Introduction & Background

Bhutan is a nation of young people, with more than half of the population below the age of 25 years. According to the Statistical Year Book 2016, the nation’s youth population between the ages of 15-29 stands at approximately 218,449.

Like youth elsewhere, the young Bhutanese is also being challenged by uncertainty, unemployment, rural urban migration, social issues like drug abuse, sexual activity, sexual orientation and more recently an alarming rate of suicide. Unfortunately, the traditional education system provides limited options for the younger generation who are facing global problems. Therefore, there is a need for a transformation and positive change by the youth for the youth. The GNH Centre Bhutan, as part of our mandate, introduced the GNH Club as a space of learning for Bhutanese citizens. The initiative will manifest some core mandates of the GNHCB;

1.  “to offer a space from where individuals leave refreshed, invigorated, and empowered with inspiration and understanding of applying GNH principles, values and practices meaningfully in their daily lives and work.”
2. Contribute towards leadership development for future generation of leaders
3. Include spiritual and cultural values of Bhutan

The GNHCB will support Bhutanese of all backgrounds towards positive transformation and commitment of building communities, projects and lifestyles guided by GNH principles. The initiative will focus on facilitating, guiding and supporting youth to put their ideas into action empowering them to become leaders, entrepreneurs and equipping them with the necessary skills to become responsible citizens. It is an effort to awaken hope, inspire initiative, and mobilize Bhutanese to make a vital contribution to their community as the future leaders of Bhutan.

Every club or organization that the GNH Centre Bhutan would recognize will need to have at a minimum a valid mandate which outlines the basic aims of the organization, leaders, members and meeting requirements, etc. While the target audience is Bhutanese youth, the GNH Centre Bhutan welcomes others who are interested to host GNH activities as independent groups.