In the first-ever community development exposition, the local leaders of Samdrup Jongkhar presented their community development plans, which were co-developed with gewog residents. The event, held last Friday, showcased a shift towards more inclusive and responsive approaches to meet the diverse needs and aspirations of all residents.
Local leaders who took part in the exposition said planning activities are usually carried out by local government officials in consultation with local influencers.
But they said they now understand the importance of inclusive community consultation to drive meaningful change.
“BCMD had conducted a community evaluation on the method of development and community planning. We identified the issues of the community and prioritised the most prominent ones, which we can present today,” said Sangay Lhamo, Orong Gewog Mangmi.
“Such events will help us in future planning. Till now, the plans have been submitted to the gewog tshogde directly. The GNH-based toolkit allows planning to be done while consulting with women, the elderly, children, people with disabilities, and others. So, it benefits not only one person but all,” said Tshewang Tenzin, Serthi Gup.
In July this year, a Training of Trainers (TOT) session was conducted for 40 local leaders from eleven gewogs of Samdrup Jongkhar to foster greater awareness and inclusivity in the consultation and planning process.
The workshop provided a platform for local leaders to assess their communities from an economic, social, and environmental perspective by integrating Gross National Happiness principles.
“The GNH-based participatory toolkit is formed within the GNH framework to help in recognizing the issue. There is a huge difference in the way they work now compared to the previous method. Now with the tool, they can directly involve the community in identifying the issues, so their involvement makes a huge difference,” said Yeshi Wangchuk, programme officer of Samdrup Jongkhar Initiative.
“We at BCMD believe that democracy is not a one-day event in five years but a process. To further democracy, ideas and developmental activities must be shared. It is quite evident that the local government leaders have not only been involved in ‘participatory planning’ but also become inclusive. So, this exposition is an event where ideas are shared among stakeholders and to inspire local government leaders,” said Namgyel Wangchuk, programme officer of Bhutan Centre for Media and Democracy.
The Bhutan Centre for Media and Democracy, a civil society organisation, organised the exposition to strengthen democracy at the grassroots. They hope to educate the local leaders on the role of democracy, accountability, and inclusive developmental planning.
Tshering Deki
Edited by Sonam Pem
