Source: Bhutan News Network

The Second Australian Bhutanese Conference has concluded on Saturday with Bhutanese community leaders from across Australia committing to further strengthen their engagement with the community and address some of the key social issues community has been facing.

Over 100 individuals attended the conference, hosted by Bhutanese Australian Association of South Australia (BAASA), from South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania, New South Wales and Queensland states.

The two-day conference debated at length several key community issues and means to find solutions. The discussions revolved around five thematic areas – a. Youth and Community Engagement, b. Social and Mental Health, c. Advocacy to Connect with Bhutan, d. Cross Cultural Relationship and e. Retaining Identity. The delegates focused in seeking solutions rather than discussing problems. Read the full text of the thematic papers here.

BAASA also unveiled the publication of a souvenir marking a decade of resettlement, reflecting past and looking into future. Read the Souvenir here.

The delegates agreed to having an umbrella team to oversee the programs and projects aimed at resolving these problems. In a mission to establish an national body, a working committee has been formed including a representatives from each organisation participating in the conference. The committee member include Om Dhungel from Sydney, Parsu Sharma Luitel JP from Melbourne, Khem Khanal from Melton, Radha Krishna Guragai from Albury-Wodonga, Harka Bista from Albury, Indra Khadka from Hobart, Pralhad Dahal from Cairns and Jogen Gazmere from Adelaide. No representative from Brisbane Bhutanese community attended the conference.

The conference concluded with a grand cultural show to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the resettlement.

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