The Global Alliance for Banking on Values

Peter Blom is the chairman of The Global Alliance for Banking on Values (Netherlands) which has member countries all over the world including places like Mongolia, Bangladesh, Peru and countries in Africa. He is also CEO of Triodos Bank in the Netherlands and has been responsible for jointly establishing a movement for Organic food and products by setting up businesses geared to provide those services.

Currently he is also Chairman of the Organic Food and Agricultural Council of the Netherlands and Deputy Chair of the Multi-functional Agriculture Task-force by order of the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture. Peter Blom was awarded the Dutch Royal distinction of Knight of Oranje Nassau in 2008 for his contribution to social banking and sustainability and Triodos Bank won the Financial Times and IFC Sustainable Bank of Year award in 2009.

At the Trilogue summit - which was the annual gathering of EU Parliamentarians, Ministers, and Academics sponsored by the Bertelsmann Foundation (Germany) - Mr. Blom said that the Global Alliance for Banking had spent 6 billion € on sustainable projects and businesses and that the bank was, in fact, doing well since the economic crises. "Since the crises, banks have been criticized.This was not a failure of ethics but a need to look at values altogether. Global Alliance is looking at this and not just trying to fit [these values] in a European culture but also to members all over the world." 


Mr. Blom said that there was a middle road (that Banks had to pursue) rather than going towards either ideologies (lacking ethics or too much ethics). "Ideologies are good to discuss but not for those who have to live it."

Interview with Michael Best, one of Germany's leading Television Anchormen

 I was a little hesitant to put this interview up because I have never conducted one before camera. However, Jörg our cameraman did a wonderful job and would like to for his sake. Feedback appreciated so I can learn from it.
The interview is with Michael Best - one of Germany's leading TV anchormen on Financial news. This was following the meeting of EU parliamentarians, ministers and academics to talk about "re-thinking" the kind of growth being pursued in western economies.

Following the morning session at the Trilogue - a meeting of European Union Parliamentarians, Ministers and Academics - which said that the financial crisis was caused because of lack of ethics and social consciousness, I asked Michael Best - one of Germany's leading journalists and now TV anchorman - what he thought about the debate. Whether this was an ethical issue or not; whether as a journalist he felt the media had done a responsible enough job in reporting/alerting/educating people before the crisis; and what kind of role the media should play in the future. Michael Best is head of the German ARD Channel's TV Stock Market Editorial Services in Frankfurt. He started his career as a radio journalist and went on to become a reporter, editor and anchor person for TV. He is an Economist by education, and also a Writer, having released his first book in German last year.

An idea for Bhutanese Pedestrians

Calling Bhutanese Pedestrians/Businesses/Thrompon's. Here is an idea that you might like to replicate in your towns.

Over the summer in New Paltz, a small town in upstate New York, I found that pedestrians on main-street confronted a similar problem like ones we have in Bhutan, where the continuous stream of traffic prevent pedestrians from crossing the street. Of course traffic DID stop at zebra crossings (even without a traffic light) where drivers were respectful of the black and white stripes as well as the "YIELD" signs that were placed nearby.

However, there was a point in the street (a little further down the road) where traffic was not as mindful, because it was not a major crossing. The town - or maybe KARMA ROAD, an organic cafe which was the sponsor of the stand - had devised a system where a small stand with a container full of little orange flags was placed. A pedestrian had to pick an orange flag and wave it which enabled a driver to  notice you and stop, allowing you to cross the street. When you got to the other side you simply dropped the orange flag at a similar stand.

My son and I decided to give it a try and it worked. Traffic immediately halted every time he lifted the flag! What a creative way for a local business to not only advertise itself (KARMA ROAD) but also benefit people, especially Pedestrians! Very innovative, creative, considerate, and an inexpensive way to help your community!

Now if only Bhutanese drivers know that they have to stop when an orange flag is raised!!

                                                                    My son getting ready to flag passing cars

Uhm, how many times do I have to do it?

Another step in the right direction by Bhutan's Judiciary ~ but more needed

Kuensel has just reported that Bhutan's High Court has now started posting dates of hearings and schedules of upcoming trials on its website. The case mentioned was a high-profile one (concerning Sangay Gyaltshen once in charge of Mining operations in Bhutan)

If that is the case, hopefully they are also posting schedules of all trials including names/people who may not be as well known as Sangay Gyaltshen and irrespective of the type of case.

This is a great step but something more forthcoming and worthwhile would be making these trials open to the public by allowing media participation (And somewhere down the line, a jury should be considered too). If the proceedings of the trial could be kept up online by the judiciary as well as the media, we can be sure that the foundations to a well functioning democracy/justice system is well on its way.

INFORMATION PLEASE!

Two Bhutanese students were convicted of rape recently after having consensual sex with a 17 year old. Four years ago, I wrote about this Legislation after I was confronted with a similar story - although the ages were different then and the verdict was not disputed - there were many problems surrounding the nature of that case, and how it was tried. At that time, it opened up my eyes to how our justice system functions - with no respect to educating the public on new legislations or amendments; not looking into details of the case; not treating each case as independently as it should be; allowing no legal representation to defendants; leaving it up to a single judge and not a jury for verdicts; and not opening up any trial to the media.

This article/op-ed below was published in Bhutan Times February 18 2007.

Two (Bhutanese) students convicted of rape, sentenced to prison.

Recently I was alerted by a comment posted on my blog about the arrest of two young Bhutanese students (both 19 years old) for having consensual sex with a 17 year old girl.

According to the Penal Code of Bhutan age 18 and below is considered a minor and so this automatically becomes a crime and whether consensual or not, the young men now become sex offenders.

I have written about this law before and that the problem I have with the way the cases are tried within the justice system and how i) there is a lack of education on this law ii) how insensitive people are to the details of the cases iii) how defenders or victims are not allowed legal representation iv) and how justice is not always served.

I posted this on my Facebook (social media) page to solicit responses and I was very disappointed that only one Bhutanese responded (well lets say 2 because one gave a thumbs up/like, of which I wasn't too sure about - whether he liked the young men going to prison or that he liked that I had posted it).

Just shows the apathy in our system towards these social justice issues.

I am reposting the discussions here for those who may not have access to my Face Book page. I will also post the story/article I wrote for Bhutan Times in 2007 on this very Legislation.

500 years since colonization and little has changed.

It is a beautiful evening. I am sitting outside, overlooking a pond, the quiet forest around, and the Gunks (the ridges of New Paltz) in front of me. This is beautiful country indeed ~ so beautiful for people to have fought over it, and much blood to have been spilt over it. My immediate environment certainly helps in recouping my thoughts about my recent trip to Toronto, Canada and what I experienced there.

I have always thought (I am not too sure as I haven't researched it, but from my general perception) that the Native people in Canada were a little better off than their brothers/sisters in America. I say this because Canada has given autonomous status to its Northern regions called Nunavut, and also has a Television Channel that is run by and dedicated to Native issues, stories and children's programs (which I have not seen happen here in the U.S)

But I've come to realize from a recent experience that despite these, it may be the same everywhere. I was on a street South of Dundas and Spadina, which would be Toronto's Chinatown (the same place where I had seen something similar before). It was very hot that day, temperatures around 90+ degrees, my husband and I had driven there, and after parking we had gone our own ways on errands. I had just crossed the street to buy some vegetables (Chinatown anywhere, always has great fresh vegetables) when off onto a side street I saw a man lying on the ground. Nothing unusual, as it seems to be a common sight in this area, but this time there were two uniformed men in bullet proof vests standing nearby looking rather bored. I also noticed that the man on the ground was handcuffed.