By Shalomaigne Mapagu
What does one do when he sees his beautiful culture fading? What does one do when the youth, the hope to preserve that culture, are poor, migrating abroad for jobs, and abandoning the life to which they're born?
For former Bhutanese monk Karma Phuntsho, the answer is not to succumb to the dark sides of economic growth, industrialization, and globalization. The Buddhist scholar and thought leader thinks one should dig in and fight for the survival, enrichment, and advancement of Bhutan's cultural identity, heritage, and traditions.
For his efforts to help jobless youths and empower them as guardians of Bhutan's culture through education and training, Phuntsho has been honored as one of the five Ramon Magsaysay Awardees in 2024.
The Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation recognized his "invaluable and enduring contributions toward harmonizing the richness of his country’s past with the diverse predicaments and prospects of its present, inspiring young Bhutanese to be proud of their heritage and confident in their future. Beyond his immediate horizon, his work engages all peoples and cultures around the world facing the same challenges, reminding them to look back even as they move forward."
Since 1958, the Ramon Magsaysay Award, considered the Nobel Prize of Asia, has been "given to persons and organizations who address issues of human development in Asia with courage and creativity, and in doing so have made contributions that have transformed their societies for the better."
Phuntsho believes that to increase the gross national happiness of Bhutan — a concept the Bhutanese invented as a measure of progress — they must expand the gross national memory of who they are as a people in the pursuit of progress.
Knowing he would fail if the youth of Bhutan were jobless and uneducated, in 1997, he organized the Loden Foundation to help Bhutanese youth get educated and trained for careers, jobs and livelihood, through scholarships and grants. The RMAF described Loden as "an educational charity committed to promoting education, nurturing social entrepreneurship, and documenting Bhutan’s cultural heritage and traditions."
So far, Loden has funded 295 entrepreneurs (97 of who are women), creating 860 jobs, with 5,750 more aspiring entrepreneurs trained and mentored in capacity-building sessions since 2008, the RMAF said.
In a zoom interview, he said the young entrepreneurs were given grants, which are "interest-free and collateral-free" loans, to pursue businesses attuned to the cultural heritage and traditions of Bhutan.
He has also gone on a mission to document and record by video, audio and photography, all aspects of Bhutan's culture. So far, Loden has completed 3,348 hours of recordings of oral traditions like rituals, songs, ballads and chants; 4.55 million pages of digital texts from 76 libraries; 150,000 pictures of old art and artifacts; and 61 culture projects.
Phuntsho said he's creating a comprehensive cultural map of Bhutan.
Loden has so far established five preschools, paid for the schooling of 219 students, awarded 98 college scholarships, and held 63 Bhutan Dialogue Sessions for public education.
The Kingdom of Bhutan, called the last Shangri-La, is a tiny, remote and pristine paradise of Buddhist temples and monuments, at the eastern edge of the Himalayas.
As Bhutan's youth seek jobs abroad, "the spiritual heritage of Bhutan" is at the risk of fading, Phuntsho warned in a recent zoom interview with Philippine media.
"Changes have been rapid and tumultuous" and the "shift in people's expectations and horizons" has caused the growing "mental health crisis" among Bhutan's young. "Their expectations in life have changed. (But) our country is not able to meet the expectations of the youth," said Phuntsho
The challenge is to help Bhutan foster economic growth without wrecking its spiritual moorings. "We need to boost the economy so the youth can find fulfilling careers in this country. But even if they leave, we need to keep the people connected to the homeland."
Three developments propelled his mission. First, Loden gave him the structure to realize his vision. Second, in the early 2000s, a friend in the UK gave him money to help the poor in Bhutan, prompting him to think of ways to turn charity into a sustained effort empowering Bhutanese youth. Third, in 2003, a research job for Phuntsho at Cambridge University in UK, gave him access to books from Tibet, representing the rich Buddhist heritage in Asia. This inspired him to preserve Buddhist manuscripts and record all the written and oral traditions of Bhutan by video and audio.
"Education is very important in human development not just to reflect, connect and communicate. It's not just learning vocational skills. How about your inner essence, your enthusiasm, your thoughts? Jobs today will be obsolete in time. The youth should be smart, astute, flexible, dexterous, and should know how to adapt," he said.
Why social entrepreneurship? "Capitalism grows the country's GDP (gross domestic product) but at the cost of social harmony and equity. We have to support principles of humanity in everything we do. We support balanced development where we care for the internal spiritual well-being of people," Phuntsho said.
"Profit should not be the bottom-line in social entrepreneurship. Financial viability, environmental protection, social impact and cultural sensitivity are our criteria in determining which projects to support," explained Phuntsho.
Loden's journey has been a balancing act between modernity and spirituality.
“With so much distraction and confusion caused by the digital revolution, there is a greater need for inward reflection and focus. That’s why the Buddhist culture is so important for the future of Bhutan,” he said.
He has set up the Bodhitse Center for Study and Contemplation and regularly shares his ideas in media and social media, having authored many books, including the authoritative History of Bhutan, to keep their traditional knowledge relevant.
Phuntsho is also concerned about the impact of the Internet, social media and artificial intelligence on the minds of the young.
"Mankind should not serve machines. Machines should serve mankind. If you do not frame the right policies, there's a good chance of technology being abused. Internet addiction, not intelligently consuming information from the Internet, are problems we need to address. We need to educate the masses on the right use of the Internet or we will be enslaved."