Initiatives of Change - Detailed view of For A Change Articles

'We bring you greetings from His Majesty the King of Bhutan.' The message was delivered by one of eight young Bhutanese professionals attending a conference organized at Asia Plateau, the Moral Re-Armament conference complex in western India. The eight, representing health, education, foreign affairs and the media, had been chosen to attend by Bhutan's Foreign Minister.

Thirteen university students from Bangladesh travelled for four days by bus, cycle-rickshaw and train to reach the September conference. It was their longest journey and their first experience of India. A journalist, attached to the office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, represented Tibet. The presence of these, together with other young people from Malaysia,Britain, the Philippines and India, brought dance, poetry, song and laughter as all considered the theme `Creating a caring society'.

New glasses
At the inaugural session a representative from each of the nations lit a candle as a symbol of a prayer for a world fragmented by division and a longing to light a spark in every heart. Evenings on Bangladesh and Bhutan enriched and educated everyone. The struggle and aspirations of the Tibetans in exile were brought home by a film and talk by the Tibetan youth leader.
Before leaving many spoke of the personal decisions they had taken to help build the caring society they wanted.

A Bhutanese doctor said, `We are beginning a difficult journey
- the journey into ourselves. I will never use unethical means in dealing with my patients even if I start my own private practice.'

'MRA has been like a new pair of glasses to me,' announced a bespectacled fellow Bhutanese who works as a civil servant. `I can see the holes behind me that I have dug in my journey through life. The first thing I will do is to fill in these holes.'

`I have found pure gold here which I want to share with my friends at home,' said a first year college girl studying sociology. `I have decided to write about the moral decisions I have taken and my experience of listening to the inner voice, in a magazine on social matters I contribute to.'

V Subrahmanyan