Sense of belonging, as I have mentioned in a past article, What it means to be Bhutanese?- is our authentic connection to our common heritage, our collective present, and our shared future. Losing the sense of belonging means that people have lost this connection – as in not knowing where they come from, or where they belong, and see no future ahead of them. This is a terrible state to be in because one feels worthless, un-recognised, and increasingly pushed away. Humans are social animals and we always seek a place and a community where we feel accepted, valued, and validated.

I have also pointed out that the sense of belonging is an emotional question and not an economic one. A case in point is my generation and the one before who were happy with the little we were paid but worked happily and with pride because we felt a sense of belonging, and duty towards our country, and responsibility towards our community.

The problem of the decline of belongingness is not confined to Bhutan. It is a global issue. For instance, a study from Stanford University shows that one in five Americans do not feel a sense of belonging and suffer from chronic loneliness. Sense of belonging is defined by psychologists “as the experience of personal involvement in a system or environment so that persons feel themselves to be an integral part of that system or environment”.

How have we got here?

Major psycho-social shifts do not happen in a vacuum. They are caused by many factors – big and small. Here I will point out a few of them.

Social media and mobile phones: The mass proliferation of communication technology, such as smartphones and social media, has connected humanity more than at any point in history. However, the newer and faster connections have made the connection itself shallow – giving us less time to absorb and appreciate.

More significantly, social media amplifies the illusive greener pasture – making us always feel that there is something “out there” that is better than what we have in front of us – be it people or places. It promotes distant heroes and role models instead of nearer natives and achievers. It tends to devalue everything in front of you if you are not careful.

Power and money over meaning
The rapid urbanisation, the bureaucratisation of society, and the monetisation of every aspect of our lives are eating into our souls as a nation. Adding to that is the social hierarchy that seems to turn off the younger generation. I don’t make a judgement on whether that is right or wrong. Some degree of social structure is required to maintain the social order. Beyond that, it can be suffocating for everyone.

I don’t undervalue money either – or the need to pay for services. However, the anti-freebies section may not realise that in social democracies such as the Nordic countries, many things come free from the state as a part of ensuring some egalitarian ideals. I view money as a means and not as an end in itself – as in to pay my bills, support my family, help others, build religious structures, and not let it rule my mind or life. However, truth be told, we are putting greater emphasis on money and hierarchy over men and meaning.

Education that competes
Enough has been said about the modern education system. And so, let me just add that what we measure is what we will eventually get – with everything in life. Assessment is a key component in education and learning. Putting one student on the pedestal estranges the rest. Grading them like factory products will make them compete against each other. And if history as a subject is taught as numbers and names to be memorised, it will just be a number or a name, and not a feeling. All these have alienated our youth, and not helped them to learn to appreciate our heritage and traditions, build communities, or make them feel like an integral part of the greater whole.

All is, however, not lost and below I will reiterate the ongoing Desuung and the new Gyalsung programme as solutions and initiatives to restore these feelings.

How do the Desuung and Gyalsung programs help?

I have mentioned in another article that the success of the Desuung programme can be attributed to making our youth feel proud and validated. They find a community that accepts them, and their works and efforts are recognized. They get an opportunity to serve the country – something that every Bhutanese look forward to. As I see pictures of the Gyalsung programme kicking off, I feel the same sense of duty, diligence, discipline, and pride can be achieved for the younger Bhutanese who will undergo the Gyalsung programme.

World over, national service has three recurrent themes – an enhanced feeling of shared purpose and patriotism, instilling loyalty and diligence, and giving a sense of belonging, resilience, and direction. I will elaborate on a few of these points.

Sense of shared purpose and resilience
As one begins to be a part of a bigger Bhutanese community, dreams and aspirations will be shared and will find acceptance. They will forge life-long and meaningful friendships and fraternity. They will learn to look out for each other and build trust and confidence – and not indulge in unnecessary competition and in self-destructive ego and confrontations that they have seen elsewhere.

As the program extends to a year, our youth will have time to go through a roller-coaster of emotions and self-discovery. Many will harden up and might find their meaning in life, which eluded them from being in their comfort zone. They will find a shared purpose, build a collective dream, and envision a future for themselves and for those around them.

Sense of belonging and patriotism
The over-emphasis we give to one small section of the society – the esteemed civil service, has us questioning our basic fundamental duty and rights to patriotism – as in if those who are outside of it should feel less Bhutanese and lack the love for the country. This has ramifications on the psyche of the young as they see their parents and relatives increasingly feel estranged – and not contributing meaningfully to the country.

With Gyalsung, young boys and girls will learn to love the country and be loved and find their way to feel belonged through service to the King and country – irrespective of profession, social standing, race, or wealth. They will learn that no one has a monopoly on patriotism and each one of them is entitled to feel for their country like any other. They will find a culture to be experienced, traditions to be learned, relationships to be nurtured, and an inner self to be discovered. They will learn that the country is big enough to fit every dream and find things to do, places to go, people to meet and communities to serve. They will discover that they have a place in the world. It will be a worthwhile journey, I am sure.

Contributed by

Dorji Wangchuk (PhD)

Professor, Engineer, Communication Scholar