Happiness as a development goal: Lhaba Tshering at TEDxCordoba

Lhaba Tshering is a Senior Planning Officer at Sustainable Development Secretariat, Gross National Happiness Commission (GNHC), Thimphu, Bhutan.
In this interesting talk at TEDxCordoba, Lhaba tell us about the 4 pillars, 9 domains, and 83 indicators which essentially reflect the happiness of the Bhutanese society, and invites policy makers and societies around the world to look at themselves and see what are the parameters that would define happiness in those societies.

(Spanish) Good afternoon
and thank you very much.

Thank you very much for inviting me
to this great TEDx event Cordoba 2012.

I'm highly honored to be here
among you to share an idea.

An idea unfortunately
which is not mine.

An idea that has been conceived
two or three decades back

in this small Himalayan
Kingdom of Bhutan.

This idea of Gross National
Happiness and pursuing

a development philosophy based
on the happiness of people.

Something which was very unconventional

at the time when we started off.

So, this is the idea that I've come
to share with you in the spirit

of the theme of the event:
"Ideas that move ideas."

Ladies and gentlemen,
the architect of the philosophy

of Gross National Happiness
is no other than

the fourth King of Bhutan,
His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck.

So the picture you will see
is the forth king.

And his thesis was that GNH
is more important than GDP.

And understanding what human beings

need to be happy
is vital to the society.

So this was the conviction upon which

he conceived the idea.

The topic of my talk, well,
will be primarily focused

on the Gross National Happiness.

I'll try to give it an international flavor
by seeing how happiness

could be applied
in other parts of the world.

And to redefine
and look what development

could mean and whether
if we can pursue

a development with a different
vision and a policy.

When you talk about development,

what comes to your mind?

Economics, right?

So, essentially, development
actually means growth.

But what has happened conventionally

is that growth has not been
pursued in its true sense.

It has essentially meant development

which is associated with economic growth.

And it is my opinion
and belief that growth

does not necessary mean
just financial or economic growth,

it has other parameters
and other requirements.

Material growth alone
is not reflective

true nature of growth.

And there are evidence, which say,
that there's a minimum correlation

or non-correlation
between economic prosperity

and happiness or well-being of the people.

Having pursued development with the vision

of pure material or GDP-based vision,

the world is facing a series of problems and --
what are the consequences?

The world, to my belief,
is in a mad pursuit of economic gains.

And this has cost a series of conflicts.

Today, as you'll agree with me,

the entire world is actually in conflict.

We are facing conflict of crisis.

Social crisis, cultural crisis,
economic crisis, financial crisis.

And above all,
the most defining issue of the crisis

that we as humanity face,
as Mrs. Marina Silva once put it,

the crisis of ethics and values.

The current pattern of the alarming rate

at which the consumption and production

is growing is not sustainable.

We need to look for a solution.

We need to look for an alternative.

It is easy to say that we need to look,

it is easy to say that we are in a problem.

So, what is the solution?

This is the question that we need to ask.

To do that we go back
to the drawing board and ask ourselves,

what should be the relation
between a state and its people?

To me, in my belief,
a state without its people is not a state.

Therefore, there is a saying, which says,

"As I am, so is my Nation",
which clearly defines

that the most important matter or factor

in a state is its people.

Therefore, it's individual
citizens that collectively

define the character of a state,

and hence, is the people that matters.

The duty of the state?
It should solely be to serve its people.

Now, let's look out.

If the people [are] the center of development,

and this is what we should do,

what should the state be doing?

Are the states doing
what they are supposed to do?

To my belief, the primary
responsibility of the state

should be to pursue development goals

that matter to the people.

And what matters to the people,
in my belief and opinion,

is not just material growth.

There are other requirements as human beings.

The state should also make the right policies

that promote happiness and well-being.

And happiness and well-being
is a universal flavor

which appeals to every individual

whether you are from Latin America,

or whether you are from North America,

or whether you are from Asia.

So the most [important] factors
that promote happiness in an individual,

is beyond the control of an individual.

So, therefore, the important role of the state.

The policy decisions that the state makes

has a tremendous influence

on how the individual can grow
or promote his happiness.

Therefore, there is an important factor

that the state has to play.

And the best way to do it is to put people

at the center of the development policies.

Let's look at the conventional development goals

which has been pursued as I said,

it is either to increase your GDP,
you are talking about savings,

and increasing or decreasing
your financial deficit.

These ways or approaches,
are conventional approaches,

that have been pursued.

To my belief, are only means
to a greater end.

And that end, ladies and gentlemen,
I believe is Happiness.

Now, having said that happiness
is the central theme

or the single most important
factor for individual

and, therefore, the duty of the state
to promote those conditions

which promote happiness on the individuals,

can we consider development vision

and policy, and base them on happiness?

Is this possible?

Many people wouldn't agree with me
and say that happiness

is very subjective and relative and is something

that cannot be objectively verified, or measured.

Therefore, it is not possible.

But, ladies and gentlemen, the experience
that I've come to share with you

is something which should tell me,
or tell you, that it is possible.

Let's look at what has been happening
in the few months and years

since the world has been confronted
with a series of problems.

If you know, and if you agree --

I think some of you would have heard --

the former French President,
Sarkozy commissioned,

what is called the Sarkozy Commission,
or Sarkozy Report,

which was looking at alternative ways

of measuring the country's well-being.

So, he was primarily looking
at happiness as one aspect.

There are also NGOs
and independent organizations

which try to measure the happiness

of countries and try to rank them.

And the Happy Planet Index
is one way of doing that.

The latest of one being
the David Cameron Report on Happiness

that is trying to see if Britain, as a country,

and the British citizens
are in the measure of happiness.

Then, of course, from Bhutan,

we have had this philosophy
of Gross National Happiness

for the last four, five decades

and we felt that it was
our humble duty to try and share

the experiences that we have had,
such a long experience.

And therefore we put it forward
to the UN to adopt a resolution

which declares happiness and well-being

as a fundamental human right or a goal.

Then, I believe there is something
called "El club de la felicidad",

somewhere in Brazil,
which is also encouraging.

So, ladies and gentlemen,
let's see if Bhutan's experiences

would be one way forward to look

at an alternative development paradigm.

I've been talking about
the evolution of the concept.

I will then touch upon development
of happiness indicators,

and then, try to convince the skeptics

who feel that happiness [is]
a subject that cannot be measured.

We will also look up at the
operationalization of GNH.

So, ladies and gentlemen,
let's take a minute

and join me and let's take
a voyage towards Bhutan.

Oh, my sound is missing.

Anyway, this is the map of Bhutan.

A very small Himalayan country.

We are in between China and India,

you'll see, and most of the
challenges that we face are,

as a small Himalayan country,

sandwiched between the two giants of India.

You'll see the pictures on the site.

This is to give you
a bird's-eye view of Bhutan.

The architectures is very intact.

The country profile,
43,038 thousands km2,

with 0.65 million people, very small,

half of the population
of Cordoba, I believe.

Let's look at the evolution.

As I mentioned, the concept
of Gross National Happiness concept

was conceived by a great leader
with unmatched vision

and unmatched statesmanship,

and that was the fourth King of Bhutan.

And he was [already] a proponent
as way back as 1970

when he as a young teenager
at the age of 17

had to take the reign of the
country and became the king,

when his father died an untimely death.

He has consistently pursued
this policy and put the people

at the center of development.

And, so much so, even today
when we are constructing

a democratic monarchy,

we still have the requirement
of pursuing happiness

as a development objective.

The rationale, as I said, human beings

need more complex than material needs.

GDP growth does not necessarily
lead to increased

well-being and happiness.

Evidence also suggests that.

So, just to give a pictorial explanation.

If you pursue development
purely based on GDP

or financial growth you
will have the balance tilted.

On the other hand, if you have
just non-material, it'll also be tilted.

So what we are looking
at is a balance between

the material and the non-material
to achieve happiness.

What is then,
Gross National Happiness?

To us, Gross National Happiness
is a development approach

that seeks to achieve
a harmonious balance between

material well-being, spiritual, emotional

and cultural needs of a society.

And it is based on a belief
that happiness "is" the ultimate desire

of every citizen and
it is a purpose of development

to create enabling conditions
for the people.

So how do we define happiness?

Or how have we been looking at happiness?

What have been the defining pillars
which have guided us

in these thirty or forty years

of the kingdom's development process?

We have four pillars: equitable social
and economic development

preserve and promote culture,
conserve the environment

and then, of course, good governance.

We feel that as long as you have
these four pillars in mind

we should be able to achieve GNH
in any pursuit that we go.

In terms of operationalizing this concept,
what have we done?

We have a 5-year planning system.

And the central planning agency is the agency

which is primarily responsible
to develop plans.

So, therefore,
we have now what is called

the Gross National Happiness Commission,

which maintains and mainstreams GNH
into development policies.

We have also developed indicators
which help us to measure the GNH.

So, what's the GNH Index?

It's a composite statistic to measure

Bhutan's progress enhancement in happiness.

It is consisting of 9 domains,
33 indicators and 124 variables.

Excuse me, I'm running fast
because I'm running out of time.

So, what are these 9 domains?

We have conventional ways of measuring

the progress of the country,

and they are the ones
which are highlighted in red.

These are the conventional approaches.

And we have non-conventional [ways]
which are the following:

psychological well-being,
time use, community vitality

and then, of course,
cultural diversity and resilience.

So, we have 9 domains,
within which we have

some 33 indicators and 124 variables.

We conduct an annual survey
-- a 2-year survey --

to assess where we are going,
and based on the results of the survey

we make policy interventions
to correct in areas

where we feel we are
not doing so well.

To give an example of how
we are using the indicators.

For example, let's say
psychological well-being, education

and community vitality...
In the survey results stands

that there is a decrease in them,
then what do we do

as a state policy,
state interventions?

We need to design and come out
with policies and measures

to help uplift the psychological well-being.

Similarly, in education,
we do interventions

so that we improve
in the education domain.

Then, we have
the community vitality interventions

that are state policy decisions
that need to be designed and promoted.

And a case example,
is in the education sector.

When we look at the education sector
without the GNH lens,

from a conventional way
of looking at it, it was perfect.

We have an education system
which are doing very well,

the growth of enrollment ratio was 120%,
or so, and so...

But then when we put
the GNH lens into it, we realize,

"Wait, look, you are not doing too well."

So this is how the GNH Index helps
to give a more wholesome approach

and allows the government
to have policy interventions.

We also have what we call
the GNH Policy Screening tool.

And I'm not sure if any other country
has this sort of screening tool,

where every major policy decision
that is taken by the country

in the context of any development intervention,

is subjected to this screening tool.

So, as long as the policy screening
passes the minimum threshold,

the policy gets through.

But the policy -- if it does not meet
the minimum requirement,

then, the policy is rejected
and it is sent back to the agency

which is proposing that policy,
and make the recommendations

to make the necessary changes
which will help to make or promote

happiness in the country.

So, in conclusion,
ladies and gentlemen,

actually, Im not doing it too bad...
in time... I thought I was doing very bad.

Happiness, as I said,
is a universal human aspiration.

And, hence, it is my belief
should be pursued

as a state development policy.

And don't just look
at the mad economic race

of pursuing material prosperity.

And, in order to do that, and apply
what we have done in Bhutan,

in terms of pursuing GNH,
we have to look at different contexts

depending on the original cultural
and religious sensitivity involved.

And, ask yourselves,
what does it mean to be a happy society

or what are the parameters
that would define happiness for you.

For Bhutan, as I said,
we have looked at the 4 pillars,

the 9 domains, and then the 83 indicators,

which essentially reflect this happiness
of the Bhutanese society.

So, for it to be applied
internationally or replicated

in other parts of the world,
those states who wish to do that

need to look at themselves and see

what are the parameters
that would define happiness.

(Applause)

How many of you are happy today?

I would say 90 percent are happy because
you are the lucky 100 lottery winners, right?

Good luck. Thank you.

Muchas gracias.

(Applause)