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.