Revered Pomnyun Sunim (법륜스님), a revered Korean Dharma master and socially engaged Buddhist activist, has in recent months carried out a wide range of community surveys and social development activities in remote areas of rural Bhutan, with the aim of to improve the daily lives of local communities and to assess the feasibility of larger-scale sustainable development projects that could serve as models for programs to be replicated around the world. These companies, led by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim, are implemented by the Buddhist humanitarian aid organization JTS Korea in cooperation with the government and royal family of Bhutan.
Isolated, landlocked and perched in the thin air of the eastern Himalayas, sandwiched between India and China, two political and economic powerhouses, the Kingdom of Bhutan is the last Vajrayana Buddhist nation in the world. The ancient spiritual tradition is embedded in the very consciousness and culture of this remote country, where it has flourished with an unbroken history dating back to its introduction from Tibet by Padmasambhava, also known as Guru Rinpoche, in the eighth century.
Although Bhutan's unique holistic approach to economic development has resulted in a healthy level of growth and low inflation over the past 20 years, life in the kingdom is not without very real challenges. Bhutan is consistently ranked among the world's happiest nations, but it is also one of the world's smallest and least industrialized countries. Nevertheless, he has significant experience in managing growth sustainably, famously summarized in his conservative "gross national happiness" (GNH) approach to economic development, introduced in the late 1970s by the Fourth king of the country, Jigme Singye Wangchuk.
An alternative to traditional measures of measuring national development, such as gross national product (GNP) or gross domestic product (GDP), GNP is based on four underlying principles or “pillars”: good governance, socio-development sustainable economic, preservation and promotion of traditional culture and environmental conservation.
After conducting exploratory surveys of isolated communities, their lives and livelihoods, Venerable Pomnyun Sunim and a team of volunteers and experts from JTS Korea discussed potential approaches to sustainable development in a meeting with the Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay and members of the Royal Cabinet in the capital Thimphu.
“To begin with, it would be good to make improvements to the living conditions of local residents. According to our survey, around 10% of communities lack suitable housing or have homes that need renovation,” explained Venerable Pomnyun Sunim, sharing information gathered during the JTS team’s on-site visits. “About 10% of homes that appear in good condition from the outside need to be renovated on the inside. Overall, it is the kitchens that are most in need of improvement: in particular, there is an urgent need to prevent the build-up of smoke indoors, as these homes use open wood fires for heating and cooking. Additionally, increasing the height of kitchen worktops would go a long way in making life more comfortable, as bending over to work can cause long-term back problems in women.
“For large families, it is necessary to divide the living space to improve privacy for married couples and adult children. And it seems to be common among poorer people to sleep on the floor, which is why we should provide some basic necessities like mattresses and blankets. There also appears to be a lack of small household equipment and agricultural tools. Of course, more specialized agricultural equipment could be shared in the community. . . .”
Fri. Pomnyun Sunim created the humanitarian aid organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and based on the principle that helping others is the best way to enrich one's own life. Charged with bringing hope, empowerment and self-reliance to disadvantaged communities in developing countries, JTS is led and operated by unpaid volunteers, who ensure that all donations benefit marginalized communities. JTS carries out relief operations in countries suffering from humanitarian disasters and has engaged in humanitarian projects in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, the Philippines and Sri Lanka. The humanitarian organization has also been granted special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
“In addition, we saw a need for economic activities that can help residents generate new sources of income: self-reliance is essential for sustainable development,” said Ven. » remarked Pomnyun Sunim. “. . . Crops that appear viable for generating income include oranges, green tea, ginger and coffee. Dairy and eggs also seem viable. I will call on experts to examine fruit growing and animal husbandry in more detail. I thought apples would grow well due to the high altitude, but I haven't seen any orchards yet. There is also a problem with youth employment; young people who do not continue their studies beyond the 10th year are unable to find work.”
Through project implementation discussions between JTS Korea and Bhutanese state officials, it was determined that JTS Korea would donate the material costs of the projects, that local authorities would cover the labor costs specialists and that villagers should provide the general labor, thus enabling everyone. participate in the demonstration of essential improvements.
“At the beginning of our investigation, I thought it would be important to create irrigation canals for agricultural land. However, I have found that much of the land is terraced and does not need such canals. As living conditions gradually improved, water consumption increased, and due to climate change, there was a severe water shortage. Ensuring sufficient drinking water is essential, and solving this problem is a major task. At a distance of 13 to 27 kilometers, it therefore appears that additional financial investment is necessary in this area.
In subsequent visits to the Himalayan kingdom, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim and his team were able to examine existing agricultural irrigation systems, visit cooperative businesses in rural communities, and further study how residents' quality of life could be improved in a sustainable way.
“We examined the current situation of several villages. Then, we need to conduct a specific regional survey to select the project target areas and then promote pilot projects for implementation in 2024,” said Ven. Pomnyun Sunim noted.
These subsequent surveys also gave visitors to JTS Korea the opportunity to learn more about the living conditions of rural Bhutanese and the difficulties they face, such as access to clean water and electricity , children's education, their well-being and their health needs, especially those of the elderly.
“There is room for improvement in the areas of education and health care. Facilities at most schools and health centers were adequate, but health care for the elderly was poor. . . due to a shortage of health professionals. Health personnel are needed to manage the dental, eye and hearing health problems of older people. In the area of education, some school facilities seem somewhat inadequate, but since there are few students it might be better to consolidate schools. . . rather than renovating individual schools. Children need to interact with more friends to expand their social relationships.
During Ven. During Pomnyun Sunim's discussions with the villagers, they shared their hopes for the future, expressing their needs and desires, such as more productive dairy cattle, protection of their farms from wild animals, and more modern amenities in their houses.
“I entered primary school in 1960,” says Ven. Pomnyun Sunim told this during her community meetings. “At that time, South Korea had a GDP per capita of 100 US dollars. Sixty-five years have passed since then and GDP per capita now stands at US$35, a 000-fold increase. You might think that South Korea has no problems, but it is experiencing a rate of suicide is extremely high and young people refuse to marry. Would you like to follow the same path?
“If your son travels to Thimphu or Australia to earn money, he can help you build a big house here. But you may never see him again. I don't think that's a good thing. Is it a good life to constantly strive for more? I am here to tell you that money is not everything in life.
In the weeks and months to come, Venerable Pomnyun Sunim and JTS Korea will continue their development work in Bhutan, building on the progress made to date, further improving the living conditions of remote communities, as of pioneer to manifest a model of sustainable social and economic development which could serve as a practical example for the whole world.
Fri. Pomnyun Sunim is a highly revered Korean professor, author, and social activist. He has founded numerous organizations, initiatives and projects around the world, including: JTS Korea, an international humanitarian aid organization working to eradicate poverty and hunger; Jungto Society, a volunteer community founded on the teachings of the Buddha and dedicated to solving modern social problems that lead to suffering; Ecobuddha, an organization focused on environmental ethics and sustainable living based on the teachings of the Buddha; and Good Friends, which promotes reconciliation and cooperation between North and South Korea and provides humanitarian aid to North Koreans. Fri. Pomnyun Sunim also works closely with the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB).
In October 2020, the Niwano Peace Foundation in Japan presented the 37th Niwano Peace Prize to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in recognition of his international humanitarian work, intensive environmental and social activism, and tireless efforts to build trust and goodwill among communities of different faiths and cultures, towards the goal of world peace .*
* Buddhist monk Ven. Pomnyun Sunim receives the 37th Niwano Peace Prize (BDG)
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