Skip to main content

What have I learnt by being silent to blogging?

Writing has always been my weakness and I am sure that it is never going to take even gradual improvement let alone exponential improvement. However, I have a passion for reading and writing: probably helping me to certain extent in whatsoever ways it might be helping me. I have been not able to post any during the last many months, not because I didn't want to write any, nor because I m not interested to blog anymore. It is all because of the crazy life I have been through for the last one year and a half- it is because of the 14th International Society of Ethnobiology (ISE) Congress. It is after I took over as the Chair of the organizing committee of the 14th ISE congress.

Congress Participants with HRH Ashi Chimi Yangzom Wangchuck
Ugyen Wangchuck Institute for Conservation and Environment (www.uwice.gov.bt) under the Department of Forests and Park Services organized the congress in collaboration to International Society of Ethnobiology (www.ethnobiology.net) 14th ISE Congress saw participants from all walks of life. There were 398 participants from 56 countries and 90 participants from Bhutan participating in the congress. Participants included all the way from Farmers to Policy makers, Students to Academicians and Scientists, Shamens to Doctors. Such a big event is first of its kind to be held in Bhutan not to mention Bumthang-Bhutan, where the congress was held from June 1-7, 2014. The congress witnessed 247 Scientific presentations, 98 posters, 14 films and musical interactions.

Handing Over Toka Toka
The congress came to Bhutan after one of my friends made a presentation during the 12th ISE Congress in Tofino, Canada in 2010. Toka Toka (Walking stick of the founder of ISE, Darell Powsey), a ceremonial walking stick was then handed over to Bhutan by the organizers of the 13th ISE Congress in France in 2012.  Toka Toka is like an Olympic torch which moves around the globe. We made a contribution to Toka Toka by putting a metal band around the Toka Toka mentioning all the past congress venues and year. The Toka Toka is now handed over to the next congress organizer, Uganda, Deputy Minister of Uganda received Toka Toka from Dash Paljor J. Dorji, President of Bhutan Ecological Society and Advisor to National Environment Commission.

Organization of this congress taught me many important lessons which otherwise I would not have known. The most important thing I learnt is to trust people around you and working with you. I also learnt that one person cannot do everything thus "Distribution of Job" came handy. Single handedly facing all the troubles is very difficult thus, I believed in what someone rightly said "United we stand, Divided we fall". I also learnt the importance of talking less and listening more.

At the end, I also learnt that HARD WORK ALWAYS PAYS, COOPERATION ALWAYS WINS, TRUST MAKES WORK SMOOTHER, JOB DISTRIBUTION MAKES WORK LIGHTER. Thank you all for helping achieve this mammoth task in a way we all desired to happen.

Receiving a Gift from the Outgoing President of ISE, Dr. Jack Miller



One of the Scientific Presentaions
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Bhutan's Mega Farm AKA Slaughter House

I am a vegetarian and I love animals. Unless all Bhutanese go vegan, I am for the establishment of slaughter house for Bhutan has to become meat self sufficient.  The issue on establishing a mega farm AKA slaughter house is again tabled for discussion in the National Assembly when the opposition questioned the government citing the sentiments of Bhutanese at large. I felt that having understood the economic un-stability of the country by our so called policy makers, such initiatives should not be questioned at-all let alone opposing it. I am for the establishment of mega farm with following reasons: 1. Establishing a mega farm mean meat self sufficient - Though statistically not proven, I am pretty confident that about 50% of Bhutanese eat meat. I feel even more than that. And to make matters interesting, almost all the Bhutanese meat eaters are heavy meat eaters with majority going for beef and pork (rural areas); and chicken, fish and mutton. Don't believe me! visit any mea...
2 comments
Read more

Non-Wood Forest Products (NWFPs) or Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs)

Both Non-Wood Forest Products (NWFPs) and Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) refers to what is earlier known as Minor Forest Products (MFPs). The use of "MFPs" terminology has been discontinued as it seems to greatly mis-guide the produce. For instance collection and trade of Cordyceps ( Ophiocordyceps sinensis ) by high alpine dwellers and even Chirata ( Swertia chirata ) in the east (Shigkhar Lauri) contributes more than 50% of their annual earnings, which of-course is clear that these forest products doesnot justify to be called as minor. NWFPs and NTFPs are two very similar yet different terminologies adopted to address these produce of forest other than timber. In short it includes everything besides timber. Rattan Shoot In Bhutan we use NWFP and it is defined in the National Forest Policy of Bhutan, 2011as, "NWFP means resin, varnish, katha, kutch, plants, flowers, seeds, bamboo, bulbs, roots, leaves, grasses, creepers, reeds, orchids, cane, fungi, moss, medic...
6 comments
Read more

The Mighty Manas River and Future of "SHE"

The Manas River is a trans-boundary river in the Himalayan foothills between southern Bhutan and India . It is named after Manasa , the serpent god in Hindu Mythology . It is the largest river system of Bhutan, among its four major river systems; the other three are Amo Chu or Toorsa , Wang Chu or Raidak, Puna Tsang Chhu or Sunkoosh . The total length of the river is 376 kilometres, flows through Bhutan for 272 kilometres and then through Assam for 104 kilometres before it joins the mighty Brahmaputra River . Mighty Manas River is formed by merging two rivers, viz. Dangme Chhu and Mangde Chhu in a place called Dung-du-me brag and Un-dhala thang in Panbang.  Confluence of Dangme Chhu and Mangede Chhu  and also showing Bird eye-view of Panbang. Source: Google Earth  The river valley has two major reserve forest areas, namely the Royal Manas National Park   in Bhutan and the contiguous Manas Wildlife Sanctuary encompassing Project Tiger Reserve which constitut...
11 comments
Read more