Happiness

Zinzi and Tozama II - Zanele Muholi 2010

This Valentines morning in Uganda, Fr Simon Lokodo, minister of Ethics and Integrity tried to bully a group of activists into silence. The activists were holding a capacity-building workshop at a hotel - likely speaking about kill-the-gays-bill. The Catholic priest accused the activists of "recruiting children into the gay life" (spot the irony). Some articles report that one of the participants was arrested and released, and others say that everyone managed to leave the hotel safely.

I have only deep respect for Kasha and Frank and all those who take great risks to work towards the happiness of people.

I return to my own work towards happiness: one power-point slide at a time, one email, one conversation, one citation... Now you get to yours.

A resolution adopted by the United Nations General Assembly - August 2011
65/309. Happiness: towards a holistic approach to development

The General Assembly,

Bearing in mind the purposes and principles of the United Nations, as set forth in the Charter of the United Nations, which include the promotion of the economic advancement and social progress of all peoples,

Conscious that the pursuit of happiness is a fundamental human goal,

Cognizant that happiness as a universal goal and aspiration embodies the spirit of the Millennium Development Goals,

Recognizing that the gross domestic product indicator by nature was not designed to and does not adequately reflect the happiness and well-being of people in a country,

Conscious that unsustainable patterns of production and consumption can impede sustainable development, and recognizing the need for a more inclusive, equitable and balanced approach to economic growth that promotes sustainable development, poverty eradication, happiness and well-being of all peoples,

Acknowledging the need to promote sustainable development and achieve the Millennium Development Goals,

1. Invites Member States to pursue the elaboration of additional measures that better capture the importance of the pursuit of happiness and well-being in development with a view to guiding their public policies.

2. Invites those Member States that have taken initiatives to develop new indicators, and other initiatives, t o share information thereon with the Secretary-General as a contribution to the United Nations development agenda, including the Millennium Development Goals;

3. Welcomes the offer of Bhutan to convene during the sixty-sixth session of the General Assembly a panel discussion on the theme of happiness and well-being;

4. Invites the Secretary-General to seek the views of Member States and relevant regional and international organizations on the pursuit of happiness and well-being and to communicate such views to the General Assembly at its sixty-seventh session for further consideration