DECEMBER News /

Thousands Drawn to the YES Campaign in Bhutan

In October, 2005, the YES Bhutan Network organized two musical shows featuring in-country budding artists as a way of spreading the word about the YES Campaign.  These non conventional meetings with widespread appeal were enormously successful.

The two music festivals were held in Phuentsholing, the gateway to Bhutan from India, and Thimphu, Bhutan’s capital city.   The events received great support from community members, private organizations, business people, schools and academic institutions. Additionally, more than one hundred youth volunteered to assist the program.

The YES Bhutan used this innovative gathering to achieve its key goals: (1) raise funds to carry out various activities organized by YES Bhutan Network; (2) to share and exchange professional skills among youth and the professional artists; and (3) to explore and promote the hidden talents amongst the youth in order to utilize it in employment creation.  Most importantly, the events awoke great community interest in employment creation for youth at this hour of the unemployment crisis.   

Of this great feat participant Mrs. Joan Reader of VSA, New Zealand remarked, “As a member of the audience I was very impressed with the professional organization of the concert for youth by a completely volunteer crew.  How fortunate the youth Phuentsholing are to have so many adults who freely give them time for the benefit of the youth.”