Paljor Dorji
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Dasho Dasho (Dzongkha: དྲག་ཤོས; Wylie transliteration, Wylie: ''Drag-shos'') (lit. Excellent One) is a Bhutanese honorific that is bestowed upon individuals, along with a red scarf kabney, by the Druk Gyalpo. In common practice, however, ma ...
Paljor Jigme Dorji (), commonly known as Dasho Benji, is a Bhutanese environmentalist, judge and diplomat.


Career


Environmentalism

Often referred to as Bhutan's "Godfather of Conservation", he established Bhutan's first
non-governmental organization A non-governmental organization (NGO) is an independent, typically nonprofit organization that operates outside government control, though it may get a significant percentage of its funding from government or corporate sources. NGOs often focus ...
, the Royal Society for the Protection of Nature in 1987 to conserve the country's black-necked crane population and to preserve the country's biodiversity in general. He was also involved in the drafting of "The Middle Path" the country's first National Environmental Strategy which was published in 1998. He also served as an advisor to numerous conservation and environmental organizations in Bhutan including the National Environment Commission. Dorji was also conferred the Jigme Singye Wangchuck Outstanding Environmental Stewardship Award for Policy Leadership. The Bhutan Ornithological Society as well as the Bhutan Ecological Society was founded by himself with him serving as founding president of the two organizations. In 2018, he was named as one of the "Nature's Heroes" by the Royal Society for the Protection of Nature.


In the government

Dorji has served in the government of Bhutan as early as 1969. He served as an advisor to the former king of Bhutan,
Jigme Singye Wangchuck Jigme Singye Wangchuck (, ; born 11 November 1955) is the fourth Druk Gyalpo ( Dragon King) of Bhutan, reigning from 1972 to 2006. He is the father of the present King of Bhutan Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck. He is the only son of five ch ...
As judge he served as Magistrate of
Paro District Paro District (Dzongkha: སྤ་རོ་རྫོང་ཁག་; Wylie: ''Spa-ro rdzong-khag'') is a district (''dzongkhag''), valley, river and town (population 20,000) in Bhutan. It is one of the most historic valleys in Bhutan. Both tra ...
from 1969 to 1972, as High Court Judge from 1972 to 1974. Jigme Palden Dorji appointed him as the first Chief Justice of Bhutan's High Court serving from 1974 to 1987 (acting capacity from 1974 until 1985). He was succeeded by ''Lyonpo'' Sangay Penjore who was appointed by the king in 1987. He was also Deputy Minister for Social Services from 1988 to 1991, and Deputy Minister to the National Environment Commission 1994 to 1997.


As Diplomat

As a diplomat, Paljor Dorji served as Ambassador to the United Nations and European capitals from 1991 to 1994. However, a lot is yet to be known


Filmography

Paljor Dorji featured in the 2016 film ''Power of the River: Expedition to the Heart of Water in Bhutan'' an
adventure An adventure is an exciting experience or undertaking that is typically bold, sometimes risky. Adventures may be activities with danger such as traveling, exploring, skydiving, mountain climbing, scuba diving, river rafting, or other extreme spo ...
documentary A documentary film (often described simply as a documentary) is a nonfiction Film, motion picture intended to "document reality, primarily for instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, historical record". The American author and ...
by American director Greg Hamilton which tackles about the issues on setting up dams in Bhutan's rivers.


Personal life

Paljor Dorji is the son of
Bhutan Bhutan, officially the Kingdom of Bhutan, is a landlocked country in South Asia, in the Eastern Himalayas between China to the north and northwest and India to the south and southeast. With a population of over 727,145 and a territory of , ...
's first
prime minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...
, Jigme Palden Dorji. Tobgye Dorji is his brother, a former diplomat who became a hotelier in Paro. A member of the royal family, Paljor Dorji is a cousin of Bhutan's fourth king,
Jigme Singye Wangchuck Jigme Singye Wangchuck (, ; born 11 November 1955) is the fourth Druk Gyalpo ( Dragon King) of Bhutan, reigning from 1972 to 2006. He is the father of the present King of Bhutan Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck. He is the only son of five ch ...
. His mother was
Ashi Ashi (Avestan: 𐬀𐬴𐬌 ''aṣ̌i/arti'') is the Avestan language word for the Zoroastrian concept of "that which is attained." As the hypostasis of "reward," "recompense," or "capricious luck," ''Ashi'' is also a divinity in the Zoroastria ...
Tsering Yangzom, daughter of Tibetan aristocrat and official Tsarong. He is also credited for bringing the sport of basketball in Bhutan having learned the sport in from Canadian
Jesuits The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...
in a boarding school in
Darjeeling Darjeeling (, , ) is a city in the northernmost region of the States and union territories of India, Indian state of West Bengal. Located in the Eastern Himalayas, it has an average elevation of . To the west of Darjeeling lies the Koshi Pr ...
,
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
. He also introduced the sport to the royal family having taught the sport to King
Jigme Singye Wangchuck Jigme Singye Wangchuck (, ; born 11 November 1955) is the fourth Druk Gyalpo ( Dragon King) of Bhutan, reigning from 1972 to 2006. He is the father of the present King of Bhutan Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck. He is the only son of five ch ...
when the monarch was still a teenager.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dorji, Paljor 1943 births Living people Bhutanese conservationists Bhutanese diplomats Bhutanese judges Paljor Children of prime ministers