Liberty and Happiness in Bhutan

Über die Veranstaltung

Happiness is a gateway to liberty. Bhutan is famous for the statement of His Majesty, King Jigme Singye Wangchuck, that, for his people, he would rather have gross national happiness than gross national product. Far from being merely words or cliché, this feeling, entity, or political concept of Gross National Happiness (GNH) is palpable in Bhutan and maximizing Gross National Happiness has become a 'central development concept' of the government. The concept of GNH has often been explained by its four pillars; good governance, sustainable socio-economic development, cultural preservation, and environmental conservation.

The panellists will deliberate on how Bhutan measure Gross National Happiness, its uniqueness and its limitations - especially against the background of the pandemic in order to understand what other countries could learn from the Himalayan Kingdom.