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The Fifth International Conference on Gross National
Happiness was held from November 20-23, 2009 in Foz do lguacu, Brazil,
and was attended by more than 800 participants from various countries.
The conference was organised by Future Vision Ecological Institute and
Itaipu Bi-national Hydroelectric Facility, in collaboration with the
Centre for Bhutan Studies. The conference was being held for the first
time in South America , and was conducted in Portuguese and Spanish.
The first day began with the keynote speech delivered by His Excellency
Lyonchhoen Jigmi Y Thinley, Prime Minister of Bhutan, which is structured
in four parts - the evolution of the concept and practice of GNH, the
concept of happiness, a happiness-oriented society, and the economics
of GNH.
On the necessity for new indicators of progress, John Helliwell stressed
the confluence of wellbeing and the sustainability as the two major
currents of human thought. He also discussed concepts such as life satisfaction,
capabilities, and adaption, among others.
Meanwhile, Jon Hall explained why GDP, the dominant way in which the
world has measured progress for 60 years, has failed to explain many
of the factors that impact most on people’s lives, and the need
for measuring welfare, not just output.
On the second day, Dasho Karma Ura and Dasho Karma Tshiteem shared their
views and experiences on how GNH is applied in Bhutan . Dasho Karma
Ura explained the concept and the nine domains of GNH, the metrics of
GNH and the method for constructing the GNH Index. Dasho Karma Tshiteem
explained how GNH is operationalised and integrated into the policy
and planning process in Bhutan, giving some practical examples.
How GNH is applied in Canada was presented by John Helliwell, University
of British Columbia, Canada, and Michael Pennock, co-director of the
Public Health Observatory in British Columbia. Michael Pennock presented
the result of the Greater Victoria Happiness Survey (n=2400), an abbreviated
version of the Bhutanese GNH Survey. John Helliwell emphasised social
capital in the context of the Victoria Community Survey.
In Brazil , two cities, along
with 14 other municipalities, are reported to be taking up the GNH survey;
Natura Cosmetics, a cosmetics company, adopted the GNH approach to enhance
the well-being of the employees, while Campinas University started a
course on GNH. In an eco-village, managed by Susan Andrews, the domains
of GNH are being practiced on a day-to-day level.
Eric Zencey, Professor of Political
Studies, State University of New York, focused on the relationship between
sustainability and economics, and stressed the need to transform economics,
considering the recent financial crises as an environmental crisis.
Nic Marks talked about making life better and happier by finding a way
(non-material) that does not cost the earth.
On the third day, the objectives
of GNH based on the projects of the UNDP and how GNH was practiced in
the University of Campinas , were presented by Ana Rosa Monteiro and
Mohamed Habib respectively. Ross McDonald came up with practical strategies
for liberating human potential in the classroom.
The impact of time on happiness
was discussed by John de Graaf. He particularly stressed the need to
reduce work-time as a path to sustainability and happiness. Vicki Robin
presented a nine-steps programme that helps you to examine the flow
of money and materials through your life in such a way, that you put
money in the service of life, not life in the service of money.
Takayoshi Kusago, Professor of
Social System Design at Kansai University , Japan , presented a way
to transform the economic development of Japan to improve its livelihood
bringing into context the history of economic development.
The role of non-government initiatives
and governance in education in practicing GNH, time as a barrier for
growth of national and individual happiness, and operationalising GNH
through ex-ante, impact evaluation were also presented on the same day.
The fourth day was allocated
for identifying strategies for applying GNH in practice in groups. The
summary of the conference was presented by the Prime Minster of Bhutan
along with Michael Pennock, Susan Andrews, and Dr Nelton Miguel Friedrich.
Downlodload the Mp3
Audio recordings of the conference from the following table:
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Sl. No. |
Speeches |
Link |
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1 |
Keynote
speech by His Excellency Lyonchhoen Jigmi Y Thinley, Prime Minister
of Bhutan |
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2 |
Necessity
for New Indicators of Progress by Jon Hall, OECD, France and
Dr John Helliwell, University of British Columbia, Canada |
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3 |
GNH Applied in Bhutan by Dasho Karma Ura,
President, The Centre for Bhutan Studies, and Dasho Karma Tshiteem,
Secretary, GNH Commission |
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4 |
GNH
Applied in Canda by Dr John Helliwell, University of British
Columbia, Canada, and Michael Pennock, Co-director of the Public
Health Observatory in British Columbia, Canada |
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5 |
GNH
Applied in Brazil by Dr Roberto Ramalho Tavares, Mayor of Itapetininga
municipality, Sinval Dorigon Municipal Secretary of Commerce,
Industry, Services and Tourism of Campinas Municipality, Dr
Susan Andrews, Coordinators of the Future Vision Institute,
Brazil
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6 |
The Financial Crisis is an Environmental Crisis: An introduction
to Ecological Economics by Dr Eric Zencey, Professor of
Political Studies, State University of New York, USA |
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7 |
New Indicators of Progress and Human Wellbeing by
Nic Marks, Founder, New Economics Foundation, UK |
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8 |
GNH
in Business in Brazil by Marcelo Cardoso, Vice-President of
Organisational Development, Natura Cosmetics, Brazil |
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9 |
GNH
in Business in Brazil by Estelita Thiele, Director of Stakeholder
Relations, Natura Cosmetics
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10 |
Projects
of the UNDP: Objecives of the Millennium and GNH by Ana Rosa
Monteiro Soares, Official of Monitoring and Evaluation, Objectives
of the Millennium, UNDP, Brazil |
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11 |
GNH
in University Educatoin by Dr Mohamed Habib, Pro-Rector of Extension
and Community Affairs, University of Campinas, Brazil
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12 |
Teaching
from Genuine Happiness: Practical Strategies for Liberating
Human Potential in the Classroom by Dr Ross McDonald, Professor
of Political Studies, University of Auckland, New Zealand |
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13 |
GNH
in the University: Bringing Together Two Worlds, by Paulo Cesar
Nunes Junior, Coordinator of the GNH Project at the University
of Campinas, Brazil
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14 |
Reducing
Work-time as a Path to Sustainability by John de Graaf, Executive
Director of Take Back Your Time, USA
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15 |
Your
Money or Your Life by Vicki Robin, Co-founder of the Voluntary
Simplicity Movement, USA
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16 |
Change
for Happiness and Hope in Japan: Practice toward the Past-GDP-Driven
Society by Takayoshi Kusago, Professor of Social System Design
at Kansai University, Japan.
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17 |
Gross National Happiness: An Alternative Model
for the Intercultural Dialogue between the Culture of the Mountains
by Alejandro Camino, Director of the Peru Program, Global Heritage
Fund, Peru |
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18 |
Role of Non Government Initiatives and Governance
in Education in Practicing GNH by Saugata Bandyopadhyay, Assets
Reconstruction Company, India |
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19 |
Time as a Barrier for Growth of National and
Individual Happiness by Piotr Michon, Professor of Economics,
Poznan University, Poland |
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20 |
Operationalising GNH through Ex-Ante Impact
Evaluation by Jamie Tanguay, Johns Hopkins University, School
of Advanced International Studies, USA |
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21 |
An
Economy based on Abundance by Paulo Roberto da, Silva, Professor
of Accounting, Federal University Fluminense, Brazil |
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22 |
Group
Discussions on Strategies for Applying GNH in Practice, and
Final Summary |
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