Donate Today to Bhutan Centre For Media and Democracy's Project Citizen,

Your Gift Will Strengthen Democracy in Bhutan!

Though Bhutan transitioned to a democratic form of government in 2008, the local government planning processes have not changed much since. A vast majority of the elected local government leaders only have functional literacy and believe that young people are not eligible to attend community meetings. This practice has excluded the voices of vulnerable community members such as young adults, people with disabilities, single mothers, and so on.

To address this issue, Bhutan Centre for Media and Democracy tested a GNH-based participatory planning approach for local governments. This initiative has made local governments realize how their public consultation and planning processes have excluded the voices of vulnerable groups and has offered them methods to make their planning processes more inclusive and participatory. 

In the coming years, BCMD plans to take their GNH-based Participatory Planning Approach to elected leaders and administrators in Bhutan's highlands and rural districts.

Help BCMD raise $5,000 to make local government planning processes evidence-based, inclusive and participatory so that their development plans become responsive to the needs of the communities.

• USD 250 sponsors one local government official for a week-long participatory planning process training and enable the trained official to carry out a one day participatory public consultation in their community
• USD 180 sponsors a Citizen Empowerment Workshop for one community.
• USD 50 sponsors one local government official for one day on a week-long participatory planning process training. 
• USD 25 sponsor a Citizen Empowerment Workshop for one community member and the distribution of Participatory Planning Toolkits to one local government leader.