This is the text of the speech delivered by His Majesty the King during the convocation ceremony in Sherubtse College, Kanglung. I am inspired and touched by the words of our Monarch.





I think today is the right time to talk to you about your future and the future of our country. So let me go straight to the point. We must always remember that individual success depends on success as a nation. No one succeeds when the nation has failed. There can be no Bhutanese without Bhutan. Now this is the fundamental truth for a small country like ours. Unlike other countries ours is a very small society. This means that our individual role in the success of our nation is much more important than in other countries. That is why every single one of us must succeed.



For this generation you are not only entering a very crucial stage in your own lives but also a very crucial stage in the history of our nation. We have to be extra cautious. There’s no room for any kind of complacency. We must keep in mind that everything that we have today, all that our country has achieved, are the accomplishments of our parents – not ours. Our work lies ahead of us. What we have to do has never been done before.



This is a special time in our country’s history. The success of our democratization efforts will decide whether Bhutan’s future will be forever secured. And the success of our democratization efforts depends on you. Today the immediate duty of every single Bhutanese is to bring about a successful transition to democracy. A good democracy will ensure that the aspirations of our people will always be fulfilled. This is the task that we must achieve. In carrying out this sacred duty as citizens of Bhutan, failure can never be an option.



Today we look at our country and there is so much to be proud of. We have a strong culture and traditions, we have environmental wealth, we have socio economic success, a unique transition to democracy during a time of peace and prosperity, a unique development philosophy of Gross National Happiness and our sovereignty and security. Today our development partners, experts, tourists, and people from all over the world, they tell us how wonderful Bhutan is, how much our parents have achieved for the country. They are absolutely right. We have achieved so much and we are extremely proud of our country’s achievements.



So today would be the right time to seriously ask ourselves what is there for this generation to do? What is this generation’s duty in the history of our nation? Here’s how I look at it. If we love our country, if we are proud of our achievements, if we value and cherish everything that is special and unique to our country then we must ask ourselves, “How do we pass this on to our children?” “Will Bhutan be like this ten twenty years into the future?” “What we have to do to make all the things that are special and unique to Bhutan sustainable?” “What do we have to do to preserve everything that is special about our country, yet at the same time take our country to greater heights?”



In this globalized and modern world there can only be one answer – a strong dynamic economy. We need resources, our country needs national wealth and this can only come from our own economy.



Let me be very frank. Here is another reason why we must work on developing our economy. I’ve always believed that in order to be a successful nation we cannot just display our strengths and achievements. We must equally recognize our weaknesses. Today our weakness is our economy, and that we must accept. Yet, if we begin to work today on building a Bhutanese economy designed for Bhutan’s needs then just as we succeeded in creating a development philosophy unique to Bhutan, a democratic transition unique to Bhutan, we will be able to build a Bhutanese economy unique to Bhutan. You all are fully aware that in the past we embraced modernization based on our own terms and conditions. Today if we work hard, if we plan ahead we will be able to build a Bhutanese economy for ourselves and for our children’s future, once again on our own terms and conditions.



You and I we no longer live in a small hidden kingdom. We are very much a part of this new globalized world. At the end of the day what it will always come down to, is how can Bhutan stand on our own feet? How can we make a good living? What can Bhutan sell that the world wants to buy? How can Bhutan compete as equals? We are not competing with each other, we must compete with the rest of the world. It is no longer enough to say that I’m the best in Bhutan, we have to be the best where ever we go in this world. Now you might ask, “But can we realistically meet this challenge of building not just an economy, but a strong Bhutanese economy?”



I believe we can. In fact I know that we can. I’ve always believed that every challenge can be changed into an opportunity. Today I know that our country faces many challenges and we will face more challenges in the years ahead but I believe that if we always plan ahead, if we approach our challenges intelligently, if we work hard then not only can we overcome those challenges but every challenge that we are faced with can be changed into an opportunity.



Let me explain this a little further. Whenever our economy is in discussion there are a lot of people who tell us that Bhutan is too small a country. I’ve always believed that our size is our greatest strength. Because we are a small country with a small population we can manage our country better. We can plan our economy better. We can do things much faster and more efficiently than others.



Some say that we have a very small population. That is true. We do have a small population. We have a small family of Bhutanese but a family with common goals and aspirations and a family that truly loves their country.



Some say that we are country that is landlocked between two giant neighbors. Yes, that is also true and we all know that being landlocked has its disadvantages. But in building an economy for ourselves, our geopolitical location is going to become our biggest advantage. Within a few decades India and China are expected to dominate the world economy. So in the context of opportunities, we are definitely not landlocked, we have the world at our door step.



For Bhutan, India is a true source of optimism for our future. As our closest neighbor and friend Bhutan’s rapid socio economic growth was always assisted by India’s steadfast support. As the world’s largest democracy, our young democratic system will always benefit from India’s experience. As the economic power of the future our economy will only benefit from cooperation with India. I know for certain that India is deeply committed to Bhutan’s growth as a democracy and as a neighboring economy. So India’s growth and success will be Bhutan’s success as well.



Today our country is a nation full of promise and potential. We have the security and confidence of our own culture and traditions. We have environmental wealth and most importantly we have a young population full of energy, dynamism and promise.



My message to the young leaders of Bhutan is that we have everything it takes to build a strong economy and safeguard everything that we cherish, but on one condition, that we start today with big ambition and we work hard. I believe that the time has come for us to stand on our own feet to compete as equals with other nations and to succeed through our own hard work and sweat, on our own terms and merit. If we rise to the challenge, change our mindset, our way of working, and think big and work hard, then we have greater opportunities than ever before. So let me ask you something. “Shall we sit and dream or shall we work hard and reap the benefits.”



If we succeed we would have laid the foundation for a sound democracy, for Gross National Happiness, and for peace and prosperity for all Bhutanese now and in the future. As someone once said, “If not now, then when? If not us, then who? If not for these reasons, then for what?” I have no personal ambitions and hopes. I will adopt your aspirations as my own and will work to fulfill them. Therefore, you must have big ambitions, you must have big hopes for yourself and our country.