Questions
on/inspired by the UN web page:
https://www.un.org/en/observances/happiness-day
1) What
did you do on 20th March (did you know it was the UN International
Day of Happiness)?
Maxime:
I didn’t know that this day was the UN International Day of
Happiness so I did nothing special.
Jonathan:
I didn’t know it, but I try to be happy every day.
Emma:
I actually did not know it was the UN International Day of Happiness,
so I did nothing special that day; it was a typical day for me.
2) What
is the United Nations (history, purpose, how does it operate)?
Maxime,
Jonathan, Emma: The United Nations is an international organization
of 193 member states created on October 24th, 1945. Its aim is to
maintain world peace. It has a General Assembly, a Security Council
and a number of Agencies (WHO, UNICEF, UNHCR, etc.). It is celebrated
on October 24th each year.
3) How,
according to the UN, can human beings be happy?
Charlotte:
According to the UN, human-beings can be happy if they are properly
taken into consideration in public policy objectives. It considers
that the happiness and well-being of all peoples depends on a more
inclusive, equitable and balanced approach to economic growth that
promotes sustainable development. For people to be happier, we need a
world that is safe (at peace), fair (no poverty) and healthy (no
pandemics or global warming!).
4) What
does UN resolution 66/281 recognize?
Manon:
UN resolutions 66/281 recognizes 20th March as the International Day
of Happiness. Those present at the General Assembly invited every
member State and every NGO to contribute to youth education so that
the children too could celebrate this day. The UN defines “happiness”
as something fundamental for everyone, that can bring the nations
peace. But it can only be achieved through fighting poverty, peace
and a healthy planet.
In
the USA, seeking happiness is an “inalienable right”, which means
that it is a law that cannot be changed; I think all countries in the
world should have the same law! However, there are so many problems
(war, pandemics, the climate crisis, poverty, poor education, etc.)
affecting us all, to various degrees, it is difficult to know how to
guarantee that right to seek happiness… A celebration of happiness
by the UN (and isn’t happiness our raison d’être as human
beings?) is a small step in the right direction.
5) Who
initiated this resolution and why?
Paula:
It is Bhutan who came up with the idea of an International Day of
Happiness and proposed it to the United Nations in 2011. This brought
international attention to happiness as a measurement of well-being.
The International Day of Happiness was submitted to the General
Assembly of the United Nations by Jayme Illien on June 28, 2012.
Jayme Illien is the founder of “Happytalism”, which is a new
economic system and global development paradigm. For him, and now the
UN, happiness is a fundamental human goal. It is based on several
things: income, freedom, trust, healthy life expectancy, social
support and generosity.
6) Where
is Bhutan and what is it like (population, economy, etc.)?
Gabriel,
Malaurie: Bhutan, officially the Kingdom of Bhutan, is a country in
South Asia and it is surrounded by China and India. It’s located in
the Eastern Himalayas. Bhutan is the region's second-least-populous
nation after the Maldives. Thimphu is its capital and largest city,
while Phuntsholing is its financial center; there are many banks
there. Tourism in this country is important to the economy. There
aren’t many roads so traffic is very slow. Bhutan had a population
of 754,388 people in 2018. 75% of the population is Bhuddist, 22% are
Hindu and there are Christian and Muslim minorities. Bhutan ranks
first in economic freedom, ease of doing business, and peace, and is
the least corrupt country in the region as of 2016. It continues to
be a least developed country, but expects to graduate from this
status by 2023. Hydroelectricity accounts for most of its exports. On
the Human Development Index, Bhutan is 134th (out of 189 countries).
Bhutan
is notable for pioneering the concept of “Gross National
Happiness”; it has replaced GNP (Gross National Product) there, and
is used by the government to measure the progress of its economy
(which is sustainable), social development, the level of
environmental protection and cultural diversity. GNP has demonstrated
that money doesn't equal happiness, and that material progress is not
the most important contributor to well- being.
7) How
happy is Bhutan?
Emile:
The World Happiness Report (WHR) ranks countries on six key variables
that support well-being: income, freedom, trust, healthy life
expectancy, social support and generosity. The World Happiness Report
is produced by the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions
Network, in partnership with the Ernesto Illy Foundation and written
by a group of independent experts acting in their personal
capacities.
As
there is no official definition of what “happiness” is, each
country can define it as it sees fit. Bhutan (ranked 95th in the
World Happiness Report) scores highly on its own criteria; it uses
its “GNH index”. The Gross National Happiness index measures the
collective happiness and well-being of the population of Bhutan. It
explores each person’s life in nine domains: psychological
well-being, health, education, time use, cultural diversity and
resilience, good governance, community vitality, ecological diversity
and resilience, and living standards. It also examines the way that
social norms, technologies, conflicts and government policies have
shaped happiness over the years. Gross National Happiness was
included by the government of Bhutan in its Constitution on 18th July
2008.
So,
the difference between the results of the World Happiness Report and
the Gross National Happiness index lies in the criteria and
methodology used to assess "happiness". People living in
Bhutan, according to their GNH index, seem happy : 91.2% of people
reported experiencing happiness while 43.4% of people said that they
are deeply happy. So I think that we can say that the people of
Bhutan are happy with their way of life (despite not having the same
economic resources as Finland or Denmark).
8) How
should we celebrate International Day of Happiness next year?
Maxime:
I think the majority of the population should celebrate this day!
Making yourself happy, even if it’s less rewarding than making
others happy, is also important. We can practice our hobby or do
something that makes us happy to be happy. Also, humanitarian actions
or donations should be made to charitable associations. To be
practical: we should help the homeless by giving them food and a few
other things that would really help them like giving them blankets,
talking to them would make them happy too and they can celebrate this
day like everyone else and so they will feel less lonely and feel
integrated into society. I think it would also be a good day to visit
distant relatives and make them happy because of our presence. We
should go to see our grandparents and spend a day with them; it would
inevitably make them happy. To conclude, I think that the majority of
people would be happy if they could pass this beautiful celebration
with people who are sad or depressed.
Jonathan:
I think all the people in the world have to celebrate this day
because it is a great day. Without happiness we can’t live
correctly and it will affect the people around us. We should
celebrate it with the people who we feel good with, like friends or
family, whoever,
as long as we have a great and beautiful day all together.
Charlotte:
Everybody should do something that they do not usually do like
listening to music all day long, have lunch or a party with their
friends and do something that makes them happy.
Emma:
We should organize a street parade, singing and playing musical
instruments, just like the carnival in Rio de Janeiro! People would
watch and enjoy the show.
Manon:
I will celebrate International Day of Happiness, because, usually,
I’m a happy girl so, for me, happiness is very important, and all
people deserve to be happy, no matter their country or standard of
living. To celebrate this great day, I will put on a lot of music, I
will invite friends and family to spend time together, to have a
laugh, to play games, etc… As we are a small family, it is
therefore possible to invite everyone to enjoy it. And, for other
people, I will encourage them to take advantage of the day to go for
a walk, enjoy Nature, and do simple things. And if you want, you can
help people in need, because helping people shows that it makes you
happier than just looking after yourself. So, for me, simple things
and spending time on ourselves and also for other people around the
world, are the key to happiness!
Paula:
I think that next year we all should celebrate International Day of
Happiness because it’s an important day I think. We can see people
we don’t see usually, or do activities with them we don’t do
normally. I think it’s a day of sharing. On this day, I will invite
some friends, see my family and do a lot of activities together like
sport, games, dance or just simple things like talk together or walk
together and enjoy the moment. For me, this day can bring people
together in a good mood, and can also bring new friendships as we get
to know each other. It’s a day of sharing, maybe showing our
passions or showing what we do to make us happy, and it could make
other people happy too. For me, this day, we should not think too
much and just be happy together and live our life the best possible
way because we only have one!
Gabriel:
To celebrate the International Day of Happiness next year I think
everyone can do what they want to do because we don’t all have the
same definition of happiness. For example, I would like to do a
free-fall flight because it makes me happy but I think it's
complicated to realize that at school. So, for me, we should all
choose an activity that makes us happy (and which is doable) and show
it to others.
Emile:
Next year, to celebrate the International Day of Happiness we must do
something we do not ordinarily do on a week day, such as hanging out
with friends and such (i.e. no school!). I mean, we should do
something which can make us happy like watching a film or just have a
discussion or crack a few jokes. I think that this day must be
special because it is the International Day of Happiness so we must
be happy!
Malaurie:
To celebrate International Day of Happiness, we can do many things. I
think it is a day when everybody should feel happy one way or
another. Firstly, we can learn something new, increase our knowledge,
and discover a new hobby perhaps. Yes, we should take time to reflect
about the real things which interest us and which contribute to our
well-being. There are plenty of ways you can discover technology and
the Internet, but there’s also other things that might bring you
joy through learning about them. Go out and research a topic you’ve
always been interested in! You may even want to act on the new things
you’ve learned! We can also just relax. Make sure to take some time
out for yourself, and do the things you love. Read a book for
pleasure, go for a walk, take a bubble bath; anything that makes you
happy, go for it! Try not to stress about the things in life that are
weighing you down, at least for one day, just let go! You can also
become a volunteer for a cause you believe in. There are many great
causes out there that you can volunteer for, and it’s important to
make a difference in the world. You can share your knowledge. All
volunteering is helpful, and it will bring you happiness to help
others. We can do something meaningful for others. A simple kind
gesture can go a long way, and can be much more meaningful to the
person you’re helping than you could possibly know. One great way
to do this is to teach a friend or family member what you know about
technology, to help them improve their own life with digital
literacy. It feels great to help others, so you, and the person you
help, will feel much happier! Happiness is often in the little
things…
The
answers were given by the members of the "première Section européenne" class at Institution Saint-Pierre in Courpière (France). A BIG THANK YOU TO THEM!
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