Bhutan joined the growing number of democratic countries in the world in 2008 when the nation completed its first national elections and the signing of the Constitution. Five years after this historic transition, Bhutan is a young democracy. But Bhutan is not just a young democracy. It’s a democracy full […]

The greatest wealth is health- Virgil I do agree with Virgil here. Though no money can buy health, in modern times it seems that money determines access to better healthcare services all over the world as people have started preferring private healthcare services. In Bhutan too it’s no different. The […]

In 2008, Bhutan completed one of the most peaceful – and ironic – transitions  to democracy. Initiated by the Fourth King Jigme Singye Wangchuck, the process involved a voluntary abdication of power in the face of public opposition to democracy. Imagine the living embodiment of a Platonic Philosopher King, someone universally […]

It’s not everyday that you can listen to a dialogue that flits from geopolitics and tourism to dynasties and culture; from refugees and handicrafts to a World Bank-funded road that leaves you in the middle of a wildlife sanctuary. It was precisely such a discussion, however, CultureSPEAK – Window Bhutan – that […]

Taking Bhutan as an example, the UN General Assembly recently invited countries “to pursue the elaboration of additional measures that better capture the importance of the pursuit of happiness and well-being in development with a view to guiding their public policies.” The resolution said “the pursuit of happiness is a fundamental […]