The discussion about Gross National Happiness (GNH) in Bhutan and abroad resonated with attempts to find solutions to global problems related to climate change, unsustainability, inequality, poverty, environmental and biodiversity degradations.
Inspired by Bhutan’s holistic and sustainable developmental approach, GNH, a group of Bhutanese and international professionals from Singapore, Taiwan and Malaysia have established a non-profit organisation called Global Happiness Alliance (GHA).
By seeking support and addressing such global, national and individual challenges faced by vulnerable communities, the GHA would become a platform to increase global happiness.
“It seeks to engage policy makers, civil society organisations, religious leaders and relevant stakeholders from around the world to share ideas and convert them into actions through philosophical discourse, cultural exchanges, education, and dialogue,” said Co-founder of GHA, Chencho Tshering.
GHA in collaboration with Social Entrepreneur with Integrity Association (SEIA) organised a day-long workshop on “Happiness with Bhutan” was in the capital yesterday.
Chencho Tshering said that the workshop is expected to enhance the understanding of the importance of such a concept and spreading it around the world.
As the ultimate goal is to encourage the participants to implement collective ideas in their own communities, the outcomes of the conference will be used by the GHA as a tool to enhance happiness.
The founder of SEIA in Taiwan and also a co-founder of GHA, Lin Tseng Jung said that the workshop is to unify participants from across the globe and share inspirations and practices that advance global happiness. “Through such workshops, we aim to address social and environmental challenges faced by the world today,” he said.. As a part of the workshop, participants also presented on sustainable tourism for GNH and Bhutan’s development plans centring on happiness, among others.
About 30 participants also discussed ideas and possible ways to propagate GNH within the country and beyond. By Chimi Dema | Kuensel
全球幸福聯盟成立籌備會議在不丹舉行。 在不丹聚集來自世界各地的公益力量，以增加世界的幸福感。‘全球幸福聯盟’的想法是受國民幸福總值的啓發而構思出來的。 全球幸福聯盟 (GHA) 是一個民間社會組織，由藝術與文化、教育、醫療保健、民間社會、商業和政府等領域的主要從業者建立。通過研討會和論壇，GHA 旨在讓來自世界各地的政策制定者、民間社會組織、宗教領袖和相關利益相關者參與哲學討論、文化交流、教育和對話，以分享促進全球幸福和應對社會和環境挑戰的靈感和實踐 面對當今世界。我們的目標是鼓勵參與者在他們自己的社區中實施這些集體想法，從而將幸福傳播到世界各地。