The Bhutanese Leading the way.
The International Anti-Corruption Day (IACD) was celebrated in Thimphu on December 9 with the launch of a report titled “Integrity and Value Education in Schools” and a debate competition on “The Present Generation Upholds Better Values than the Earlier Generation” within four higher secondary schools in the capital.
This year, the National Anti-Corruption Week in Bhutan themed “Zero Corruption, 100% Development” began from December 10 and will conclude on Monday. It is aimed at supporting ACC’s endeavor to building an awakened citizenry that denounces corruption. ACC has also been conducting gewog advocacy programs which concluded on the IACD.
National Council Chairperson Dasho Dr Sonam Kinga who was the chief guest at the debate competition spoke to the youth and urged them to refrain from telling lies and drug abuse among others.
ACC Chairperson Dasho Neten Zangmo, in a video message said, “Corruption is the growing industry globally. Countries in Asia-Pacific may be losing about 17% of their GDP to corruption, by that token Bhutan may be losing about Nu 14bn. More than funds lost to corruption, it is trust between citizens that we may be losing. It is the citizen’s trust in the government that we may be losing.”
“Can a small and vulnerable country of ours afford it? Other question that we need to ask is, what I am doing? What are you doing? And what we are doing? The problem in the fight against corruption is not with corrupt few, but indifference of the good majority,” Dasho Neten added.
The report on “Integrity and Value Education in Schools” in Bhutan is the first such report published by the commission. Through such reports, the commission hopes to inculcate the values in the youth so that they refrain, resist and ultimately keep away from indulging in corruption, to assess the societal influence on Bhutanese youth, and to facilitate the education ministry in developing strategies that weave integrity in the existing system through feedback and recommendation from the respondents.
The research for the report was based on the workshop conducted by NID in 2008 and 2009 in 167 schools throughout the country within the scope of its zero- tolerance for corruption.
