected]
Mobulz LLC
National Geographic
Royal Society for
Protection of Nature
Bhutan Foundation
3121 South Street NW
Washington, DC 20007
Karuna Foundation
Loden Foundation
Royal Government
of Bhutan
Mail a check
We are pleased to welcome Tshering Dorji, the
Bhutan Foundation’s new program director in Thimphu. He comes with a decade of experience working in banking and finance. He began his career as
an auditor and later became the strategy manager
for Bhutan National Bank. His wide range of experience includes risk assessment of internal controls,
planning and execution of audit programs, policy
formulation, strategy and project management,
and performance management systems. He also
has a passion for music, contemplative art, and
social justice. In his free time, he writes songs and
produces music from his home studio for local artists and films. He also volunteers for various charitable causes. He holds a bachelor of commerce
degree from Sherubtse College in Bhutan and a
post-graduate diploma in music and sound from
Queensland University of Technology, Australia.
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Spring
Update 2015
Thebhutanfound.org
Bhutan Foundation is a tax-exempt organization in the US under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code-Federal.
ID#13-3376290.
Contact us
EMAIL
[email protected]
IN THE USA
3121 South Street, NW
Washington, DC 20007
USA
Phone: +1-202-609-7363
Fax: +1-202-787-3943
IN BHUTAN
Nazhoen Pelri Youth Center
P.O. Box 255
Thimphu
BHUTAN
Phone: +975-2-322751
Fax: +975-2-335614
For more information on our programs and activities, please visit:
www.bhutanfound.org
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@BhutanFdn
#bhutanfdn
The Bhutan Foundation would like to thank the students who
contributed photographs for this newsletter through the Fredric
Roberts Photography Workshop in January 2015.