Woke Culture: Waking Up the Youth of Bhutan

The pursuit of knowledge is an honest one, a journey that enriches you and your perception of the world around you. The more you pursue learning the greater the power you have in shaping the person you become and the life you lead. An even bigger feat is not only expanding one’s personal intellect but also to educate others so as they too might ignite their own fire of learning.

A torchbearer of knowledge and advocacy is 21-year-old Sonam Deki, who founded the fast-growing online community ‘Woke Culture’ that wishes to inspire and be a source of information to the youth of Bhutan and all those who come who come across their page,

“Woke Culture is an advocacy group formed by a group of young passionate people committed to highlighting important social issues and creating awareness of equality in our community. Woke Culture’s mission is to sensitize every individual to the power of equality in all aspects of society by promoting awareness using multiple platforms of advocacy. Narrowing the gap with regards to inequality in our society is our priority.” Sonam said beaming.

Sonam’s personal path to advocacy and activism was one you could say she was born with, having always been an avid believer in teaching and learning from others and speaking up for those that are unable to do so,

“I have always been driven by a desire to make this world a safer, better place for everyone regardless of their gender and race. My mother has been my greatest inspiration in life. Her leading by example is the reason I am who I am today. With this dream, as far back as I can remember I have always wanted to become a lawyer because of my deep belief in equality and the root to equality I feel is through the legal system, to be a voice for the downtrodden and those deserving of justice” stressed Sonam.

Driven and bright, Sonam is a second-year law student based in Australia. Not only is she far from home but she has also had to complete her education while under lockdown, a challenge many students of this COVID-world have had to face,  

“Having to not only study but also survive in a foreign country has been quite challenging.  So when difficult times arise, I try to look for the silver lining and appreciate all the little things.  To know that what is ongoing today with the global pandemic is a shared human experience has been a source of comfort, knowing that I am not alone.  Knowing I can reach out to others who are going through similar emotions and that we can persevere through this together has helped a lot.” shared Sonam candidly.

In the face of the pandemic, Woke Culture was born in May 2020 with a mission to create a safe space on the internet to raise awareness and provide information on important issues relating to the Bhutanese community at large. The team at Woke Culture consists of six dedicated core members and more than 300 participants on Instagram, without whom Woke Culture would not be what it is today. Navigating the pandemic by tapping into the safety of the virtual online space, the page provides a positive outlet for young people to speak to peers about topics that directly relate to them. This is achieved through informative posts or interactive live sessions that showcase their peers having candid conversations on important topics,

“What makes Woke Culture truly unique is that it not only touches upon all the social issues that directly involve Bhutanese youth be it sexual education, cyber bullying, mental health awareness or gender identity but it is also actively welcomes new members to our collective so they have a platform to learn and for us to learn from them.  Woke Culture is a knowledge-based community filled with useful information regarding gender, mental health, human rights and many other important current social issues that our youth need to be aware of. The underlining message is that they are not alone in whatever they are going through and that we are all here to learn from each other” said Sonam.

Even though she is physically away from home, Bhutan is never far from Sonam’s heart. Through Woke Culture, Sonam is still reaching out to her community and peers, doing her part to stay engaged with her community and to make sure she is passing on her fire of learning to others,

“Being able to make a difference in my own ways back home is a great motivation and knowing that our future generations are keen to learn about the changes in the world keeps me going. Most importantly, knowing that everyone in my country from His Majesty the King, the government and my fellow citizens are trying their best to overcome this pandemic, gives me strength to join my peers and do my own bit to help my country.”

Article contributed by Jetsuen Wangmo for the UN/JICA We Care We Share Initiative