In a country where traditions are closely tied to identity, some of the most important lessons are passed down not through books, but through stories and lived experiences. Today, during International Youth Day, elders and young people shared those experiences. Her Royal Highness Princess Kesang Chodren Wangchuck graced the event.
As generations listen to one another, the exchange becomes more than a sharing of stories. It becomes a reflection on what Bhutanese identity means today, and which values are worth carrying forward.
“When talking about values, I’m talking about core values. Core values that bind the different generations together. And these values are very important whether you belong to the older generation or the younger generation, for the promotion of harmony, unity, identity, and sovereignty,” said Dasho Zangley Dukpa.
For young people, preserving identity does not necessarily mean remaining unchanged. Understanding where those values come from and finding ways to apply them in a changing world is equally important.
“Even while we are competing with foreign countries or the outside world, we should always keep the GNH values and our culture in our hearts and never lose them. While the world is becoming competitive and very fast, we should always keep our values in mind. And we don’t have to choose between being value-rooted and being globally competent. We can both take both together and then be competent in the world,” said Jamyang Selden.
That connection between generations is also what the organisers say is becoming increasingly important.
“With the rapid pace of sociocultural transformation, we see increasingly that our youth are distanced from the lived wisdom, cultural memory, and guidance of values from the seniors. So, we must bring them together, where youth can also share the impact of these changes in their lives with the elders, and where we can blend so that we can really sustain our identity, our national, cross-national happiness, values, and principles,” said Lhatu, Executive Director, Gross National Happiness Centre Bhutan.
The exchange also brings back a tradition that has long connected generations through storytelling. As Bhutan moves forward, its identity may not depend on choosing between the old and the new.
It may depend on how well one generation passes its wisdom to the next, and how the next generation chooses to carry it forward.
Namgay Wangdi
Edited by Tandin Phuntsho
