Our Current Legal Issues class' last circle, a traditional and restorative justice strategy for growth and learning. These students took the challenge to research and write about a topic that they then took out into the community. They wrestled with issues involving wrongful convictions, women's reproductive rights, due process issues, privacy rights, the right to information, juvenile rights, and LGBTQ rights all semester. They stepped out of their comfort zone to navigate through the bureaucracy of JSW School of Law so they could teach about and advocate for others' rights. They are the future of the legal profession in their brand new democracy Bhutan. I am fortunate to have worked with them last semester and catch a glimpse of what they can do in their careers. Thank you all for your good work.

Pangbisa, Bhutan is the small, farming village neighbor that sits above the JSW School of Law. My first weekend here Sonam, Nima, and Tshewang took me to Pangbisa's K's Cafe for dinner with a view. I walk through the village on my 5 K walks, sometimes twice a day. One of JSW's landscape workers took me for a walk through the village to see the vegetable fields and cows. She marvels at the views. I often buy milk at the local general stores. When Chejay proposed to do his community education project for the village I was skeptical.
Would anyone come to listen about their rights under Bhutan's new legal system?

Yam, Chejay, and Thuji humored me and walked a Kilometer up the steep mountain to the Pangbisa Community Center to teach the villagers about their legal rights. Well, Yam was set to convince them that public shaming people who are convicted of crimes on Social Media should be abolished. It was in the 40s outside and inside (those Gho's are not that warm) the Community Center. Yam suggested we get hot milk tea for our audience to counter the cold, and everyone pitched in to serve them.
When the program was over, the farmer in the last frame asked my students if I would take a picture with him. He thanked me for coming to Bhutan to help. It was touching.
When we left we found that one of the local dogs had stolen one of Yam's shoes. A project worker who lives nearby brought him some slippers to make it home on. The ground was COLD!
​If someone asks me for a picture, I ask for one back. 

At the Memorial Stupa, Thimphu, with Ugyen Tshomo, Tshering Palden, and Tenzin Dema.

​After the high school presentation the students decide to have our driver take us to the Thimphu Chorten so I can do a little sightseeing. It was built in 1974 to honor the third Druk Gyalpo, Jigme Dorji Wangchuck (1928–1972). It feels quiet, peaceful, spiritual. They explain to me that Buddhists will circumambulate the stupa 108 times while praying on their prayer beads. If not 108 times then an odd number. We walk around it 3 times.
I love working with students, learning from them, and seeing the culture and traditions through their eyes.

Just past the Shaba Secondary School entrance is a roof with red hot chiles drying on top. The afternoon is really too nice to talk about legal rights, but here we are, hoping to keep the attention of 60 students in Shaba's law club who, like us, would probably rather be doing something else. Deki (the peace sign) set up the program to talk about criminal legal rights to youth as her project for our Current Legal Issues Class. Tenzin, next to Deki, volunteered to drive and help with the program. Chejay joined to talk about the right to an attorney if you cannot afford one, a right that only exists on paper when the students present the program. 

Deki, Tenzin, and Chejay did an excellent job bringing this topic alive. The High School students commented on how interesting and interactive the program was. Some confirmed they had difficult encounters with the police. There were lots of questions. We almost never got to tea time, an important and welcome cultural tradition in Bhutan.

At the end of the day Tenzin had to return to campus to do his program on issues around forensic evidence, wrongful convictions, and what Bhutan should consider in developing its criminal legal system. The audience included JSW faculty and students. The goal is to create a more just legal system through education of future legal professionals on the perils of wrongful convictions. 

For starters, we have our driver Ugyen and a Toyota Coaster bus to take us to the people. Although Bhutan has no traffic lights, and few traffic cops, the mountain roads and conditions can present a daunting challenge. I have thanked Ugyen for my life more than once. But that's another post to come.

The Human Dignity Clinic teamed up with NGOs to create an Access to Justice Toolkit for Persons with Disabilities. The students presented the Toolkit to the NGO on an early trip to the capitol Thimphu. The NGO was happy with the product. The next step was to teach persons with disabilities about the legal rights in the Toolkit.

The persons with disabilities community then conducted a workshop to sensitize us to their lives. This would help us to develop a Street Law program to teach them about legal rights and responsibilities. 

Above, the students follow a Street Law approach to develop interactive curriculum to teach persons with disabilities about their legal rights and responsibilities. This is an activity to get the audience hooked on law.
Below is the dress rehearsal for the first program to teach access to justice to persons with disabilities. The students try out their curriculum on each other and make adjustments to create an effective Street Law program.

From dress rehearsal to teaching persons with disabilities about access to justice. The students did a great job and the surveys reflected appreciation for their efforts. 

Kinley Zam is one of my Bhutan Current Legal Issues students who put on a movie night Wednesday to educate the community about her chosen topic. She showed the movie Long Shot, the Netflix documentary, not the Seth Rogen comedy. In less than 40 minutes the film shows how someone caught up in the system as a young man can be wrongly accused later in life, and put at risk of being executed for a murder he did not commit. Our students were moved by this high stakes case. As future legal professionals, they were inspired by the defense attorney and how hard he worked to represent his client. Curb Your Enthusiasm's Larry David's filming at a Dodger Game provides a possible alibi, or does it? Watch the film to find out. Thanks to the students who did such a great job putting this on and leading a discussion that lasted longer than the film! A power outage nearly canceled the event, but our resourceful students made it work. 

The King gave an informal talk with students, faculty, and staff in this hall. Everyone was wearing traditional Ghos and Kiras. Pictures and cell phones were forbidden, so you have to imagine how that looked. As the King started to leave he picked me out of the back of the hall. The students parted to give us a clear path while we spoke. It was an unexpected honor. 

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Sunrise Over the Himalayas​
Classes started this week. This is everyone's first fall semester on this mountaintop. I loved my first week of classes. The students were engaged in Current Legal Issues, eager to do an advocacy project (or so it seems). 
My second year students were good sports in Oral Advocacy and Logic (we all have to take that class).
The sky is a dreamscape of possibilities. ​

We are half an hour from the nearest town, over an hour from Thimphu, the Capitol, where most of the staff and students had lived and worked at the first campus. I find little Pangbisa like a working retreat, but inconvenient at times. For those with family and friends in Thimphu, it can be isolating and an expensive commute. Remoteness creates challenges in connecting with the community and doing advocacy as well unfortunately. ​

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The laundry room will get more crowded now that students are back. 
The Law School began the semester with a first aid training for all students. A good idea in this remote setting. 

My daily walks still begin and end my daylight with stunning views and friendly smiles. 

My friends explained to me how the local deity and his wife protect the temple. Rinpoche, a reincarnation of the Buddha, is in between the protector. The protector has a face that at once looks angry to ward off evil, but happy to the good hearted. He is fed hot coals every night, drinks from a sacred pond, and after midnight knocks on the doors of the evil to call them out. 

The first day snow appeared on some of the higher peaks rising above the Paro valley on my morning walk today. The snowy peak on the right is Jomolhari or Chomolhari, over 24,000 feet. The other side of it is Tibet. The snowy ridge to the left of Jomolhari is Nepal. 

When I left dinner the full moon was rising up over the Himalaya on a cool, clear night. Auspicious end to the day. 

I can show you photos of my colleagues after the ceremony. They have all been very nice and welcoming. Bhutan may be one of the happiest places on earth in part because it is one of the friendliest. 

Then came my favorite part. The treats. This cake was the first real dessert I have had in Bhutan, and it was delicious. Momos, pokara, fried potatoes, masala chai. Food nirvana.

IN JUSTICE, SERVICE & WISDOMI came to Bhutan to be a small part of turning this lofty goal into a reality for Bhutan's legal  system through a new kind of education at Jigme Singye Wangchuck (JSW) School of Law. The symbolism of an elaborate campus built on a hill is not lost on my. But the real work is yet to come.

I spent my last year of over 20 years teaching at Missouri Western State University. My career at MWSU was very rewarding. I started pro se clinics for divorces and name and gender marker changes, an innocence clinic in Advanced Legal Research, Civil Rights tours of Washington D.C. and Memphis, and international research, writing, and publication opportunities for students in Asia, Africa, and Europe. The Human Rights Day Observance shown below continues thanks to Social Work faculty Grey Endres and I hope some of the clinics and international work will as well. 

I worked with a great staff at the NGO Midwest Innocence Project over the next year. The exonerees and clients like Ahmad were great people with amazing stories I would love to help them tell. That is what the Moth Radio Hour, a favorite podcast of mine, is doing in the photo below at the Innocence Project Annual Conference last April. I supervised the Innocence Clinic at the University of Missouri Kansas City School of Law and hope the students will find ways to reduce wrongful convictions in their careers. This was the hardest job I ever left. The clients are so compelling, changing the way future legal professionals see the broken criminal legal system and how to work in it is so important.

Education and advocacy took place outside the classroom too. The pandemic even played a role in spotlighting the problems around racism and police brutality after the murder of George Floyd. Progress in establishing lynching memorials was made, even in St. Joseph, Missouri. Columbia's lynching memorial sheds light on MU's complicity in racial injustice, a sad admission for me to make about an institution that played such a big role in my life.

For this new journey I had to say goodbye to so many people and places. It was a long process really. Leaving is hard. It was made especially hard after spending so many months not being able to get together. Fortunately, we squeezed some trips in between COVID spikes. I am grateful for all of them, but especially the ones out west with my sons Wil and TJ, and daughter-in-law Sam, the one to the Grand Canyon with my sister, and my last trip to Oregon right before I left the U.S. (the empty Kayak).

Family is the most important part of getting together and we had some great reunions. The last took place in Oregon, but we had some good times in Des Moines, Iowa, and a holiday or two at the home where Lynn and I spent half our lives together (featured below). 

Sunbridge to the next life. Native Americans considered the land our home was built on as sacred ground. They believe the spirit of the dead can walk to the afterlife on the golden beams of light created at sunset on these loess hills. They performed burial rituals. Human remains dating back 2000 years are buried nearby.
Returning a part of this sacred ground to original native prairie was a part of our stewardship of the land we had the privilege to care for and raise our children on. Our home became a part of the fabric of our family.
Leaving my home and life with Lynn has been the hardest part of this last two years. But it is time to take my next journey. 

It started on a Wednesday, March 11, with a level 3 travel advisory issued by the State Department. Things really moved fast on Friday the 13th. The first confirmed case was reported in Ethiopia (there were many rumors of many cases before that).
Early on Friday the U.S. Embassy in Ethiopia urged all Fulbright Scholars, English Language Fellows and Ambassador's Distinguished Scholars to return to the U.S. I asked if leaving was mandatory. No, but it may become mandatory later they said. I met with some colleagues Friday over dinner. They seemed certain leaving was the best thing to do. We were already being heckled by some Ethiopians with "Ferengi Coronavirus". One had difficulty getting a Bijaj. To be fair, most Ferengi in Bahir Dar have just come from Europe, already a hot spot for the virus. Some people just covered their mouths as they walked by to protect themselves.
By late Friday night the recommendation to leave had been turned into a mandatory evacuation. It was late Monday before we had our plane tickets to Addis Ababa for Tuesday night. The airline office had been packed. The website down. Then tickets back home on Thursday. But we had no idea whether these travel plans would be realized before something else came up. By early this week we learned that all U.S. non-essential personnel have been pulled back from all countries. Things were happening too quickly.
It seems backward. Ethiopia has just started to experience the virus. The U.S. has thousands of cases, growing exponentially. But Ethiopia had only one hospital in a country of 100 million people willing to take Coronavirus patients. And that hospital in Addis Ababa was not deemed suitable for such treatment by the Embassy. The alternatives for health care for the virus and other problems, dwindled as borders closed,
We came back to nearly empty airports and lock downed communities. But as we left Ethiopia it was beginning its own lock down. Schools closed for two weeks, religious ceremonies discouraged at the least. This will be hard for such a communal and poor country. I wish them the best in responding to the virus.

Shed to table. As I got ready to go on my bike ride the camera shy goat above had taken up residence in the bicycle parking lot. Since today was the last day before the 55 day Easter fast I thought he might end up on the table for dinner. I did not think he would end up on my table. My Guesthouse treated me to their pre-Easter fast feast on the right.
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Donkey carts are still a common way to move agricultural products and building materials. They don't have to wait in line for gas (benzene as they call it in Ethiopia). This donkey is bypassing a line for gas that stretches about a mile long. 
https://www.africanews.com/2019/01/16/ethiopia-djibouti-road-blockade-causes-acute-fuel-shortage-in-addis/
Below you can also see one of the best views of Bahir Dar from just below the last palace built by Haile Selassi. 

Timkat exceeded my high expectations. It was so beautiful and colorful. There was music and dancing and religious ceremonies that take place over three days. But most memorable in Ethiopia is the people, and Timkat was no exception. They welcomed us and were proud to have us be a part of their UNESCO World Heritage Event.

The event celebrates Epiphany, John's baptism of Jesus and includes the symbol of the Ark of the Covenant. Its replica is in each Ethiopian Church. It is called a Tabot and is carried on a priests head from each church to a central location on day one. On day two all the Talbots are returned to their respective churches in another procession except one. St. Michael's church stays at the central location for an extra day. Above you can see St. Michael's Talbot being returned in what was probably the single biggest procession I have ever seen. We enjoyed it from the balcony and roof top of my hotel. I could not have done that in Gonder.
I cannot adequately capture the amazing beauty and celebration of Timkat here. You can learn more about it at https://www.thetravelmagazine.net/timkat-festival-ethiopia.html

On day two pilgrims start the day by coming to the central place where the Tabots were kept overnight to get baptized again. In Bahir Dar at one location I understand they used Lake Tana to baptize. But where I was they used firehoses. Some of the priests seemed to enjoy dousing their flock with the holy water. I saw lots of cold, wet pilgrims leaving the park. Some stopped for sugar cane for quick energy.
Below, you can see the colorful groups that march with the floats and priests to return the Tabots (Arks of the Covenant) back to their rightful churches.

People sweep the streets with palm fronds, symbolic of palm Sunday) ahead of the red carpet, which is laid down ahead of the musicians, dancers, floats and priests carrying the Tabots (Arks of the Covenant) on their heads. Incense burns constantly. This goes on for miles. The carpet carriers below are very earnest.

Sugar cane is brought in on these donkey carts and sold as a snack at the festival. I understand this is a relatively new tradition, but a good one I think. Of course, you can also get a Coca Cola for your sugar fix.
Below is a vendor who harkens back to a much older tradition. Male suiters used to propose to a young woman during Timkat by throwing a lime at her. A throwback that isn't taken seriously today.

Below is the first day of Timkat. As noted before, replicas of the Ark of the Covenant (Tabots) held in each Ethiopian church are carried on the top of priests' heads to a central location in the community. That was a park near the lake in my part of Bahir Dar. There is dancing and blessing of water for baptisms. As I left the gathering on the first day of Timkat this guy below charmed me into getting a cross painted on my arm. I waived him off at first and he gave me a perfect "buzz killer" look. The only thing to do was set the price. He asked for too much at first so I started to walk off again. He said okay, he'd do it for free. Just to pain a Ferengi's arm I suppose. He really did a great job and, of course, I paid him what we both decided was a fair price.

This street scene captured from my balcony was my initiation into Ethiopia's Timkat. The crowds, the colorful floats and the festive atmosphere were Ethiopia at its finest. They are ceremoniously moving the Tabot from each church to a central location for the blessing of baptismal waters.
​Many people seemed disappointed I did not go to Gonder, where the Timkat celebration is considered superior. But Bahir Dar is my home. I wanted to experience it here.

One benefit of Timkat was I was permitted into an Ethiopian Church, the newest and biggest church in Bahir Dar. Getting inside probably had more to do with Zewdu being with me than the Timkat festivities. People are gathering to witness the return of this church's Tabot (Ark of the Covenant) on day 2 here.

My friend and colleague Zewdu invites me to have lunch with his family often. He and his family know how much I enjoy good food, especially their home cooking. He also knows I really enjoy a view into the culture and family life. But most important is the chance to relax and talk.
 
Today was special because I finally got to see them make injera. Injera is a mystery to many in the west. It is a spongy, sour dough flat bread. The staff of life in Ethiopia and Eritrea, but no where else I know of. “Authentic” injera is made with an ancient grain called teff. Teff comes in light and dark colors. To my knowledge, it was only grown in Ethiopia and Eritrea until recently. Since it is gluten free and very healthy teff is becoming more popular in the United States. It is starting to be grown there, perhaps a result of being a healthy ancient gluten free grain and the increase in Ethiopian restaurants in the U.S.
 
Ethiopians are usually surprised that I eat injera and the Ethiopian food that comes with it, much less like it. I think it can sit a little heavy on the stomach of the uninitiated. It tastes a little sour. But scoop up some tegabino with it and it becomes part of a delicious meal.

Since this experience I have also watched injera made over an open fire. I eat it every day, though not usually every meal like Ethiopians typically do. The injera griddle takes up a lot of space in an Ethiopian kitchen, as does injera in the Ethiopian diet.

You feel more like a member of a community if you get out into it. My colleagues and I started going for early morning walks shortly after moving to Bahir Dar. People in the neighborhoods were welcoming. We felt more comfortable in our new home. 
Mulageta, who worked at the Fila, our first hotel residence, saw we were walking every morning and invited us to his aerobics club. He said walking is good, but not enough. It's true for me. Aerobics start time is 5:45 a.m. GT. That's early even for us. It's still dark.
The club had lots of benefits. Good exercise and meeting people from other walks of life than the University (e.g. the director of the local (Jimmy) Carter Center office). Even if we cannot speak Amharic, we felt welcomed and part of a group. 
Now I have added biking to my yoga/walking/aerobics routine. I sleep better. But my Amharic. I still can't count to 10.

Sometimes the aerobics club has activities outside the Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday exercise. The feast above was to celebrate the club's 10th anniversary. We met at the high school where we do our exercise. A few women cooked up a delicious dinner of tibs. Beer is a sports drink?
Below is the city wide aerobics event that happens once a month downtown. It was a blast.