The Bhutanese Leading the way.
RTI will automatically generate information, which in turn, will be transformed into knowledge that is useful to the people and the country to create a knowledge society. A knowledge based society is the only secured source of security and sovereignty for Bhutan in this present knowledge-century.
This knowledge, developed due to RTI, will automatically enable Bhutan to develop knowledge-based capabilities. The capabilities are the capacities of various resources (people, money, organizations, rules, policies, procedures, written and tacit ideas, culture, methods of doing things, enterprise, managing expectations, etc) in the country to perform activities, which are necessary for the sustain-ability of the country. These capabilities will provide opportunities to our citizens to develop science, creativ¬ity, innovation, invention, entrepreneurship and art. As a consequence, our citizens will acquire competitive advantages that will support the vision of the people and the country in a seamless manner. As a result, the country will become stronger and a vibrant nation.
It is unambiguously clear that knowledge capabilities today have taken over those capabilities of the mercan¬tile and the industrial era. The reverse in the order of the capabilities is due to the change in technology and information.
People are even going to space for holidays by using tech-nology and information. The present world environment is driven by the combination of “atoms (physical) and bits (software)” and the use of this mix will drive our society
more and more. This duo is changing our living and thinking habits. Even medicines will be delivered using bits (chips) inserted in the body (MIT research). A pilot study is going on in cancer patients.
The proof of the power of the relationship between RTI and supporting the vision are there to see from the developed and developing countries around the world. Therefore, no RTI mean no information, no knowledge, and no security and sovereignty.
If Bhutan fails to legislate the RTI in this winter session of the parliament, it will push the citizens and thereby the country into an information isolation. The consequences will be unimaginable in today’s global transformation that is based on information and technology.
RTI is a strategic information tool and must be intro-duced in the country for its survival. Else the nation is at stake, and it is just a matter of time for domino effects to take place because the world around Bhutan is moving fast. Ability to transform is the only way to survive and be sustainable.
Dargay