News & Events

We have successfully conducted a one-day Social Media Literacy Training at the Paro Youth Centre on 25 July 2025, bringing together 30 enthusiastic young participants to strengthen their digital literacy, critical thinking, and responsible online engagement. The training equipped youth leaders with the knowledge and skills to navigate the digital landscape responsibly, demonstrate ethical online behaviour, build resilience against misinformation, and contribute to a more trustworthy and responsible media ecosystem in Bhutan.

The training is part of “Strengthening Social Media Literacy among Youth Leaders,” a project supported by the Accountability Lab under the Digital Democracy Initiative (DDI), awarded by CIVICUS, and implemented from July to September 2026. The project aims to train 120 youth leaders across four strategic locations in Bhutan—Paro, Wangdue Phodrang, Gelephu, and Phuentsholing.

Beyond the training programme, the project will:

• Provide Youth-led Social Media Literacy Outreach Seed Funding to support innovative community awareness campaigns.
• Establish a National Network of Media and Information Literacy (MIL) Trainers, creating a sustainable peer-learning platform for trained youth leaders.
• Develop awareness materials and support youth-led outreach initiatives that promote ethical digital citizenship and credible information sharing.

The Social Media Literacy sessions were facilitated by Bhutan Media Foundation officials, while the sessions on Generative AI were led by Dr. Sourav Basu, Associate Professor at Norbuling Rigter College, Paro.

During the training, participants explored a range of important topics, including:

• Emerging challenges and opportunities of social media
• Social Media Literacy skills and processes
• Fake news, misinformation, disinformation, hate speech, and cyberbullying
• Fact-checking and verifying online information
• Responsible online communication and digital citizenship
• Introduction to Generative AI (GenAI): applications, risks, and ethical considerations
• Applying Media and Information Literacy (MIL) when using AI tools

Participants also engaged in interactive case studies and group discussions, strengthening their critical thinking, digital resilience, and practical skills for identifying and responding to online misinformation. The programme concluded with the announcement of the Youth-led Social Media Literacy Outreach Seed Fund, which will empower participants to design and implement community awareness initiatives that promote responsible social media use.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Accountability Lab, CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation, and the DDI South Asia for their generous support and partnership in making this initiative possible. We also express our sincere appreciation to the Paro Youth Centre under the Programme and Youth Coordination Division, Department of Education Programmes, MOESD, Sherig Bhutan, for their invaluable support in successfully organizing the training.

Our special thanks go to Dr. Sourav Basu for sharing his expertise and insights on GenAI and all 30 youth participants for their enthusiasm, active engagement, and commitment to becoming responsible digital citizens and future champions of Media and Information Literacy.

Together, we are fostering a more informed, resilient, and responsible digital community in Bhutan.