Vietnamese Cultural Night

One of the highlights of the Sauvé Scholar Program is the national cultural night, an opportunity afforded to each scholar during their time at Sauvé house to present to the Montreal community on their home culture. Last Friday, I had the opportunity to introduce my country, Vietnam, to the Sauvé Foundation's Board of Directors, to the Foundation staff, to my fellow scholars and to my other friends here in Montreal.

Because I also had to organize  a workshop about the legacy of war and occupation in Vietnam, I decided to combine that workshop with a presentation of other touchstones of Vietnamese culture including its geography, legends, history, culture and food.

I began to prepare for my cultural night over a month ago. I must thank my uncle Truong and aunt My Lien, friends whom I recently met in Montreal, for helping me with planning what food to prepare for the evening. After a discussion with them, we decided our menu would feature food from the three regions of Vietnam: the North, the Middle and the South. The menu included: Nem (Spring Rolls), Bánh Cuốn (Winter Rolls), Gỏi Cuốn (Summer Rolls), Xôi Đậu Xanh (Sticky Rice and Green Bean); deserts were tropical fruits, coconut candy, banana candy and coconut juice. Yummy!!!

We went to the oriental market...

There we bought a lots of stuff. Though there were only four main dishes we were buying for, we had to buy so many little things to make them taste just right.

Aunt My Lien is the big chef,

                                                                       making Nem 

Uncle Truong assisted sometimes when he had the time...

The final product was delicious:

                                                          NEM (Pork, mushroom, onion,...)

                                               Preparation for making Gỏi Cuốn (Summer Rolls)

After a month being BUSY with the preparation, it was time to present:

                                                                                       Introducing participants

I began by inviting my guests in Montreal to experience Vietnam, traveling from the North to the South, by tasting the foods from the different regions:

I then invited my guests to get on a special air plane (the "special air plane" which I mention was a series of interesting video clips :) ), to take a trip through 4000 years of Vietnamese history.

I began when the Viet people were created and the country established. According to the Legend, the Vietnamese are the descendants of the Dragon Lac Long Quan and the Fairy Au Co. I presented the story of this Legend and our first 3000 years of history by showing this video clip:

Vietnamese legend and history 

I then described how the Viet people have fought time and again against powerful foreign invaders.  Watching other videos that outlined our storied resilience, I highlighted the many victories of the Vietnamese people against invasion and occupation.  During this first 3000 years of Vietnamese history, our people fought in order to save the Vietnamese land and people in a number of invasions. This instilled a tradition of resistance to foreign domination that is said to have prepared the Viet people to fight against many powerful military intrusions that occured in modern times. 

For example in 1858, French colonialists invaded Vietnam starting eighty years of exploitation and oppression of the Vietnamese. There were many revolts and uprisings, but most failed. The uprising became successful only when Ho Chi Minh (our national hero!) recognized the potential of Communism to unify the people.

In 1954, the Vietnamese totally defeated the French colonialist at the Dien Bien Phu battle .

The war did not stop there. As the fear of communism spread throughout the whole Asia, American Imperialists invaded Vietnam. The Vietnamese had to keep fighting another 30 years for freedom and independence.

One of the consequences of the American Vietnam war was/is the many victims of Agent Orange.  Agent Organce is a very powerful herbicide that was used in the war by the American army in order to destroy forests where Vietnamese soldiers were thought to be hiding. When it is released, some dioxins are also generated. Dioxins can cause cancer and lead to genetic modifications. Decades later after the war, dioxins still lurk in Vietnamese soil, causing deformities which are passed on from generation to generation.

Finally, I introduced to my guests some important elements of Vietnamese culture. 

 Đàn Bầu- Vietnamese traditional musical instrument 

A few months before coming to Canada, I met with Nguyen Thanh Tung who is a famous Vietnamese monochord music performer and composer. He is well-known not only for his moving monochord performances and compositions, but also for his inner strength and perseverance as a blind Agent Orange victim. Thanh Tung has performed Vietnamese traditional music and masterpieces by Beethoven,  Chopin, etc., in many countries and received worldwide notice. 

                                                              Nguyen Thanh Tung

The talent and perseverance of Tung Nguyen has inspired me to learn Đàn Bầu.  I decided to play a tune for my guests. 

In this video, Tung Nguyen performs "You Raised Me Up" by Đàn Bầu. 

Vietnamese Traditional Dress - Áo Dài 

I also introduced to my guests the Vietnamese traditional dress - Áo Dài - using a short video clip showing the history of Áo Dài. 

      

The Vietnamese cultural night was a great success! I'm so thankful to the Sauvé Scholar Foundation for giving me this opportunity to introduce to my friends in Montreal some important parts of my country and history. 

I would like to thank everyone for coming to learn about Vietnam. I would also like to thank uncle Truong, aunt My Lien and my fellow scholars for helping me with organizing this event. 

You made the night wonderful!! 

At Justin Trudeau's official Campaign Launch

Sometimes the distinction between journalism and punditry can be hard to strike. This is even harder when you are a scribe specialising in covering political events. And, for me in particular, yesterday was one of those moments when I found myself in between a rock and a hard place. But I chose to navigate this path anyway. For that reason, whatever I am writing here is from the position of an independent observer who puts his ‘ear to the ground’ hoping to pick whatever is there to be picked. Having worked as apolitical reporter in Uganda for a couple of years, yesterday was one of those unique moments I found myself in a difficult situation, in a different country, in a different continent and in a different atmosphere. To start it off, I and three of my colleagues, set off at about 5:40pm to attend Justin Trudeau’s official launch for his campaign to seek the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada and ultimately Prime Minister of Canada.

This was my first time to attend a political event when I am not under pressure to meet any story submission deadline. This event, instead, became an opportunity for I observed more things than I would have observed had I been thinking of meeting deadline or if my minds had been consumed by issues regarding which story angle I would have to take. In this 500+community hall, there were a lot of takeaways to notice, especially as regards politics as we know it and politics as it’s practiced in Africa. First, Mr Trudeau, whose father was a former Canadian Premier, delivered a good speech portraying his vision for the future. Specifically, he emphasized that it was the right time for the new generation to take charge, and that his leadership was about “the future, not the past”

Two hours after, I was hooked on television watching the same events I had attended; I came to learn, from watching one reporter, that the 40 year-old Liberal Party candidate was riding on his father’s legacy to attain the top party leadership. If that is the case, then he is playing his cards differently. If this was in Africa, it would not have been a surprise to see posters printed with ‘father-son’ seated together, guarded by military artillery vehicles, with hundreds of AK47 wielding security personnel surrounding them. Now, that’s what Africans mean when they say that ‘the ex. President’s son is riding on his father’s legacy to take over power’. In fact, throughout Trudeau’s speech, I heard only one passing reference to his father. That sounds anti-African, right? In Africa, politicians are predominantly inaccessible not only to their electorates but also to senior party delegates. Had yesterday’s event been in Africa, it would have taken anyone a ‘hell’ of time to meet and greet Mr Trudeau. But I just saw how simply he entered the Community Hall with his wife and without any military or police protection. To be clear, there was police presence but the three police officers I saw were stationed outside the community centre. Unlike in Africa where opposition are seen by those in powers to be arch enemies, who should never be granted the right to mobilise, assemble or access any public space. I was impressed by how Trudeau explained his ideological difference with opponents of his party, whom he will face in the general elections if he is elected the flag-bearer of his party.

The Liberal Party of Canada, he said, stands for the restoration of economic prosperity of Canada’s middle class and building a better country where all Canadians can unite together as members of one family. He explained that the challenges faced by Canada cannot be solved by adopting the “wrong” agenda being proposed by the Conservative party and NDP. "What's the response from the NDP? To sow regional resentment and blame the successful. The Conservative answer? Privilege one sector over others and promise that wealth will trickle down, eventually," he said, adding, "Both are tidy ideological answers to complex and difficult questions. The only thing they have in common is that they are both, equally, wrong." He then positioned his quest for leadership as a takeover of the new generation which is ready to work hard and solve its own challenges. "It is time for us, for this generation of Canadians, to put away childish things," he said. "More, it is time for all of us to come together and get down to the very serious, very adult business of building a better country." Well, coming from a country (Uganda) still suffering from undemocratic rule, it was an opportunity to wittiness democracy at its best. My country adopted a progressive constitution in 1995, which was supposed to act as a basis for the country’s democratization process but it is seventeen years since its promulgation, yet Uganda’s democratization process has been sliding backwards, reversing into a one-man’s rule. In Uganda’s case, since 2006, three of the country’s elections results were brought before the Supreme Court and in all instances the court acknowledged the merits of the evidence brought by the petitioners. The court found evidence of rigging, militarization, and intimidation, disenfranchisement of voters and falsification of the results. In 2004, President Museveni, who came to power in 1986 promising full democracy, personally engineered the removal of presidential term-limits which allows him to rule the country for as long as he wishes. To have this term-limits amendment passed, he orchestrated a political move that saw each Member of Parliament receive a 5 million bribe. All in all, it is clear that the contrast between Politics in Canada and politics in Africa is indeed staggering. And Justine Trudeau and Canada’s multiparty democracy may probably offer an opportunity for struggling democracies like Uganda to learn the way democracy ought to be practiced.

Posted by Gerald Bareebe, Jeanne Sauve Scholar, McGill University, 2012-2013

From Reproductive Justice to Human Rights Movement

Being an activist is one of the most amazing things that could ever happen to me! I, again, came to this conclusion after participating in a lecture organized by 2110 Center for Gender Advocacy at Concordia University in Montreal. The event welcomed a guest speaker, Loretta Ross, who was addressing topics such as reproductive justice, rape,women's rights, oppression, and building human rights movement. Even thought the theme of the talk may seem quite heavy, the lecture was one of the funniest, the most empowering, and uplifting speeches I have heard in years. 

Loretta Ross is one of the main forces behind an organization called SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective, whose "mission is to amplify and strengthen the collective voices of Indigenous women and women of color to ensure reproductive justice through securing human rights." 

Before I start sharing my observations and learning points, I'd like to shortly explain what 'reproductive justice' is. In short, it can be defined as a freedom for women to decide about their bodies but holding the state responsible for providing the proper framework for women to develop, raise children (if they wish to have them) and have actual choice. Loretta Ross explained the difference between reproductive justice and reproductive rights discourse as "not only have the freedom to have a child or not to have a child but also to be able to raise the child and have a quality life". In another words "for reproductive justice activists, the primary difference between the reproductive rights and health frameworks and the reproductive justice framework is that the rights and health frameworks focus on protecting individual rights and choices, while the reproductive justice framework focuses on broader socioeconomic conditions and bringing about structural change."(1) Loretta also compared those two discourses in a simple way: pro-birth (reproductive rights discourse) vs pro-life (reproductive justice discourse).

It was amazing to watch Loretta speak and share her personal story of sexual abuses and full of challenges in an empowering way, making the audience burst out laughing numerous times. One of the lines that I found very interesting, among many many others, was the way she dealt with receiving over and over again the same question about fighting oppression, she said: "Loretta, aren't you tired of fighting oppression? Then my answer is 'Tired offighting oppression? Not as much as being oppressed!'" It was just the beginning of the lecture and at the same a very powerful moment for me as an activist because this is exactly what I do and what it feels like! Even though Loretta and I work in different fields, it was so easy to relate to her words.

She also addressed the fact that activists and people working towards making a change in the world tend to complain about hardships, being tired, and having endless amounts of work. Her answer to this was: "We social justice people are very privileged! We are very fewpeople who don't put up with hate and oppression. We need to be responsiblewith that privilege! Like with any other privilege! And, please, don't play theoppression Olympics: my oppression is worse than yours! ;)" I was sitting there grinning because I knew exactly what she was talking about! Activists are amazing people but sometimes we need reality check in order to stop, see what we actually have, and we need to learn to appreciate it, and acknowledge how privileged we are to be able to do what we love and work to make change in the world. Not everyone is as lucky as we are!

Loretta talked about knowing differences between an enemy and problematic ally, which brought the audience, first to laughter, and then to a big round of applaud! "I know the difference between an enemy and problematic ally - with the ally you can actually agree on things that you want to work on together even though you may not necessarily understand each others realities". What I found interesting and maybe even a bit intriguing was her statement that in order to be able to work with (problematic) ally, we have to get over the unrealistic expectation that the ally will understand our realities because the truth is that they will not. I guess that this thought could be connected with the belief that many people thinking differently want to reach the same goal, which was identified as one of the major challenges of the human rights movement. Loretta believes that social rights movements need to get over the single-identity agenda fights but instead work intersectionally combining different identities and realities as we are never only 'one'. A person is never only a woman, but can be also trans, or have disability, and so on. We cannot work for equality not communicating with each other and being separated. Another round of applaud came with Loretta's reference to Martin Luther King's sermon delivered just 4 days before his assassination in 1968 where he was speaking about creating not 'only' civil rights movement but human rights movement, which he never managed to witness happening. She jokingly said "for all those years everyone was telling me that Martin Luther King had a dream! No one told me he had a plan!" :) She continued saying that "we need to build human rights movement - intersectional movement, you can't fight for women's rights in racist way, you can't fight for LGBTQ rights and violate disabled people." This also identifies one of the challenges, which is convincing people to work together even though there is no agreement on all fronts regardless of the end aim - equality, respect, and freedom. 

This is just give you a taste of what I experienced during 2.5h lecture full of reflection, laughter, and 'aha' moments. I could relate so many things to the LGBTQ or transgender movements, the mechanisms of work, cooperation, and internal struggles follow the same logic or maybe lack of it... To reflect on Loretta's words on being privileged as a civil rights activist, I definitely feel extremely privileged and lucky to be a part of this huge machinery for change! I would never trade this for anything else. I believe that if we let ourselves learn from each other and pay more attention to what we can offer to each other, we would be stronger and more efficient fighting for our rights. As a human being I would like to see people being safe and free; and as an activist, I would like to see one big united human rights movement envisioned years ago by a great activist and leader, Mr King to rock. Who's with me?

(1) Asian Communities for ReproductiveJustice 2005, p.3.

Why the Student Movement Must Evolve

Last Sunday, I went to Parc Lafontaine to observe the latest Quebec student protest along with several other scholars.  With the PQ government having already promised to quash the tuition increases, this rally attracted the most committed activists, those who are pushing for an end to tuition and who are nervous about the direction of the approaching summit on higher education.

When I returned home from this comparatively small march, I started thinking further about where the movement is going to go next.  I then came across an op-ed in the Toronto Star written by leaders of the more ‘radical’ of the student groups, CLASSE, who had organized and led the day's march.  

I decided to submit the following letter to the editor of the Star:

CLASSE is right to pause and recognize the victories of the Québec student movement ( Québec Student’s Hail Their Movement’s Victories).  That hundreds of thousands of citizens mobilized to protest peacefully for change, taking to the streets for months, should inspire people on both sides of the solitude regardless of where one falls on the tuition issue itself.

But if the student movement has truly shown there are no limits to the “politically possible,“ and that the “dogmas of the rich and powerful” can be overcome by broad citizen engagement, then the movement must now begin to look beyond the singular issue of access to education.

The student movement was always on its strongest footing when it linked its fight for access to education to the broader fight against growing corporate power and the perverted spending priorities of government.  It was less compelling when the salaries of University administrators and researchers were its principle focus and target.

To its credit, CLASSE’s manifesto challenged head on the narrow economic way of thinking guiding neo-liberal policy.  The Manifesto decries the privatization of public services and the increase in corporate wealth at the expense of average citizens. It speaks out against spiraling environmental degradation at the hands of industry and the persistence of ethnic, gender and other forms of systemic discrimination.

Where the Occupy movement could muster several thousand to city streets, the Québec student movement brought hundreds of thousands together listen to student leaders describe a system they see as stacked in favor of the few.

But while its one thing for student leaders to have spoken to other issues and struggles, its another entirely to mobilize action around those issues. 

It is important to consider why so many people took to the streets of Montreal: was it because the tuition increase affected their bottom line? Or was there something more to the movement, a broader dissatisfaction with the status quo and a will to fight for broader societal change?

Whatever the answer to these questions, the student movement has an opportunity to use its momentum to channel the energy and awareness already built during the spring towards taking action on other causes.  Its not hard to imagine the message that would be sent to those in power, whether in Québec city or Ottawa, if 100, 000 people were marching in the streets, month after month, to demand increases in corporate taxation, or to oppose the Northern Gateway pipeline and call for stricter environmental regulations.

In Québec, that will mean some tough choices for student leaders many of whom are sovereigntists and have an affinity with the ruling péquistes.  It means CLASSE must speak out, and loudly, when the government betrays progressive principles; when it drifts into worrisome flurries of ethnic nationalism, or excludes First Nations from a fare say in the development of the North for example.

The student movement can certainly pause to reflect on and acknowledge its achievement.  But it would be foolish not to link its fight to broader social struggles that are even more pressing. For progressives across the country there lies the hope the movement in Québec might lead to something much bigger, something that can undermine the dominance of neo-liberal thinking in our provincial and federal capitals alike.

Fall at Trout Lake

As I watch the leaves slowly reaching the ground, I have an epiphany about why ‘fall’ is called ‘fall’.

Almost three weeks into the Sauvé Program, and nine of us are having a relaxing retreat with the stated mission of ‘enjoying Canada before it gets cold’.

I am eating Corn Flakes with milk and listening to Cuban music. Outside it is raining. I am sitting on a sofa in the veranda of a cottage somewhere outside Montreal contemplating leaves becoming yellow. Yesterday I was not sure what a ‘cottage’ was all about. Now I know it is a place from which the world seems a little slower and calmer.

This morning I passed up going on an excursion to the local fruit market in order to work on my “one pager,” a document that will be circulated to support the achievement of my goals during the next nine months. I stayed behind in the calm of the cottage to put my mind in order. 

A lot has happened since I moved to Montreal. We have been in a constant orientation mode and my system has not yet assimilated to the reality that the Sauvé house and Montreal are my new homes.  Last week I was lucky to attend the CIVICUS World Assembly which turned out to be an inspiring networking and idea-rich experience. 

Meanwhile, I still do not have a lot of clarity about how I will prioritize and reach my goals this year. Working on the one pager is helping me organize and compartmentalize the different inputs, plans and considerations I have had so far. I am ready (and slightly edgy) to dig into the heart of my work: building a financial strategy and a board of directors to ensure Recrear, the organization I co-founded and worked with during the last two years, can continue working towards its vision. In the weeks that follow I will begin a full regime of meetings, classes and independent work…This weekend at the cottage is an opportunity to put things in perspective, and get reenergized.

Most importantly, however, this weekend I am on a mission to enjoy this time with my roommates. After a few hours of reflection (the falling leaves and pattering rain a backdrop for my contemplation) I am actually looking forward to the return of my Sauvé buddies at the cottage. In the midst of all the little practical things we talk about on a daily basis, we still have had little time to get to know one another more deeply.  We have a good idea of one another’s professional experiences and ambitions, but still little real comprehension of how the micro thoughts and experiences of each person blend together to make us the unique cocktail we are.

This weekend, I want to make sure to engage in real conversations with each person, without getting stuck in the technicalities of our “to do's.” At the very beginning of this exercise, I feel that every little story that we share is this gateway to another culture and conception of the world- to another very unique individual universe. In the process, I am starting to become very aware that this type of exchange will be the most incredible aspect of my experience during the Sauvé Program.

By Gioel Gioacchino

More Reflections on the 2011 - 12 Sauvé Experience | A Wish for the 2012 - 13 Sauvé Scholars

As the first scholars of the 2012 - 13 year arrive at Sauvé House, I can’t help but reflect on what made the Sauvé experience so unique this past year. Before arriving at the House, I had traveled, lived abroad, made friends with people from around the world. For most of the Scholars, they had similar experiences and exposure to the world that they brought to the Sauvé community. So, what made living and learning during the Sauvé Scholarship such a unique experience?

Sauvé House and especially the kitchen is an ideal place to bring people together from the Sauvé community, Montreal and beyond. For me, this was more apparent than ever when I hosted the Pakistan National Dinner. That one night represented so much of what I loved about the Sauvé experience. Forty of my dearest friends and family from different parts of my life in Montreal (and beyond) were under the same roof. When I took a moment to look around the kitchen during dinner, I realized that the beauty of Sauvé House is that it brings people together. They come from Quebec, Montreal, partner organizations, communities, host families, alumni, McGill, Concordia and mentors among many more.

For the dinner, my mom came from Toronto for the weekend to meet the people who I had been talking about the whole year. She told stories of her life growing up in Pakistan and the struggles and challenges of transitioning and creating a new home in Canada. Not only did I want my housemates and friends to have a chance to meet the person who influenced me the most (and taste her cooking) but I also wanted her to know this part of my life by experiencing a little bit of the joy I felt living with these people.

Sauvé House was a truly special place for me. Unlike any other environment, it was a place where I explored different parts of my identity—my Pakistani birth, Canadian upbringing and international experiences that connected me to my peers. I felt completely at home, more comfortable with who I am and my varied life experiences in a house full of people from around the world.

As the 2012 - 13 Sauvé Scholars filter into Montreal, I wish you the greatest, most inspiring year yet. I hope you are able to have moments that make you wonder, get lost in a deep conversation, random dancing in the kitchen, walks, runs or bike rides on the mountain, successful projects and great joy as you live and learn from each other. I hope that you meet new people and bring those you love—your friends and families (if possible) to the house.  It will not be perfect. The kitchen will get messy. Winter might be really cold. There will be difficult moments that will make you question as you challenge each other to be better people. But I can say that it will be unlike any other experience in your life. I hope that it will open your mind and heart in ways you didn’t expect and give you memories with your housemates you will never forget. I know it did that for me.

Photos of the Pakistan National Evening 

Josh, Kyle, Valérie and Charlotte

Simangele with Kate Reed, a host mother to many Scholars

Steph with Maria

All the guests enjoying a delicious meal

Deep in conversation

Charlotte, Maria, Simangele, Steph and Dechen in Pakistani outfits 

Beautiful Charlotte dressed up in her Pakistani outfit

Reflections from the 2011-12 Sauve year

Last August, fourteen young people hailing from countries as different from Canada as the Palestinian Territories, Kenya and Paraguay, embarked on a journey  to learn about leadership and how to contribute to effective responses to the major global challenges of our time. We did so by exchanging ideas with each other and educating ourselves at two world class Montreal universities.  As Sauvé Scholars for ten months, we lived in a house just up the street from our host academic institutions McGill and Concordia.

The first experience to form a bond between us was a camping trip in the Laurentians which we coordinated amongst ourselves. The Canadian lakes gave us a sense of the boundless opportunities in this country. We were deeply touched by the eerie call of the loon, though perhaps that emotion was simply the relief of finding out that it wasn’t the call of hungry wolves.  Canada makes up seven percent of the world’s landmass and is blessed with an abundance of natural resources and beautiful wildlife. Please continue to treasure them for the rest of the world.

We met and exchanged ideas with Canadian leaders renowned in this country and across the world for their visions. The Sauvé fellow from China noted that in his country, it is unheard of for anyone but the central bureau to interact with ministers, let alone former presidents. During our ten months in Canada, we had lengthy discussions with ministers, members of parliament and two former prime ministers. In Canada, unlike many parts of the world, if you write a letter to your MP or a minister, you do eventually get a response.

Canadian and non-Canadian Sauvé Scholars alike realized the rich leadership potential of this country. Talented people from all parts of the earth make Canada their home and this  human capital could broker closer ties with other nations.

In the past, Canada has been an important leader on international issues including the environment. According to the UN, the 1989 Montreal Protocol continues to be the most successful international environmental agreement. Many of our countries have now developed unique ways of ensuring sustainability and low carbon development. In Bhutan, the holistic vision of development focuses both on tangible and intangible aspects of wealth and equally supports the interdependent pillars of human, social, cultural, natural and economic capital. Meanwhile, the Chinese approach to the green economy has been to decouple emissions growth from the economy by increasing financial spending and subsidies on lower carbon energy and leading in the development of renewable energies. We hope that Canada’s commitment to a more sustainable and prosperous world soon returns and we look forward to learning about this strategy.

In one month, twelve new Scholars from countries including Senegal and Cuba will take up residency at the Jeanne Sauvé House. This kind of leadership program thrives in Canada and is a great reflection of Canadian values. 

To our friends in Montreal and across Canada, thank you for an unforgettable experience and for enriching our understanding of the world. We hope that you continue to be proactive in developing good leadership and in ensuring a sustainable environment for your country. 

Bhutan in Vermont: A Shufti

When I made a trip to Vermont with the scholars in February 2012, I never expected to meet Christie Bond, the ever enthusiastic  Coordinator and Educator at Shelburne farms. But most surprising of all I never expected to meet Bhutan in the United States. We were having a quiet dinner at the home of Madame Melissa Burroughs of the prestigious St. Johnsbury Academy.  She had invited some of the teachers to join us for the evening. Among those who turned up was teacher Hellen. She came along with her friend from graduate school at the University of Vermont. Christie happened to be visiting St. Johnsbury at the same time as the scholars.

The two brought with them some cookies for desert, scholars loved it. During chit-chat and warm conversation over food and drinks I got to know her better. Usually, informally (Mohammed sometimes did it formally), scholars introduce themselves and where they come from, ask whether the individuals have been to either of their countries, heard of them or even knew where they were on the map. With baited breaths, we waited for Christie to confirm whether she had ever heard of Bhutan. Surprisingly, she knew more about Bhutan second only to Dechen. Having worked with a group from Bhutan until recently, she talked about her work with the federal refugee resettlement program in Vermont before getting busy at the Shelburne Farms. And that there were a lot of Bhutanese refugees in Vermont!  This came as a shock to me and the other five scholars on the trip. Mohamed was not with us but at that point, I vividly remembered his jokes about the population of Bhutan comprising of four people; the King, his two wives and Dechen.  And now that Dechen was out of the country, there were three people left in the beautiful and hilly Kingdom.

Christie appeared to be telling us that there was a civil war in Bhutan and refugees were in plenty!

Bhutan, as Dechen described it, was this exotic, serene paradise where the kings’ wedding was a ‘national holiday’ and everybody attended arrayed in the national dress. Even the comely Dechen spent the whole night watching a halting live stream of the nuptials on her laptop despite my suggestion that the internet connection was not particularly good that evening. From the different colours or shades of them, adorned for the day, she was able to pick out, for me, the royal family, the priests, the elders, the government officials, the judges, the common man and the monks among others.

After recovering from the blow of Bhutanese refugees dominating Vermont resettlement program, clearly, Dechen had some explaining to do! She explained that the refugees were actually Nepalese who entered Bhutan as migrant workers when the country started paving its first roads.  They stayed back and settled in the south of Bhutan and were given citizenship by the Bhutanese government and were officially called Lhotsampas meaning the people of south just as the people of the east are called Sharchops.   They have inter-married with the local Bhutanese population and have overtime swelled in numbers and even have political representation in the government. Later in the early 1990s, tensions broke out between the Lhotshampas and the Bhutanese government. The Bhutanese government’s side of the story is that the tension was ignited by a group of Nepalese who revolted against the government to gain supremacy and autonomy. They were said to have denounced the numerous integration programs initiated by the Bhutanese government.  In the ensuing clashes, the group left the country proclaiming ethnic cleansing by the Bhutanese government. The group also brainwashed others in the community and as a result a few thousand of Lhotasampas left the country with the group.  They landed up in Nepal where the UNHCR set up camps for them. And they are being resettled in five countries including the US, Canada and Australia. And that explains the presence of Bhutanese in Vermont.

Dechen, however, admitted that her account of the story may not be hundred percent clear or true because it is something that happened when she was 6 or 7 years old. And the subject is hardly discussed in formal public forums or the media not because the Bhutanese government is trying to sweep the issue under the carpet but because the government always kept the issue low profile.  This very attitude of the Bhutanese government helped stain Bhutan’s image.  When the group claimed persecution and ethnic cleansing, the Bhutanese government never clarified its stance.  International media did numerous stories many of which were one sided but the Bhutanese government ignored it. Silence on the Bhutanese government part was like confirming the claims and the accusations made by the group and the international media.  

This Bhutanese connection with Nepal, their Neighbor from west, was something no one had discussed at the Sauve house prior to the US trip. Not beyond the fact that they were just neighbours. Similarly, me and Yimin always discussed Canada-US ties, mostly on the pipeline, and never once discussed Sino-Bhutanese relations, yet China borders Bhutan to the North!

According to Dechen, Bhutans’ relation with India has always been that of love and hate.  The King’s stunning bride was actually schooled in India and so are many young Bhutanese. During the royal wedding spell, for instance, Some Indian Tabloids even claimed that the Bhutanese King was getting married to an Indian girl, much to the Chagrin of Dechen and the Bhutanese people. Such is the pride of a nation. And such is their love for the Charismatic King.  But they also appreciate that India offers a variety of essential goods and services that maybe beyond this Happiest Kingdom on earth.

During a tour of St. Johnsbury, the always reliable Melissa drove us across the bridge and onto the elevated part of the township where she first lived when she arrived in Vermont. Enroute, Dechen, occasionally and excitedly, pointed at the landscape through the chilly winter windows saying “this looks exactly like Bhutan”. .and we all looked outside the windows, instinctively, to see how Bhutan looked like..for the first time!

And of course by the end of the program, every scholar vowed to visit Bhutan in their lifetimes. But first, Instead of changing flights three times to get to Bhutan, maybe we all need to go to Vermont instead, to see ‘Bhutan’ and the ‘Bhutanese’ people. And despite Mohammed’s concerted teasing throughout the year, I think Dechen did a good job of Marketing Bhutan at the house and beyond. The King would definitely approve.  

Lest you forget, Dechen is a reporter, and no one can ever market a country better than a seasoned Journalist with a cool, delicate, measured and deliberate approach to life. 

And for the first time in my life, and without setting a foot, this little far eastern kingdom of 700,000 people became an integral part of my life at the Sauve House, just like Canada did in my nine Months in Montreal!