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More than 80 participants from across the globe converged
to discuss the depth and profundity of the concept
of Gross National Happiness. GNH
combines spirituality with secular science of technology
and that the global community should protect and enhance
it. GNH was first pronounced the King of Bhutan
in 1972, yet only in the last two decades
was the concept formally incorporated as a guiding
principle in development policies and plans,"
said the president of the Centre for Bhutan Studies
and prime minister Lyonpo Jigmi Y Thinley. "While
conventional development models stress economic growth
as the ultimate objective, the concept of GNH is based
on the premise that true development of human society
takes place when material and spiritual development
occur side by side to complement and reinforce each
other," he said.
Four pillars of GNH are the
1. Promotion of equitable and sustainable socio-economic
development
2. Preservation and promotion of cultural values
3. Conservation of the natural environment
4. Establishment of good governance
A paper by Dr Prabhat Pankaj and Tshering Dorji,
lecturers at Sherubtse college in Kanglung presented
their findings of the field survey of 612 individuals
which used econometric technique to measure happiness.
"Our study found out that the rural people are
slightly happier than the urban ones and that cultural
participation and identity have emerged as the strongest
variable influencing happiness both in rural and urban
areas," said Dr Pankaj. "We also found that
religious people tend to happier."
His Highness the Crown Prince Dasho Khesar Namgyal
Wangchuck, who graced the closing of the seminar,
said that even if the philosophy of GNH is inherently
Bhutanese, its ideas may have a positive relevance
to any nation, community or peoples. "I feel
that there must be some convergence among nations
on the idea of what the primary objective of development
and progress should be - something that GNH seeks
to bring about," he said. "There cannot
be enduring peace, prosperity, equality and brotherhood
in this world if our aims are so separate and divergent
especially as the world shrinks to a global village.
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