Diwas

Bhutan is unlike anywhere I’ve been My fascination with it started in my AP Human Geography class in high school, twelve years ago. I had to select a country to focus a project on, and looking at a map, my eyes landed on Bhutan. I’d never heard of it, which is partly what drew me in. And I’ve wanted to visit ever since I finally made it there via @JoinEdgeCity, knowing a bit about the country: > Their fourth king introduced Gross National Happiness, the idea that a country’s success should be measured by more than economic growth > They once installed a traffic light in Thimphu, but people complained that it was too impersonal, so they took it down > It’s the world’s only carbon-negative country > Their constitution requires at least 60% of the country to remain forested forever > They have abundant hydropower and used it to mine Bitcoin since 2019 I was also inspired about what they’re building with @gmcbhutan. The idea is to build a city from first principles bringing together people, ideas, technology, and business from around the world. A special administrative region with its own laws and economic system, open to the world, but with human happiness and well being still at its core Even knowing all this, I expected an old Buddhist kingdom, steeped in tradition, because of the mystique around Bhutan Instead, I met highly educated, progressive, curious people building ambitious projects, who felt a lot like my friends back home It is captivating to be in a place so rooted in its history, yet so ambitious in shaping its future and contributing to the world I’m excited to return and would love to chat with anyone interested in going