By Kinley C Tenzin | Programme/ Communication Officer
Transcending Token Participation
The participants from vulnerable groups like PWD, youths, caregivers and women in difficult circumstances came together once again to review and vet their stories and policy recommendations on social welfare to prepare for the advocacy event in March 2023.
The participants critiqued the advocacy contents, illustrations, messages, and stories and evaluated if the call to action reflected their needs. The gathering demonstrated sustained engagement of citizens, transcending tokenism in consultation.
Gearing up for the advocacy event on 2nd March a social media campaign on #PeopleCentredPolicy was launched for two weeks in February to bring attention to social welfare issues faced by marginalised groups.
The campaign achieved a remarkable total of 419,415 views.
Advocacy Event on #peoplecentredpolicy
The #peoplecentredpolicy advocacy event brought to light stories of discrimination in the workplace, inequalities in education, information and public services for persons with disabilities, gender inequality, and social reintegration issues faced by people with disabilities, women, youth recovering from addiction, caregivers, and the LGBTQIA+ community.
Representatives of marginalised groups highlighted inadequacies in policy enforcement during their advocacy with policymakers and parliamenterians.
The event was attended by over 100 people, including the Finance Minister, members of parliament, government officials, development partners, and representatives of civil society organisations, and members from SOEs. The guests present at the event expressed feeling emotional and empathetic listening to the stories and yet at the same time appreciating the confidence in the representatives as they advocated for their own cause.
10th Cohort of the Youth Initiative: Understanding Child Rights
In a significant milestone, children with disabilities and monks joined the Youth Initiative Camp alongside other young participants, totaling 21 individuals. The Camp aimed to educate them about their rights and responsibilities and empower them to become advocates for child rights. A student from Yangchen Gatshel Higher Secondary School shared, "I was unaware of my rights before joining the camp, but it helped me understand them better. Now, I will take responsibility to share my knowledge with my classmates." Students from Wangsel Institute of Deaf expressed their enthusiasm for hearing young voices and contributing to discussions on matters that hold significance for them.
Further, a group of 12 children from vulnerable backgrounds, including those in conflict with the law and facing challenging circumstances, received education on their rights and responsibilities. BCMD consulted these children, ensuring informed consent, to gain insights into the current state of child rights and the challenges faced. Many children stressed the importance of parental care and support in their development, with several coming from broken families or households affected by alcohol-related issues. Further consultations and a camp involving different groups of children are planned for the summer to enhance Bhutan's alternate report on child rights.
KGUMSB and Samtse College of Education Facilitate Discussion on Mental Well-being in Bhutan
In April, the Druk Journal Conversation on "Ensuring Mental Well-being in Bhutan" took place at the Khesar Gyalpo University of Medical Sciences of Bhutan (KGUMSB) and Samtse College of Education (SCE). Close to 400 students, mental health professionals, district administrators and law enforcers attended the two Conversations. Key discussions included the growing challenge of an ageing population and the need for improved social conditions and programs to ensure their quality of life. Addressing addiction, a practising Buddhist emphasised the importance of “healing” rather than “punishing or criminalising “young individuals who turn to substances as a coping mechanism. The stakeholders concurred on the need for a more proactive, integrated and restorative approach to addressing drug use.
Links:
Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.
If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you can receive an email when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports without donating.
Support this important cause by creating a personalized fundraising page.
Start a Fundraiser
