A Book entitled- Integrated Social Messages into Nation and Local Religious Festivals was dessiminated, coinciding with the Internationa Girl Child Day 2017 as joint collaborative initiative among UNFPA, Central Monastic Body, Royal Academy of Performing Arts-Ministry of Home and Cultural Affairs and RENEW.
The event was graced by His Emminence Leytsho Lopen Rinpochhe, His Emminence Tshugla Lopen Rinpochhe , His Emminence Drapai Lopen Rinpochhe, His Emminence Yonten Lopen Rinpochhe and monastic representative from 20 districts. The book is the first of its kind to include social messages on issues like teenage pregnancy, suicide, relationship, and family violence into the religious festival context.
The book will be used by all the monastic institutions in the districts to create awareness on the social issues in their respective communities during annual religious festivals.
“In this 21st century young people are faced with numerous challenges likes suicide, single parent child, alcohol and substance abuse, early marriage and teenage pregnancy which has hindered their education advancement, thereby impacting the country’s development. These challenges are our concerns as well and we have been trying to involve in addressing these issues through Buddhist discourses in schools. Despite these, agencies working for young people like UNFPA, RENEW and Monastic institutions have not been able to work together. This year, our collaboration started with integration of social messages into our existing religious festival narration on pilot basic.
On the International day of girl child, on behalf of monastic institutions of Zhung Dratsang I commit to implement these integrated social messages in religious festivals. This book “Integrated social messages into National and Local religious festivals” contains the condensed messages addressing the issues related to young people especially young adolescent girls and shall be used by all monastic institutions as guiding documents to delivering messages to the general public. This initiative serves the dual purpose of imparting religious values as well as creating awareness on social issues in the communities. It is our responsibility to safe guard and nurture the wish fulfilling gem (young people) of Bhutan” .... HE Leytsho Lopen Rinpoche, Zhung Dratsang, on the occasion of International Girl Child day, 11th October, 2017, Thimphu, Bhutan
