Amidst our icy world of techno-frenzy, the warm and peaceful image of Shangri-La still captivates our hearts—a fairy tale kingdom, where compassion and wisdom are the benchmark against which all things are measured.

It turns out that this is the very real country of Bhutan. Nestled in the mighty Himalayas, tucked between India and Tibet, Bhutan is the last remaining Himalayan kingdom—an oasis of innocence in our world.

While developed nations agonize over their Gross National Product (GNP), Bhutan is the only place in the world where the official government policy is Gross National Happiness (GNH). Hard to believe, but true.

Here’s the bad news. The 21st century is sneaking into Bhutan—or maybe bursting in is more like it. The internet now connects Bhutan to the best and worst of humanity. Satellite dishes bring Baywatch and MTV to this once cloistered and innocent kingdom.

The fast-paced-slick-materialism of our modern world is working hard to capture the hearts and minds of Bhutan’s youth. As we enter the mainstream of the 21st century, what will become of Bhutan’s traditional spiritual values of compassion, tolerance and wisdom?

Imagine the last redwood forest, the last American Indian tribe, the very last whale. Now, imagine the last “Shangri-La”.