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Join our newsletter for updates about The Happiness Initiative.
You can learn more about our project from our own publications and those written about us: News and magazine articles and Radio Interviews and Videos. If you have an article or blog post you have published about the Happiness Initiative, please email info@happycounts.org so we can add it!
Earth Day Newsletter 2012
Happy Earth Day Dear Friends,
Twenty days ago today we were at the United Nation’s headquarters launching a global happiness and well-being movement. What is the connection between happiness and Earth day? It’s the reason for the movement – and it’s all about a new economic paradigm.
The Prime Minister of Bhutan, Jigmi Thinley, who opened the meeting at the UN alongside the Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, President Laura Chinchilla of Costa Rica and many others, stated it best: “Mankind is like a meteor, blazing toward self-immolation along with all other life forms.” In his talk, he blew apart the notion that the planet will be just fine without us, and pointed to the damage that would last longer than the human race if we do not change our system, and specifically, our economic system. Here is what he said:
“The time has come for global action to build a new world economic system that is no longer based on the illusion that limitless growth is possible on our precious and finite planet or that endless material gain promotes well-being. Instead, it will be a system that promotes harmony and respect for nature and for each other;that respects our ancient wisdom traditions and protects our most vulnerable people as our own family, and that gives us time to live and enjoy our lives and to appreciate rather than destroy our world. It will be an economic system, in short, that is fully sustainable and that is rooted in true, abiding well-being and happiness.”
As you know, Bhutan is the nation that gave us Gross National happiness, and while other nations are taking steps to transform their economic systems from purely money-focued to grounded in well-being, The Happiness Initiative is the only effort in the United States bringing anyone a scalable way to transform our economy.
We are part of the civil society working group and gathering resources to continue this important movement. You will be receiving more information soon! And today, we are asking you to show your support to the Happiness Initiative by donating $10 and asking your friends to do the same for our first ever fundraising drive or supporting us in this work outside the current economic paradigm. If you have ideas, please let us know (info@happycounts.org).
Let’s not forget that the United States also has the biggest rich-poor gap of all developed nations, and its getting worse. Its clear the current system is not working. We are also the nation that started the Occupy movement and continue to be a world leader in so many ways. Let’s make that count for something good.
Let’s be a world leader in transforming the most damaging system we have to one that is compassionate and caring;to a gift-economy, to a new economic paradigm. The happiness initiative is a tool to make this happen. More than 20,000 people have already taken the happiness index survey, and more than 30 cities, campuses and citizen groups are conducing happiness initiatives. You can too.
We are asking you for $10 to show your support for this project and the happiness movement. With over 20,000 people taking the survey, we need 1000 people to give $10 each to reach our goal of $10,000. Please donate today and send your friends an email telling them that you support this work, and think it is worthy of $10 from them. OR let us know how you can support our work outside the current economic paradigm.
We need your gift to develop an instrument for youth and for companies, both have told us they want this. We need your gift to increase our on-line capacity so our server does not shut down. We need your support to do this very important and timely work.
Thank you,
Laura Musikanski Executive Director laura@happycounts.org and Sekai Senwosret Resources Director sekai@happycounts.org
March Newsletter 2012
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March Newsletter 2012
Feb. 14, 2012 Happiness Initiative Newsletter
Be our Valentine today! The Happiness Initiative is collecting your stories about your own happiness and experience using the happiness initiaitve survey. Adam, Andrew and Tim’s stories are already online. All you have to do is take the survey, then make a short (one or two minute) video on your phone, flip-cam or laptop, then send it to us or load it onto you tube or another platform and send us the link – toinfo@happycounts.org. And you will be our valentine!
The Happiness Initiative is a new standard metric that replaces GDP (for government), profit (for business) and wealth (for individuals) with a measure for subjective and objective well-being. Imagine a world where the front page news is all about our nation’s happiness, where business cared for communities and employees as much as profit, and where we all valued our own personal happiness – and that of others – as much as personal wealth.
Help us get spread the word by sending us your ideas, thoughts and words so we can tell the world!
Happy Valentines day!
Laura Musikanski
Executive Director
The Happiness Initiative
