GNP = Gross National Happiness?

Rather than leading lives of quiet (albeit humid) desperation in London we should:

engage in a hands-on problem solving approach to provide practical guidance to governments, businesses, and non-government organizations that want to take concrete steps towards creating good and sustainable human societies.

How? By joining The search for happiness in Antigonish! Scott Deveau of the Globe and Mail reports that big things are happening in this small Canadian town:

Nearly 500 people from around the globe have descended on a small Nova Scotia town this week to try to find the key to world happiness.

Environmentalists, journalists, government officials, entrepreneurs, social activists, youth, business and labour leaders from 33 different countries have come to Antigonish, N.S., to attend the second International Conference on Gross National Happiness, which started Monday.

The delegates have become fascinated by the development model set by a small Himalayan country, which has put economic prosperity behind its general happiness and are bringing input on how their own countries have tried to do the same.

The concept of Gross National Happiness was developed 30 years ago by the King of Bhutan. "It is based on the belief that the ultimate pursuit of every human being is happiness. If that it is true, then it becomes the responsibility of the state to create the opportunity for happiness for its people," said Lyonpo Jigmi Thinley, Bhutan's present Home Minister and former prime minister, who is in Nova Scotia attending the conference.

...He argues that global interest in Bhutan was motivated by a general dissatisfaction with how the world has developed. "Despite all the wonders, there still a general discontent," Mr. Thinely said.

I have long been interested in the study of subjective well-being (aka 'happiness'), but even this muesli chomping, Birkenstock wearing, Guardian reading tree-hugger finds it a little hard to take seriously a conference that begins with Tai Chi, Yoga, and Chi Qong at 6.30am, and that has a strict scent-free policy:

Please note that some delegates are highly sensitive to scented products and chemicals, and become ill from exposure to them. Therefore please do not wear or bring scented products or regular bug spray to the conference. Unscented soap, shampoo, and other products, and natural bug spray will be available at the conference. Thank you for your consideration.

For those interested in this field there is more serious fare around, such as last weeks' Capabilities and Happiness conference in Milan.

Alternatively, you could just listen to Ron Colman, of GPI Atlantic, who is in Antigonish so you don't have to. According to the Globe and Mail report:

"We can measure the conditions of well being," Mr. Colman said Monday. "If people are healthy, if they're able to walk the streets at night, or breath the air, they are more likely to be happy."

I quite agree. Being able to breathe sure beats asphyxiation any day.

As for the large Bhutanese contingent, maybe they can explain to the other delegates why a hereditary monarchy is superior to parliamentary democracy. Or why 100,000 of their own people remain stuck in UNHCR refugee camps in eastern Nepal. Happy? I'm sure they're ecstatic.

UPDATE: Phil Miller at Market Power comments:

I say let people decide for themselves what makes them happy.  Let them decide what books to read, what jobs to do, how many kids to have, whether to drive a car, etc.  There are too many variables to account for.  There is no way that a grand design can optimize society's happiness.

But I guess if it makes them happy....

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