Topic: Beyond GDP, Beyond Numbers: Reflections on Bhutan’s Journey Towards GNH
Speaker: Julia Kim
Time: Aug 18, 2021 13:30 Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Link to ZOOM Chat during presentation…
Brief Bio:
Julia Kim is the Program Director of the Gross National Happiness Centre Bhutan, which aims to promote well-being economies based on human flourishing, in balance with nature. She previously worked as a global health & development advisor in Africa & Asia, as well as a Senior Policy Advisor for UNDP and UNICEF in New York. She is a member of the Club of Rome.
Summary
Building on some of the key Wellbeing Economy themes & questions raised by Club of Rome colleagues (David Korten, Mamphela Ramphele, Carlos Alvarez), Julia will share her reflections on Bhutan’s experience of Gross National Happiness. Some areas of exploration will include:
- What do we mean when we speak about “wellbeing” – and what unique opportunities exist to draw on rich expressions of this (e.g. ubuntu, eastern wisdom traditions, indigenous world views) when we begin moving “beyond GDP” and towards a Wellbeing Economy?
- What can we learn from Bhutan’s experience – and how this is now being interpreted and adapted in other countries and contexts?
- GNH articulates an approach that balances both inner transformation (values, mindsets, narratives) and outer transformation (new metrics, policy, systems change). Why is this seen as important, and what capacities and approaches can be cultivated to support the transition to a Wellbeing Economy?
This will be an interactive session, drawing on the rich and varied experiences of our group. Julia will be joined by her colleague Charles Holmes, who has kindly agreed to bring his facilitation skills to support this session.
You are invited to view the following resources if interested:
1) “Putting Happiness and Wellbeing at the Centre of Development: Bhutan” (attached PDF) from: Well-Being: Expanding the Definition of Progress, published by Oxford University Press 2021. To request a free copy of the book, go to: RWJF Wellbeing Book
2) The Global Wellbeing Lab – Transforming Economy & Society (13 min video) – A Leadership & Innovation Lab convened by the GNH Centre (Bhutan), Presencing Institute (Cambridge MA, USA), and the Global Leadership Academy (GIZ, Germany).
3) A recent Washington Post article describing Bhutan’s remarkable response to COVID 19, and how this may reflect aspects of deep resilience supported by GNH.
Administration:
– The CACOR Sponsor is Ted Manning
– Please invite friends and colleagues.
– One brief question at a time please. Others are waiting.
– DO NOT post these Zoom credentials on social media.
– Suggestions for future speakers are solicited. October 13th and other subsequent Wednesdays are available
Planned CoR Canada Zoom meetings:
| 18-Aug-21 | Julia Kim | Beyond GDP, Beyond Numbers: Lessons from Bhutan’s journey towards Gross National Happiness |
| 25-Aug-21 | Dr. Yannick Beaudoin | The WEAll Can Journey: Re-imagining the purpose of an economy |
| 1-Sep-21 | TBD | CACOR Pathways findings |
| 8-Sep-21 | Els Vanbeckevoort | The global water emergency: go digital or go dark |
| 15-Sep-21 | Sarah Dougherty | The importance of interdisciplinary planning and execution of remediation projects for contaminated sites. |
| 22-Sep-21 | Mike Nickerson | Living on Earth as if We Want to Stay |
| 29-Sep-21 | Gordon Kubanek | eLearning: friend or foe? |
| 6-Oct-21 | Carmen Hurst | We are surrounded by trauma, so let’s learn to deal with it. |
| 13-Oct-21 | ||
| 20-Oct-21 | Ian Burton | How to Deal with the Adaptation Deficit |
| 27-Oct-21 | Ralph Torrie & Brendan Haley | Mission retrofit: Buildings for the Post Petroleum World |
| 3-Nov-21 | ||
| 10-Nov-21 | ||
| 17-Nov-21 | ||
| 24-Nov-21 | John McClintock | The missing pieces of the climate jigsaw puzzle’ |
| 1-Dec-21 | Dr. William Rees | TBD |
| 8-Dec-21 | Paul Beckwith | COP 26 results from a participant’s perspective |
| 15-Dec-21 | Dr. Paul Keddy | Plant Ecology |
| 22-Dec-21 | closed | Christmas break |
| 29-Dec-21 | closed | New Year’s break |
| 5-Jan-22 | Cathy Keddy | Keddy Nature Sanctuary |
| 12-Jan-22 |
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