is dozens of people have been injured as being no immediate claim of responsibility . i beg for sewland, terry mouthful, have you'll use next hour. we'll see you again next week here on dw news. thanks for joining me. a bye. have a good weekend. ah, a. what people have to say matters to us a little that's why we listen to their stories. sh reporter. every weekend on d w. o.

a friday night in tim pu, in the sleepy capital of this very religious country. no, vincent jury and his friends are about to perform a concert but it's far from traditional the band plays thrash metal. a style of music rarely found in baton, even under ground. but these rockers are no rebels. here the musicians are known for writing a song with a message that for a metal band is unusual. as any of happiness, a linux will catch many people's attention that you know the way we can be happy with the very little we have. we have to be content with one, we haven't all and the group practices, what they preach in baton. it's difficult to find more musical instruments,

let alone a record labels. but they managed to shoot a professional music video for their hit track happiness. ah ah what i was wondering if we get a chance to rule europe or america to play love to do that. to explain and you know, his friend, the message i'm happy to this message does not come out of the blue. in 1972, the boonies king introduced the idea of a happiness index and troubled by the problems he saw affecting other developing countries focused on economic growth. he decided to prioritize his country's gross national happiness over its gross domestic product. roughly the size of switzerland

hooton's population is just 800000 people, nestled in the himalayas between india and china, the 2 most populous nations on earth. it's geography kept futon isolated from the rest of the world for years. largely rural and we have no major resources apart from hydro. electric power futon is still one of the world's poorest countries, but they believe they are on the right track. just over a decade ago, the government made gross national happiness, official policy, her visits ultimately without peace, security, and happiness. we have nothing. that is the essence of the philosophy of gross national happiness. she visited in 2000 to night, the king even wrote gross national happiness into towns constitution. emphasis was

placed on the preservation of nature and organic farming. grace is a young entrepreneur. she recently opened an organic restaurant in the capitol. more important if you have a rich health and you can have a happy life in these very isolated country with its ancestral buddhist traditions . tv and internet only made their appearance in 1999 mobile phones became commonplace just a decade ago. even today, few images of futon exist to bring a camera into the country. you must 1st prove your intentions, are good. although baton is gradually opening up to tourism and western influence. it's traditional culture remains strong in front of my parents or families does this. but in front of my friends, i feel more going to hold over legs where whatever people are bound not only by tradition, but also by state wide bands in baton. the sale of tobacco is illegal,

so sellers take a big risk. we have to pay the fire to take on, make sure the sale of alcohol is also prohibited one day a week. it was, it was a beer y, z here, happiness has its limits set by the state. and it's built on the backs of indian workers toiling on unsafe construction sites. we pour, we don't work. we stock a profoundly buddhist country who turn posts 10000 temples and monasteries as well as places of prayer. they also serve as last chance schools for delinquents. if we go to an extent of that, it could be prison, it may be a death also, or a monastery. futon is a country of contrasts and contradictions could gross national happiness. simply mask the nation structural poverty. maggie mil,

what's gross national happiness umbrella. i've no idea we embark on an unusual journey through the self styled kingdom of happiness. 2 weeks before november concert in tim pooh. we met him at the airport in paro. the musician showed us around as part of his day job. from jupiter. thank you. legacy. ok, rocker by night to a guide by day. like any civil servant in baton. no vin is required to wear a go the traditional local costume equivalent to the scottish kilt. so we have to follow the program. deborah. yes, we're not here. we're changes. no, we can do some changes, but it needs to be informed her like 2 days before. oh okay. i don't know to pro

goes with the welcome is warm, but the itinerary is set in baton. it's impossible to travel freely. welcome to the time. oh, the trip into the capitol tim poo takes an hour on route. we made keenly aware of who's running the country. pictures of the king and queen grace every street corner alone or with their son. the royal couple are on the present and truly revered by their subjects. the image of a living, demi god, carefully maintained by the government. one of the king's last filmed appearances, dates back to october, 2011. on that day jig make his saw introduced to the people their future queen his wife jetson pima, a 21 year old commoner for the occasion. 50000 mutinies gathered in the hope of getting close to the royal couple. if not,

did it please remain seated. those, how are you old? i'm really glad you're here today. i'm very happy to see you today. i mean, the sovereign presents himself as a man of the people, but really speaks to the press. the following exchange is one of the few he's had with journalists since he came to power. are you married? no, i'm not. well, it's worth, i think. oh yes, definitely. but within the country, we're going to dr. joo. all the districts get to meet the people. and i must thank the people for all their good mission installation. thank you. and with his subjects say they appreciate their king's warmth and kindliness. being dead, mules, majesty, and the clang helps and advises him flippa. he even lets them discover things. they

didn't know he's truly benevolent and extraordinary chasm blamed human the people's enthusiasm can also be seen in the photoshop surround tim who, along with representations of the buddha's lamas and other spiritual leaders, photos of the glamorous couple are abundant. photos of the smiling monarch's mask. a less rosy reality, especially for the press, local media is almost non existent, and no criticism of the government is tolerated. as for foreign journalists like us, there are restrictions. it took us 2 months to get a visa, our presence is tolerated, but there is no question of filming anything that could harm the country's image. our activities here are closely controlled and monitored. after leaving the capital, we must stop at a checkpoint. no, vincent jury, our rocca guide needs to get how visa stamped upon arrival in each major city.

if you want us better, 7 for one, our pre set schedule must be followed to the letter in baton. improvisation is not allowed. a few kilometers on. there's another check point yet another stamp survey roll. this is for the safety of the guest, actually it's for the safety of the guest and the people here. they have the record of the vehicles, so on whichever route they are. so that in, if they have to so she had to have the location. okay. it's a well rehearsed explanation, these constant supervision and non optional to guide a part of the travel as package $250.00 per day, including hotel and meals. included in the price is a $65.00 tax, which finances boot, unease, health and education services. during our guided tour,

the government plan to visit to a primary school. oh, oh he the children learn about happiness from a very young age. the schools had mistress chocky, duca consistently applies the concept of gross national happiness. okay. say good morning. ah good to, you know the lucy has him go monica, you lapse of what they give me a yell of so i know i owe to this is a gamble. my true gala looked at, he looked at the good, you know, do go look done the tag, you got me logged on the look. i did a new car i made thought a c tree flowers. i said i babble. well, i say i thought there was only get a leg. i did. i babble. got hanging up. oh,

okay. metal don't guy? ah. hello champ, warm jordan lou, she damage to this little guy. the school for beads picking flowers but encourages the children to plant seeds, especially for the fruits and vegetables that will end up on their plates at school . each shell has to plant a vegetable and must identify what dredged able had planted. and then did the plant and the need to observe. people may say we are in the town, we don't, we leave in the flat. we don't have garden. there is no space. but then this is then example for our does that no matter where you live, there is a, if there is a place there is a li, pupils also learn not to simply throw things away. everything that can be recycled is collected behind the school and sold to specialized companies.

this is how we are trying to dig this mrs. who, you know, asking to learn to manage their own lease. so this must be an empty beer bottle that they have seen on the way to school. so they pick up that and the deposit here . and each chair like if they have ways at home, they can bring. and the deposit this waste will be recycled in india. the money earned is used to buy school supplies and water filters for the school. return is one of the few developing countries where education and health care a free for all. something made possible thanks to wealthy tourists who spend their earnings in baton. tourists weren't allowed to visit newton until 1974 to day just under 300000 of them are allowed to come each year and admire the country's rich cultural heritage

. among the must see sights is the great buddha door, denmark on a hill overlooking the capital. the buddha is over 50 meters, tall and flanked by dozens of gilded statues. but brutal names to develop more than cultural tourism. during our journey well off the beaten path, our guides take us to admire the countries and credible nature lush forests as far as the i can see on inhabited mountain regions and rivers untouched by pollution, for hundreds of kilometers. the boot and the state is setting its sites on controlled green tourism we're in one of the countries, 10 national parks that lie on the border with india ever ever fully believing that no

captain sit up is a ranger at the royal manor, national park. he and his subordinate shakuma are the only men in uniform we meet during our stay. who town has few soldiers and relies on neighboring india for its defense. the ranges role is to protect the local flora and fauna. it's a crucial mission as returns constitution states that at least 60 percent of its territory must be covered with forest. and baton has exceeded that target for several years now. as a result, it's the only country that produces more oxygen than carbon dioxide. in other words, it's the greenest country on the planet. this nature preserve posts, an incredible diversity of foreigner. hundreds of species of butterflies, water, buffalo,

and antelope even endangered species like lizards and elephants. now the country is developing high end tourist packages in the hills of tim poo. a luxury hotel has just opened with room starting at $1200.00 euros per night. that's a small fortune in a country where the average wage is less than 7 euros a day. panoramic terraces, exotic wood decor and furniture, sweet, so villas from 70 to 300 square meters and heated indoor pools. this is a far cry from mass tourism. the hotels numerous employees are busy all day long, yet there are few guests on this day. only one wealthy russian couple is vacationing in this spectacular place. and we've been expressly asked not to disturb them. some entrepreneurs have discovered

how to profit from this tourist. heaven fundamentally tell them what grace is just 26 years old, but she's already a successful business woman. she's also a pioneer in this very conservative society, despite encountering obstacles as a woman, she managed to open her own restaurant 2 years ago. she serves up exclusively organic food to meet the demands of both the locals and foreign tourists. actually, nowadays people really care about their health. so it's more important if you have a rich health, then you can have a happy life. grace's life hasn't always been happy or easy. now, a single mother of 2, she was married to a violent man for years. grace had the courage to divorce him despite the fact that this is heavily frowned upon in baton. now she presents her story on the walls of her restaurant 3 years ago while working as

a to a guide, she met a rich couple from singapore who took her under their wing. they paid for her training in singapore and helped her fulfill her dream. after returning home, she opened her own restaurant and then let's get her with this guy as i like. what in my life dresser like that? to day she supports her entire family. the 2 waitresses in her restaurant or her sister's corner cup wonderful. allison has a so it's a success story. she's proud to tell to run a business to handle a case, to be ahead on the family is an example for someone else. philanthropic especially for young generation where we can show them like you can do editing, being a young and urban and being a single mom. so i think i came back. wow. to show an example for everyone else.

and inspiring story, but still a rare one here. yeah. oh, danny. okay, this is the rice when it comes to sourcing fresh produce, grace mainly relies on her mother. she lives a few kilometers away from the capital in the mountains. ah 60 year old sharing plants, rice, fruit, and vegetables and leaves in this small traditional house on the hillside. here time seems to have stood still. all the work is done by hand all with the help of animals wasn't on much one boy. last minute i knew it was her grace regularly comes here for supplies. for her. the lack of machinery isn't

a problem. quite the contrary. we prefer animals because you with the missions you know, like, uh it makes people more lazy. we, i knew i was gonna have to hang on, i think like we can use and i didn't, didn't do a minimum. it takes a lot of energy and a good dose of patience. unlike machines, oxen, sometimes moody, especially on camera, is oh, oh, oh, no i you know, what kind of it. oh, i know it's very difficult because you have to know how to like go. they have to listen to your so you have been some technique. how to blow the cows and all. so it's better, like if you don't know, then it's very dangerous because how can kill you?

once plowed, the land is cultivated on terraces, the work is demanding and the yield is small. grace and her mother weed. these rise fields by hand for grace, it's a small price to pay for quality. it's all organic because we don't use the chemical fertilizers like that. but since we use only a cold dunc, know that we, we have like, lot of how over here 20 years ago baton was still extremely isolated. people had neither tv nor telephones back then grace's way of life would have been unthinkable . i took up a little my day, we received no education and had to do manual labor. there are more opportunities for your generation. thanks to education and languages i and you can do whatever you want to little the to day. thanks to the kids generosity, every one civilized delilah to which i am proud of you. grace says she's happy

a happiness she attributes partly to the king. so i think our king, this is like the concert with the happiness, what not with the products. so i think this is also the happiness that with what we get from that as a to i to do with him to school in the boonies way of life is far removed from that of western style. consumerism avalanche a store. it's a system without fierce competition. ideally, both buyers and sellers always get a good deal when it comes to like mcdonald game, see i thing like, it's not like, oh, do you know like, it's not that hide in it because i, i heard something i will i gar gave sir like the indian a chicken you know, to make it a bigger safe so that it's more effective in our health. so i think that thing is not good for other health. in baton 80 percent of farmers have never used pesticides. their crops are organic and they produce enough fruit and vegetables that the country is now almost self sufficient. however,

the farmer's standard of living remains quite low. cheering doesn't receive a pension and most of her crops of her, her own personal consumption. so the money she gets from her daughter supplements her income and she don't, i don't know if i buy in a city, then it's more than that. it will be more expensive. but since she's using on her energy and it's a love, you know, like, this is giving you a love, you know, with a vegetable, fuller basket. and i give her money. this is what i on, in a city money. and what this is to see on in the village of history. so this is a axis by the system between mom and her daughter. so i think like i give it like that because i, i have a responsive a do you know like being a mom, i have to get her with her. and oh, so that this is what we do usually here. this is my mom. thank you. good. and says, look, whether the play to santa young and you more that, that,

and envy. yes, yeah. nathan, beth darma helping one. another simplicity, connection to nature. it's the very definition of happiness put forward by the authorities in their g n. h concept. however, some formulated this theory of happiness long before the mutinies. government perfect happiness or nirvana is what the country's roughly 100000 monks seek to achieve. in baton, one out of every 7 residents retreats to a monastery at least once in their life. for a few months or even years, many monasteries also serve as detox or rehab centers for delinquents. it's 4 30 in the morning and the days already beginning at the low dreck car to monastery in central baton. 3 3 3 3

ah, each morning, one of the monks is responsible for making sure that no one is sleeping in wyoming, yet up. it's a rigid approach that some have trouble adjusting to at 1st the loo dorothy needed to do with a lieutenant some of those who joined us, a former drug addicts to alcoholics and troubled sol as you want him to do the in and i, they have changed a lot out upon the they suffer a lot in the 1st few months because of their addictions and bad habit. going to renew mozilla, but then they change in and become ordinary monks. it don't initiative bullshit into some even after that's used on their bodies as they used to be gang members and others will you got to do ross and thomas, she was in this was the case for 28 year old senior. he arrived here

a little over a year ago and had to quickly get accustomed to the rhythm of the monastery monday through saturday, november at 430. during the event, 4 to 5 year professional, $5.00 to $6.00. as if so to say or says before he began studying theology, cynthia was into girls, alcohol, drugs and st fights is improving. my family dis, me and jones, even with family members, this i go to one to smuggle. okay. mark on that a portion. did you overton my ha, carla, the protector day as he is supposed to ward off. bad luck. cynthia isn't the only monk with a check had passed. he and no vin, our rock a guide. have a shared history here. no vin, visit cynthia, to talk about it. what are some of the argument was, who should really get the 2 young men have only kept

a few photos of their former lives. back then senior and nov in spent their days hanging out in the streets of the capital with their friends at an hour or 2000 per didn't. keith, let him only hold and i used to smoke regional miss morgan ball to buy drugs and go binge drinking singer would often rob people in his neighbourhood. where are you fighting? the st. also, as i'm done, sometimes it happens is my collision nice to have collision question of what thoughts and after becoming monkeys totally is like a new life. no. i at a wrong leisure. no, i did many bad things. so now because mom is kind of a beautician now because they're all sins the wrong, but i talk and in a one way it was a good thing because i did,

and i was good. so i want to change. so because of them, i'm a change me. no, no vin could have taken the wrong path to. yet if we go to i extent of that, it could be a prison. it may be a death also, or a monastery or monastery to become a monk. if someone realizes this, but this is a very, very, i know rare case that someone realizes and really gets committed to become a monk, die. and i just, it is util balaban to another. do fastly that i had as you went on your life was under some all calm enlightenment, capricious, ah, in bruton monasteries offer an alternative to prison, but one that requires sacrifice. cynthia is starting his 2nd year here in his cell . he spends most of his time reading sacred texts up to 10 hours a day. this life of self discipline is far removed from his old, wild ways. still,

he seems fulfilled. up in his wins. to peace of mind. you can have nothing and you can lead to be happy because as individual here, if you have the in early order, the are happy really if prayers, blessings, but also in a contemplation filled the days in the monastery. sometimes in quite surprising ways. every week senior and the others compete in a unique form of debating his reason illusory. but it's metaphysical noodle, how about seem to know the same thing? my mother with the more experienced monks begin the debates, the objective to win over the others with convincing arguments. when a monk thinks he's found an irrefutable argument, he slaps his hands together. the subject doesn't really matter. the most important thing is the discussion itself and having some fun. oh, is

a white horse really white? oh, good guy. yes, yes. you know, a white horse isn't white, it's a living being good. did i want to ha white or his horse or for a white glove? or do you wanna get real been known to prove that either the horse is the white one you might look on the or the white horse with another of the monks recreational activities in the weekly outing. every sunday the monasteries residents go into town, though there is no question of cynthia and his friends are coming to the temptations of the streets. with the money they collected the previous day, the monks can treat themselves to a meal, a strictly vegetarian one. 0, your soul, almost some circular, less. what becomes legal frontier?

did you eat meat? no, they don't. they don't know each and every rooms are. they are our parents. there haven't been even single b who haven't been on betters. so in other words, we are eating our balanced made so it's is a mixing actually and then the problem is that up at the prison, we cannot remember them being of being our bands. and you really believe in reincarnation. of course of ours, everybody is engaged in what you, what could be my father mother wished for you, the best seemed to be reincarnated for the next life. again, as a monk, if it's possible in return in a country, it doesn't matter what it in but done is far the monasteries, not a j. no it's. it's actually is a paradise is i don't a very we say i don't very resulted very does because we are full of since we are looking. are you seeing this business as normal this but actually some caberry.

oh yeah, we're going to look at all. no vin, our guide accompany cynthia on his way back to the monastery. the reunion of the 2 former troublemakers is over and they'll return to their every day lives. are you looking? isn't very little, very good. to day cynthia seems to have found the pathway to happiness bo, he'll need to train for 9 more years to become an ordained monk. back in to improve, we visit grace the entrepreneur. she lives in a small 3 room apartment with her 2 children and 2 sisters. oh, really, annette northwood, underneath the list be at the palace most common. but when you get really tired,

so in a month we used to go out with a friends and with the siblings that can enjoy a moment. so he now like, not exactly party, but it's a place where we can relax and enjoy some music. ha ha, ha ha. okay. i'm on a home this evening. grace takes her 2 sisters with her as the head of a company and head of the family. grace is one of the few car owners in baton. it's a privilege here. so ladies, let's have fun tonight. yes. oh, yeah. so i'm on a box on there. i was here. baton has just a handful of bars where young people can meet grace his favorite is the tim poo club, a party spot for the capitols, affluent youth here

they let loose to pope and rat bates a far cry from traditional culture. what brings, ah i believe one we have right now. so this is all in the mail that all right, i can go home and enjoy it. but i'm not lazy, it's nothing like that. we have to go back to the normal like very high, like experts the go to christmas. i think we have one with gender father here, men and especially women, a free to enjoy themselves without fearing the censure of a society that still quite conservative. here there because i because when i have an agency in wendy and talking to me then in mcdonough and from the and i can find like people are looking for me and like they want to have somebody name

in their life, no one to night what one day what, how many? oh, this is the one i am living in common with hearing in a moment. yet who towns, society and laws are changing? in december 2020 parliament d criminalized homosexuality. and at these club young people smoke and drink alcohol. oh, in public spaces, it's another story. to combat the high level of alcoholism in the country, the government banned the sale of alcohol one day a week. now every tuesday is known as dry day. i follow it was, it was a beer. why? i lose? no c, d, the lower is strictly and he had to, oh dear. just died

in baton tuesday is alcohol free day when i can buy there? still. it's tracy. ah dr. b, what is there either? no al amount. i think oh the country. yeah. i way if like it so ah, another ban smoking in public places in 2004 baton was ahead of its time legislating on the issue during our visit. there are no smokers on the streets. however, even though the government also ban cigarette sales, many small shopkeepers, still risk selling them under the counter with a supplier for this was can we have to be the find been anti

duty on my food clothes issue. yeah. it's dangerous. yes. for the dangerous many people do have this far reaching legislation has been passed regarding food as well. though it may not always be followed to the letter as we see visiting the large markets in pu 3 times a wait, small farmers from the surrounding area come here to sell their spices, fruit and vegetables. oh little gannet. of course. there is also plenty of meat for sale, even though officially it's strictly forbidden to kill animals in baton. oh, you mustn't cut in half of italy in there yet when i was about already falling about my, then they nearly him out of it along with meat who turns

neighbor to the south supplies the country with fuel and cheap labor in the rapidly expanding capital to improve most of the new construction is carried out by indian workers. almost everything is done by hand and safety standards are often lacks. but the most dangerous construction sites are located outside the city. at an altitude of almost 3000 meters, a colossal building project is changing the face of this mountain. since 1961, thousands of indian workers have been coming every year to work on this road that's destined to cross the country from east to west. despite the magnitude of the task and its dangers, the men where no protective clothing let alone helmets. they work with what little the company provides. arjun is 18 years old,

and this is his 1st time on the site. without the don't you have other shoes? no. no, no, the work shares young. the company provides us with some but mine a wreck in this job that our last call with toxic ta fumes mountain sickness. no protective gear and no accident insurance. this work poses many dangers, yet there is no shortage of applicants on the phone with poor. if we don't work, we stop. that's why we come here to work and earn money and they're very verified. otherwise, how else would we be able to leave that out? i know that they work 10 hours a day, 6 days a week, often for 2 months at a time with we're able to film a typical day on the site at their make shipped camp. the workers get up at 7 each

morning. oh oh, i'll go wake up. you need to wake up. okay. we'll time to get up really. i'm with i will. this is our homes with diaper. 25 people i believe roller gattey's. we don't have a problem sleeping here like this. and i felt the feel now we need to go and wash and get ready. we have to go to work with that. this is the work is sleep fully dressed, high in the mountains without heating, the temperature in the camp regularly drops below freezing, like the others are gen, leaves on the plains during the rest of the year. so this terrain is also foreign to him. i grew up in, is there any the guy? yeah, we've never seen a place like this before. there are mountains, everywhere. gorgeous and cliffs. had very dangerous working environment as it's cold here. it's snow. yeah. even the rain is freezing and oh yeah. we've been

working here for 2 months, so you know, we have 10 days left and yeah, and we return to our villages, governance in for some work as a counting the days more than others. sinbad is 28 years old. this is the 3rd year he's been on the site. he's in charge of the barrels of tar. ah, what is it that me named this part of my job is very dangerous. it does that. we have to melt the tar, and for that we have to heat it, move away. when you're near the back, you must be vigilant at all times for that event. to get out of all that you fall in, you'll die bragg. i'm sorry. i know that despite the risks, sinbad cannot quit. this work allows him to support his wife and 2 children for 6

months of the year. as long as i have legs to walk, i'll keep working it national happiness built with the blood, sweat, and t is of foreign work is happiness that has an ecological cost, but not the baton. it really didn't india that these barrows go back to india with that now very bad for the environment. so we have to count them, picked them up and send them back to indiana. we've got him. a lot of that are getting the of his gross national happiness. he's no curable but it has produced some tangible results. and is something the state continues to promote to the world as seen with the construction of these conference center dedicated to happiness at a time when the country is opening up to the world. baton is trying to find a way to pursue economic and social progress without sacrificing its cultural and environmental achievements. all the happiness of its people

ah ah. is the end of the pandemic in site. we show what it could look like. will return in the normal and we visit those who are finding it difficult. he sees his successes and you know, weekly coping 19 special in 30 minutes on d. w to the point. strong opinions, clear positions, international perspectives. job referendums, attic facia, that a large construction draw. vladimir putin is trying to salvage his special military

operation or protests are increasing and thousands of russians are fleeing on to the point we discuss. suassa finally turning to the point with on d. w. difference. sometimes a seed is all you need to allow the big ideas to grow. we're bringing environmental conservation to life with the learning pass like global ideas. we will show you how climate change and environmental conservation is taking shape around the world and how we can all make a difference. knowledge grows through sherry and download it now. feel free. ah

ah, this is the w news coming to live from berlin. the west lines up against russia's plant annexation of ukrainian lamp. united states will never, never, never recognize russia's claims on the ukraine sovereign territory. oral leaders warren, of a dangerous escalation in the war as moscow sets the stage for its latest land grab, dw learns and attempted to is underway in burkina, faso. explosions have been heard near the presidential palace and soldiers are on the streets.