Educating for GNH

8/4/2019 Educating for GNH

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Educating for GNH:

GNH ORIGIN

Gross National Happiness, as the guiding philosophy of Bhutan’s development process, waspronounced by His Majesty King Jigme Singye Wangchuck, soon after his enthronement in 1972. Overthe decades, many conferences and discourses have led to increasing elaboration and development of this concept as well as its practice. Our King was clear that happiness is the ultimate end desired, butnot necessarily pursued by every Bhutanese and indeed, every human being. All else for which welabour are but means to fulfilling this wish. Yet it is ironic that human society is pervasively susceptibleto confusion between this simple end and the complexity of means. This explains why conventionaldevelopment or economic growth paradigm is seriously flawed and delusional.

It is heartening to observe that toward the end of the last century and at the beginning of thismillennium, the reflective and the analytical across all sections of society are seeing the need tosearch for a clearer purpose and a more rational approach to development. There is a growing level of dissatisfaction with the way in which human society is being propelled without a clear and meaningfuldirection by the force of its own actions. It is also noteworthy that, there is a general consensus thatconventional development process and contemporary way of life are not sustainable.

We see GNH as offering a more rational and human approach to development:

• First, GNH stands for the holistic needs of the human individual - both physical and mental wellbeing. It reasons that while material development measures contribute, undeniably, to enhancingphysical well-being, the state of mind which is perhaps, more important than the body, is notconditioned by material circumstances alone.

• Second, which is a corollary to the first point, is that GNH seeks to promote a conscious, inner

search for happiness and requisite skills which must harmonize with beneficial management anddevelopment of outer circumstances.

• Third, GNH recognises that happiness should not be approached or viewed as yet another

competitive good to be realised by the individual. It supports the notion that happiness pursued andrealised within the context of the greater good of society offers the best possibility for the sustainedhappiness of the individual. Further, while acknowledging that happiness may not be a directlydeliverable good or service, it insists that it is far too important to be left as a purely individualresponsibility without the state having a direct role. It may be emphasized that the society as a wholecannot obtain happiness if individuals compete irresponsibly for it, at all cost, in a zero-sum game. Itis His Majesty’s belief that the legitimacy of a government must be established on the basis of itscommitment to creating and facilitating the development of those conditions that will make viable theendeavours of citizens in the pursuit of their single most important goal and purpose in life. To thisend, GNH stresses collective happiness to be addressed directly through public policies in whichhappiness becomes an explicit criterion in development projects and programmes.

• Fourth, as happiness is the most common yearning of the electorate both individually andcollectively and as it transcends ideological or contentious values, public policies based on GNH will be

far less arbitrary than those based on standard economic tools.

Socio-cultural pre-disposition towards GNH

Traditional policy in Bhutan, drawing much on the Buddhist culture, was always guided towards GNH.A Buddhist equivalent of a ‘Social Contract’ declared in Bhutan in 1675 states that happiness of allsentient beings and the teachings of the Buddha are mutually dependent. The legal code of 1729further requires that laws must promote happiness of sentient beings. As it is popularly known, muchabout what we may call Buddhist science of the mind is about managing feelings and emotions. Thus,a great deal of cultural knowledge and education in traditional society was aimed at conditioning the



mind to give or cause happiness to all beings. Enlightening the inner self or human nature became afar greater task than taming nature and manipulating the world for personal or even national gain.

This helps explain why the Bhutanese should, in general, have a pre-disposition towards a moreholistic, unconventional approach to development which recognizes happiness as the primary andperhaps, only purpose of development.

International Context In general, models for both developed as well as developing countries do not explicitly includehappiness as a development end, and contemporary measures of progress do not usually addresshappiness. It is assumed to be the collateral result of social and economic policies. This is not tosuggest that we should reject altogether current approaches and their indices. In fact, the purposes of Human Development, Sustainable Development and Millennium Development Goals are noble andsupported by fairly well developed indicators. Likewise, the Genuine Progress Index pioneered here inNova Scotia is a noteworthy measure of true human advancement. Equally, there are otherinstitutions and individuals, both in North America and Europe, who are doing similar work. However,we should be open to the possibility that varying methodologies and resultant outcomes could bedifferent from the goals of GNH.

What GNH calls for is a holistic, comprehensive approach to development. It calls for proactive public

policy and programme intervention and commitment of necessary resources. But we could agree thatthese diverse efforts and coalescence of interests can and must contribute to the promotion of happiness as a serious state responsibility, and that it must not be rejected conveniently as utopian orideological

It is a matter of some satisfaction to note that the media, academia, development experts and socialengineers alike have shown growing interest in the subject of happiness in recent years. Thedesirability and feasibility of happiness as an essential goal and purpose of society have beenbolstered by empirical findings of and an upsurge in research. Surely, these are a reflection of therising popular concerns and interests of society - that society is not content with our unsustainable,unfulfilling and unhappy way of life amid ominous signs of our collective future. This should helpengender further understanding, knowledge and wisdom, through such worthy activities as the one in

which we are presently engaged. I am certain that public interest and concern in the subject is not apassing trend and that public acceptance of the powerful and compelling reasons will serve to impeldeeper research and policy intervention.

1. A good reason to begin with, as corroborated by unquestionable data, is that the manifold rise inreal income in several highly industrialized countries over the last 50 years has not led to similarincreases in happiness. It is evident that triumphs in the rat race to earn more, have more andconsume more do not bring true and lasting happiness. The rich, the powerful and the glamorous, itappears, are often the ones who are more impoverished spiritually and socially and thereby are lesshappy. While there is certainly considerable room for improvement to what and how we measure bothwealth and happiness, the lack of any correlationship between the two, after meeting basic needs,clearly indicates that happiness cannot be found on the unending, rudderless journey powered byman’s insatiable greed.

2. This brings me to the second reason - the illusion of market-led happiness. The market demands

greater efficiency and higher productivity. It demands ruthless competition, maximization of profit andemploys enticement as the means. But these are the very causes that serve to dehumanise societyand undermine the factors that create happiness. As has been well documented, demanding andgrinding work life that is necessary for efficiency and productivity is difficult to be balanced withleisure and social life that give us satisfaction. Moreover, mobility and job-changes imposed by themarket are inconsistent with the vital need for sustained community life just as emotional security isdiminished by market economics. And it bears repeating that, edging out the weak, making profit themain motive for industry and capitalizing on the baser instincts of envy and greed are not theingredients for a harmonious society



3. Related to mobility and locational changes as dictated by our professional lives is our attempt, atthe same time, to stay connected through better virtual and real communication. Yet the third concernsprings from the reality that people are living ever more apart despite being ever so connected. Weonly have to remind ourselves of the near complete disintegration of the extended family structure ornetwork in the urban and industrialized societies, higher rates of divorce, single parenting, the erosionof trust and loss of genuine friendship that are known to be factors in unhappiness. If upbringing bysingle parents is an increasing aspect of modern life, aging alone is also a rising prospect. It is ironic

that longer life spans afforded by science and medicine should serve to prolong the pains of lonelinessand desolation

4. The fourth reason is to be found in the rise in mental illness, alcoholism and related crime across all

categories of age. Then there is suicide which is a clear sign of the absence of emotional andpsychological anchors in society. It is symptomatic of the failure to see any purpose in life and the lossof hope for happiness. Depression rates too seem to be substantial in many societies and the latestAmerican statistics in this regard are alarmingly most revealing

My list is, of course, not exhaustive. These simply represent some of the more popular concerns thatthe academia and media have brought into sharper focus. Given the socio-cultural impulses fromwithin and evidences from without, it was with no little consideration or conviction that we in Bhutanopted for a development process that some say offers a new paradigm.

Policy Response in Bhutan: Four Pillars of GNHGNH is a broader concept and more profound in its implication than conveyed by the current set of policy-bundle priorities as represented by the metaphor of pillars in Bhutan. Within Bhutan, the fourpriority areas of GNH are perceived as a normatively defined means towards promoting GNH, and thatis to create the conditions that would enable every citizen to pursue happiness with a reasonablechance of success. We do appreciate that these may not necessarily find universal application.Further, I must admit that the idea of measuring happiness was dismissed with the remark “look atthe faces of the people and see it in the breadth of their smile”. Rather, we focused on the broadpolicy priorities that were assumed to be macro-conditions of collective happiness.

What is clear to us is that in a state bearing responsibility for collective happiness, GNH must be a

serious arbitrator of public policies. And GNH as a programme for social and economic change toremove obstacles to happiness must focus on the content and nature of public policies. If promotion of happiness is the primary purpose of a GNH state, then it is essential that the institutionalarrangements of a society reflect this value. Yet it is very challenging to even contemplate what aGNH state should be like. The nature and theoretical foundations of a modern developing or libertariandemocratic state are well-known. But the structures and processes of a GNH state are yet to bedefined clearly. If at all this needs to be done, should it be distinct from either the ascendant liberalstate or declining socialist state. What will be the nature of GNH political economy? What will beappropriate social welfare, legal and constitutional foundations for GNH? What will be its educationaland health policies? How would the polity have to change? And so forth.

There are many questions that require examination beginning with the basic principles. I am in noposition to even suggest at this moment that Bhutan is a GNH state though it aspires to be so.Through conferences like these and researches on happiness, we hope to find lessons and learn whilecontinuing to craft public policies consistent with GNH.

At this stage in Bhutan, and as I have just mentioned, the creation of an enabling environment forGNH is being undertaken through a set of four key strategies popularly known as the four pillars.These are:

1. Sustainable and equitable socio-economic development

2. Conservation of environment3. Preservation and promotion of culture and4. Promotion of good governance.



These thematic areas may very well be an incomplete catalogue of policy areas for good development,but they do encompass the important areas of concentration to serve the intended purpose. Inbuilding and strengthening the four pillars, we must be mindful of their inter-dependence, as indeed inreality, to ensure holistic development. Only with such a holistic perspective, the externalities whichare eliminated as costs in one sector cannot reappear in another. I would also add that alternativepolicy frameworks for GNH are certainly conceivable. It would be interesting to see what thisconference may produce in this regard.

Sustainable and equitable Socio-economic developmentThe necessity for materialistic development is obvious from the scale of economic suffering faced bythe majority of global population. Ignorance, ill health, deprivation and poverty in their most abject

forms are still serious challenges faced by much of the developing world. Economic growth is of absolute necessity to eradicate poverty. It is, therefore, true to say that for many countries and forvast sections of our global community for whom physical survival is an every day challenge, economicpolicies are what matters most. Securing jobs and livelihood are prerequisites of happiness. For themeconomic policies are happiness policies, but not otherwise. In general, there appear to be threeconsiderations that must guide GNH driven economic development.

1. First, in a GNH economy, the means and nature of economic activities chosen are as important astheir result in terms of economic growth. As research by Genuine Progress Index have shown, a GNH

economy must make qualitative distinctions in the mix of economic activities for the same level of growth and size of economy.

2. Second, the measurement system for a GNH economy must necessarily be different fromconventional measurement of GDP. It must value social and economic contributions of households andfamilies, free time and leisure given the roles of these factors in happiness. The indicators must not bebiased towards consumption. It must take into account conservation of social, environmental andhuman capitals.

3. Third, a GNH economy must concentrate on redistribution of happiness through incomeredistribution far more seriously. This is not only an ethical proposition but rather because we cannotescape from the reality of living in a world of distorted perceptions where people derive satisfaction

from relative, and not absolute wealth or consumption. The self-defeating, vicious spiral of catching upwith or bettering the Jones’s amid unconscionable inequality is a hindrance to collective happiness.Yet, orientation of our perceptions towards actual and absolute needs and the ability to findsatisfaction upon having fulfilled such needs is in itself a near impossible but inevitable challenge for aGNH economy.

Conservation of Environment Moving on to environment, it would seem from happiness researches that environment andbiodiversity are not strong correlates of happiness. This is partly because apparently, no one hasattempted to seriously measure happiness against environmental variables. Nevertheless, it is difficultto argue against the value of environment in everyday life and hence our happiness, given that ourhealth and aesthetic experiences depend on the quality of physical environment around us. This isparticularly true for the Bhutanese who live in an extremely fragile environment. Among farmingcommunities, such as majority of Bhutanese, living not only close to, but in nature, livelihood dependsdirectly on richness of their immediate natural environment which bestows on them free, wholesome

foods, medicines, pleasure and a host of essential materials. I contend that even the development of our finer senses depend on our regular, if not daily, access to natural environment. Thus, I wouldargue that there is a demonstrable relationship between happiness and natural environment.

Given our intuition about environment and happiness, and our fear of the immediate consequences of tampering with the wrathful nature of the Himalayan ecology, Bhutan launched vigorous greening andbiodiversity preservation policies, the implementation of which have not been without costs in terms of foregone industrial and commercial opportunities. But our country is greener than it has been in livingmemory, with 26% of it dedicated as wild life sanctuaries and 72% forest coverage.





I also find the emphasis on rule of law to regulate human interrelationships intriguing. There is aparadox in preaching against conformity and promoting rule of law at the same time. Excessiveemphasis on the rule of law to the extent of regulating most forms of human relationships and conductby the state at the cost of social and customary norms and practices is, in my opinion, state coercionto conform. It undermines the virtue and the indispensability of social and voluntary responsibilityarising from respect for and belief in society and its values. I have often wondered whetherdiminishing community life along with its imperatives is the result of our voluminous laws. It seems

sensible, as an example, to strengthen those customs and traditions which require married people tobe good to their spouses and children because they see virtue in it and want to enjoy the happinessthat it generates rather than to be seen doing so because the law requires it with threat of retribution.

Good GovernanceIn one sense, securing any public good, such as collective happiness, depends on realising governanceoriented to it. Logically, if a government should reflect the ultimate democratic desire or opinion of thepeople, which is happiness, then the nature of governance should also be attuned to it. But I mustadmit that both theoretically and practically, we are far from grounding GNH in any contemporarysystem of government and political structures, of which the most well established is liberal democraticsystem.

However, in keeping with times, we in Bhutan are about to formally take up parliamentary democracy.

His Majesty the King, the fountainhead of all positive changes, has recently circulated the DraftConstitution of the Kingdom of Bhutan that opts for liberal democratic institutions. We have takensuch a system as the best conceivable institutional arrangement for securing any public good andgood governance. But we should not betray ourselves with the belief that liberal democratic system isthe climactic manifestation in a linear and convergent evolution of political institutions, as somescholars have supposed.

Distinguished participants, you are well aware that even in the best of the great democratic societies,the signal values of democracies like freedom and equality that man has struggled to attain seem setat one moment but unsteady at another. We are well aware of the tension between freedom andequality and the shifting boundary between them. Likewise, we are reminded time and again, of thevacillating lines between the private and public domains, and between secularism and politics.

All human institutions are systems of relationships between and among actors; in themselves theyhave no inherent nature. We can always attempt to move in a direction of improving our sharedsituations or ‘relationalities’, which are where happiness arises and dissolves, depending on the qualityof relationships. In so doing, we can improve any institutional arrangement and human conditions. Forexample, even alleviating poverty - a primary objective of most governments and internationalagencies - is only partly a matter of alleviating objective material circumstances. As I understand,poverty results from failure of relationships which can be revived or strengthened by better values andintentions in the heart of institutions.

What seems to demand attention even among democratic states is the question about motivationalvalues that drive the institutions holding power, instead of their forms alone. We need to ask whethervalues and intentions that guide them and the processes employed for governance, both at thenational and international levels, are aligned with search for happiness, where every person’shappiness matters to equal degree. The fact that national governance and international relations are

so intertwined as never before, as national governance is rarely independent of the internationalcontext in a globalized world, also presents opportunities. It provides scope and reason to ponderquestion and rethink the aims, content and nature of international relations and global institutions. Wemust ask and consider as to whether focusing on happiness can lead us to a more peaceful,harmonious and equitable world and truly sustainable and civilized human society.

Conclusion

To sum up, GNH is a balanced and holistic approach to development. It is based on the conviction thatman is bound by nature to search for happiness, and that it is the single most desire of every citizen.The only difference between Bhutan and others is that we do not dismiss it as a utopian quest.



Bhutan hopes to learn from the ongoing discourse on the subject. We are deeply encouraged by thegrowing number of articles and books that have begun appearing on the subject since our firstinternational conference on GNH in Thimphu. Likewise, we have had the pleasure of welcoming manyresearch scholars and prominent journalists to Bhutan. Evidently, there is growing interest in how tobe happy as opposed to how to make money. Dollars and cents are not the bottom line in life. It is ourhope that as more thought is given to this common quest in life, there will be more ideas and reasonswhy GNH should guide human development to further human civilization.

NEED FOR GNH INDEX:Across the world, indicators focus largely on market transactions, covering trade, monetary exchangerates, stockmarket, growth, etc. These dominant, conventional indicators, generally related to GrossDomestic Product (GDP) reflect quantity of physical output of a society. GDP, along with a host of supporting indicators, is the most widely used indicator. Yet GDP is heavily biased towards increasedproduction and consumption, regardless of the necessity or desirability of such outputs, at theexpense of other more holistic criterion. It is biased against conservation since it does not registerconservation or stocks.

Indicators determine policies. The almost universaluse of GDP-based indicators to measure progresshas helped justify policies around the world that

are based on rapid material progress at theexpense of environmental preservation, cultures,and community cohesion.

Indicators embody values. In general, policymakers tend to implement policies or programmesbased on current international development trends,without taking into consideration the values that liebehind such trends. One way to overcome this

tendency is by recognizing the fact that betweenvalues and policy implementation stand indicators.Values, policies and programmes are mediated byindicators.

Indicators capture the imagination and helpconvince lay people about the direction of thecountrys goals and development objectives, but itis not always easy for the people to discern thatindicators are not value neutral, and that valuesand principles underlie and determine programmesand policies.

Indicators actually drive society in certain directions and even determine the policy agendas of governments. Not only decision makers, but ordinary citizens, tend to take social or economicprogrammes at face-value, and accept proposed policy implementation without examining the ultimatevalues underlying those programmes. But indicators can help bridge that gap.

As many contemporary indicators of progress and development do not reflect GNH adequately, theRoyal Government of Bhutan directed the Centre for Bhutan Studies (CBS) to develop GNH index,

which will provide appropriate indicators for Bhutanese development.

The Centre for Bhutan Studies constructed a single number index for Gross National Happiness thatcan be broken down into individual component indicators that are useful for different sectors forplanning and technical purposes at the ministerial and departmental levels.

Although GNH is a complex concept and ideal, for practical application, GNH philosophy had to betranslated into a metric system. The government expressed the need for GNH indicators becausewithout some kind of measurement system, GNH cannot guide practical policies and programmes.



Left at the level of inspirational discourse, imprecision will allow many conventional indicators to playunwitting roles in a GNH society.

GNH indicators are also needed to foster vision anda sense of common purpose. Left at the plane of vision, GNH cannot specify the practicalprogrammes and resources needed to attain those

visions in quantitative terms. In this respect,screening tools for projects and policies developedby the Centre for Bhutan are expected to used forselection of policies and programmes, which arealigned with GNH. People clarify their vision byspecifying targets and indicators that serve to pointto areas of weakness and strength. Indicators serveas convenient instruments and yardsticks of evaluation over time.

GNH indicators can become tools of accountability. The sense of common purpose embodied in a

coherent set of indicators enables ordinary men and women to more readily judge, hold accountabletheir leaders, by checking whether these the targets are being fulfilled. Without a common vision

concretized through indicators, each individual merely looks to his or her own ends, even though

welfare is a shared pursuit. Not only do GNH indicators assist in building vision, they are instrumental

to that vision being held in common by all citizens, building a notion of greater interdependence across

time and over space.

Once people are familiar with GNH indicators, they can have a practical effect on consumer and

citizens behaviour. The behaviour changing function can emerge in significant ways when there are

appropriate indicators that direct attention towards both the causes of problems and the manner in

which behaviour and decisions can prevent and solve those problems. This potential behaviour

changing function of GNH indicators can be valuable. For example, certain indicators for GNH gauge

the prevalence rates of negative and positive emotions, from compassion to anger. The level of trust,volunteerism and safety can also be tracked. Information on their prevalence rates will influence

peoples behaviour as they begin to gauge their own traits against the national trends.

To qualify as a valid indicator of GNH, an indicator with respect to any variable has to have either a

positive or a negative influence on well-being and happiness. The direction of causality on happiness

and well-being must be clear. For examples, less crime, illness, and air pollution have a more positive

influence on happiness than more crime, illness, and pollution.

GNH indicators include both objective and subjective dimensions of life. The construction of an index

should give equal weight to both the functional aspects of human society as well as the emotive side

of human experience. To give just one example, peoples perceptions of their own safety and security

are as important in determining happiness as objective crime statistics. That balance allows goodrepresentation of information between the objective and the subjective.

When measuring objective conditions such as educational and medical facilities, or room ratios etc.,

measure of the psychological or subjective experience that accompanies this condition is important.

For example, a student attends a school that scores highly in the conventional educational statistics,

but he/she subjectively views the educational experience as entirely deficientthe teachers might be

oppressive, or the classroom tense. In other words, the process of obtaining the education, including

the classroom experience, does not promote a sense of well-being in the student, despite the schools



apparent high objective performance. Self reporting of experiences along with objective statistics

therefore provides a more accurate picture of well-being than the objective statistics alone.

As indicators reflect values, and shape programmes, they become a vital link in providing feed-back

on the effectiveness of existing policies and programmes and feed-forward into programme

implementation, thereby allowing the values they embody to be infused into policies and programmes

in a broad based manner. Thus, in the case of using GNH indicators as evaluative tools, they can beused not only to check whether programmes are consistent with GNH indicators but also to create

conditions for a coherent, organic relationship between professed values on the one hand and actual

policies, programmes and projects on the other. The ramification of pursuing such an organic

relationship should be recognized for the polity of Bhutan as a whole: if it is done successfully, it

means that the countrys economic, political, social, environmental, cultural and technological

environments will be penetrated by GNH values, and that there will be a natural coherence to the

countrys policies that reflect its cherished values.

At the same time, from a Bhutanese cultural perspective, it must be understood that the subjective

versus objective distinction is merely a heuristic device that does not in any fundamental sense

represent what is basic to the nature of reality. The interdependence of all things, and the non-

abiding self of everything, is a key concept. The conventional subjective versus objective division is anabstraction from what is actually inter-relational. For GNH indicators, this cultural concept means that

seeing everything as relational is more useful than seeing them as separate categories. In fact,

happiness itself dwells in the experience of quality of relationship. Thus, the various domains are not

simply separate conditions of happiness in and of themselves. Rather, it is the intimate inter-

relationship among these domains that is significant.

The GNH index construction aimed at a deeper representation of well-being than conventional

indicators. The distinction between subjective and objective is but an abstraction from reality, given

that from a Buddhist view, they do not exist. What exists in a fundamental way is relationality (as

opposed to subject and object) at all levels, which can only be assessed by a broad range of social,

economic, cultural, and environmental indicators. Seen in this way, happiness and well-being is

ultimately a way of being that is affected by and affects relational quality, which changes in meaningover time with deepening sensitivities to the world around us and with our understanding of what is

important or valuable for us and for all sentient beings.

NEED FOR GNH INDEX:

Across the world, indicators focus largely on market transactions, covering trade, monetary exchangerates, stockmarket, growth, etc. These dominant, conventional indicators, generally related to GrossDomestic Product (GDP) reflect quantity of physical output of a society. GDP, along with a host of supporting indicators, is the most widely used indicator. Yet GDP is heavily biased towards increasedproduction and consumption, regardless of the necessity or desirability of such outputs, at theexpense of other more holistic criterion. It is biased against conservation since it does not registerconservation or stocks.



Indicators determine policies. The almost universaluse of GDP-based indicators to measure progresshas helped justify policies around the world thatare based on rapid material progress at theexpense of environmental preservation, cultures,and community cohesion.

Indicators embody values. In general, policymakers tend to implement policies or programmesbased on current international development trends,without taking into consideration the values that liebehind such trends. One way to overcome thistendency is by recognizing the fact that betweenvalues and policy implementation stand indicators.Values, policies and programmes are mediated byindicators.

Indicators capture the imagination and helpconvince lay people about the direction of thecountrys goals and development objectives, but itis not always easy for the people to discern that

indicators are not value neutral, and that valuesand principles underlie and determine programmesand policies.

Indicators actually drive society in certain directions and even determine the policy agendas of governments. Not only decision makers, but ordinary citizens, tend to take social or economic

programmes at face-value, and accept proposed policy implementation without examining the ultimatevalues underlying those programmes. But indicators can help bridge that gap.

As many contemporary indicators of progress and development do not reflect GNH adequately, theRoyal Government of Bhutan directed the Centre for Bhutan Studies (CBS) to develop GNH index,which will provide appropriate indicators for Bhutanese development.

The Centre for Bhutan Studies constructed a single number index for Gross National Happiness thatcan be broken down into individual component indicators that are useful for different sectors forplanning and technical purposes at the ministerial and departmental levels.

Although GNH is a complex concept and ideal, for practical application, GNH philosophy had to betranslated into a metric system. The government expressed the need for GNH indicators becausewithout some kind of measurement system, GNH cannot guide practical policies and programmes.Left at the level of inspirational discourse, imprecision will allow many conventional indicators to playunwitting roles in a GNH society.

GNH indicators are also needed to foster vision anda sense of common purpose. Left at the plane of vision, GNH cannot specify the practicalprogrammes and resources needed to attain thosevisions in quantitative terms. In this respect,

screening tools for projects and policies developedby the Centre for Bhutan are expected to used forselection of policies and programmes, which arealigned with GNH. People clarify their vision byspecifying targets and indicators that serve to pointto areas of weakness and strength. Indicators serveas convenient instruments and yardsticks of evaluation over time.



GNH indicators can become tools of accountability. The sense of common purpose embodied in a

coherent set of indicators enables ordinary men and women to more readily judge, hold accountable

their leaders, by checking whether these the targets are being fulfilled. Without a common vision

concretized through indicators, each individual merely looks to his or her own ends, even though

welfare is a shared pursuit. Not only do GNH indicators assist in building vision, they are instrumental

to that vision being held in common by all citizens, building a notion of greater interdependence acrosstime and over space.

Once people are familiar with GNH indicators, they can have a practical effect on consumer and

citizens behaviour. The behaviour changing function can emerge in significant ways when there are

appropriate indicators that direct attention towards both the causes of problems and the manner in

which behaviour and decisions can prevent and solve those problems. This potential behaviour

changing function of GNH indicators can be valuable. For example, certain indicators for GNH gauge

the prevalence rates of negative and positive emotions, from compassion to anger. The level of trust,

volunteerism and safety can also be tracked. Information on their prevalence rates will influence

peoples behaviour as they begin to gauge their own traits against the national trends.

To qualify as a valid indicator of GNH, an indicator with respect to any variable has to have either a

positive or a negative influence on well-being and happiness. The direction of causality on happinessand well-being must be clear. For examples, less crime, illness, and air pollution have a more positive

influence on happiness than more crime, illness, and pollution.

GNH indicators include both objective and subjective dimensions of life. The construction of an index

should give equal weight to both the functional aspects of human society as well as the emotive side

of human experience. To give just one example, peoples perceptions of their own safety and security

are as important in determining happiness as objective crime statistics. That balance allows good

representation of information between the objective and the subjective.

When measuring objective conditions such as educational and medical facilities, or room ratios etc.,

measure of the psychological or subjective experience that accompanies this condition is important.

For example, a student attends a school that scores highly in the conventional educational statistics,

but he/she subjectively views the educational experience as entirely deficientthe teachers might be

oppressive, or the classroom tense. In other words, the process of obtaining the education, including

the classroom experience, does not promote a sense of well-being in the student, despite the schools

apparent high objective performance. Self reporting of experiences along with objective statistics

therefore provides a more accurate picture of well-being than the objective statistics alone.

As indicators reflect values, and shape programmes, they become a vital link in providing feed-back

on the effectiveness of existing policies and programmes and feed-forward into programme

implementation, thereby allowing the values they embody to be infused into policies and programmes

in a broad based manner. Thus, in the case of using GNH indicators as evaluative tools, they can be

used not only to check whether programmes are consistent with GNH indicators but also to create

conditions for a coherent, organic relationship between professed values on the one hand and actual

policies, programmes and projects on the other. The ramification of pursuing such an organicrelationship should be recognized for the polity of Bhutan as a whole: if it is done successfully, it

means that the countrys economic, political, social, environmental, cultural and technological

environments will be penetrated by GNH values, and that there will be a natural coherence to the

countrys policies that reflect its cherished values.

At the same time, from a Bhutanese cultural perspective, it must be understood that the subjective

versus objective distinction is merely a heuristic device that does not in any fundamental sense

represent what is basic to the nature of reality. The interdependence of all things, and the non-

abiding self of everything, is a key concept. The conventional subjective versus objective division is an



abstraction from what is actually inter-relational. For GNH indicators, this cultural concept means that

seeing everything as relational is more useful than seeing them as separate categories. In fact,

happiness itself dwells in the experience of quality of relationship. Thus, the various domains are not

simply separate conditions of happiness in and of themselves. Rather, it is the intimate inter-

relationship among these domains that is significant.

The GNH index construction aimed at a deeper representation of well-being than conventionalindicators. The distinction between subjective and objective is but an abstraction from reality, given

that from a Buddhist view, they do not exist. What exists in a fundamental way is relationality (as

opposed to subject and object) at all levels, which can only be assessed by a broad range of social,

economic, cultural, and environmental indicators. Seen in this way, happiness and well-being is

ultimately a way of being that is affected by and affects relational quality, which changes in meaning

over time with deepening sensitivities to the world around us and with our understanding of what is

important or valuable for us and for all sentient beings.

GNH AS GOAL:

Happiness is a subjectively felt public good. Happiness is a public good, as all human beings value it.

Hence, the government of Bhutan takes the view that it cannot be left exclusively to private individualdevices and strivings. If a governments policy framework, and thus a nations macro-conditions, isadverse to happiness, happiness will fail as a collective goal. Any government concerned withhappiness must create conducive conditions for happiness in which individual strivings can succeed.

In this context, public policies are needed to educate citizensabout collective happiness. People can make wrong choices that

lead them away from happiness. Right policy frameworks canaddress and reduce such problems from recurring on a largescale.

There are many entities, such as the corporations and otherorganizations, above the individual level that make choices and

decisions that impact collective happiness. Individuals arerelatively less powerful to redress decisions of big organizationsif they are contrary to the goal of collective happiness.

This fact implies that there are negative externalities to happiness associated with consumption thatneeds to be curbed. Public policy instruments have to correct externalities when they are present in alarge scale. At the same time, to cultivate a positive psychology which does not work always oninvidious comparison is important for personal development.

Our understanding of how the mind achieves happiness affectsour experience of happiness by influencing the means wechoose in striving towards it. In some branches of the

behavioral sciences, the mind is conceived of as an input-output device responding to external stimuli. One consequence

of this model is that happy and pleasurable feelings are seen asdependent solely upon external stimuli. Happiness is perceivedas a direct consequence of sensory pleasures. With such anoveremphasis on external stimuli as the source for happiness, itisnt surprising that individuals are led to believe that beingmaterialistic will increase their happiness.

But there is a contrary tradition to the external stimuli based happiness that point to a different sourceof happiness, showing that pleasurable feelings will be generated by shutting down sensory inputs andthe related mental chatter. This involves secular meditation whereby the individual experiences thesubject itself, as opposed to the subject perceiving external stimuli. There is much less external input



to happiness through contemplative method. Long enough meditation may lead the brain structure(neural pathways) to be changed such that calmness and contentment will be a personality trait. Inother words, the mental faculties can be trained towards happiness. From a contemplativeperspective, extreme reliance on externally derived pleasure distracts the individual from innersources of happiness, elevating the latter.

When this cultural view is applied, stable and sustainable

economies can be termed successful. An economy that iscontinually growing at an unsustainable rate may be seen as afailure due to its inability to promote detachment from theproliferation of wants. Sustainable and stationary economymay signal that stability in wants and psychological stabilityhave been achieved among the consumers.

GNH encourages individuals to see all things as interdependentwith all other things. In order to achieve collective happiness,the principle of interdependence needs to be taken on byeveryone. Members of a GNH society would cultivate a thirdeye, which can elevate our vision beyond individual self-interestto address the happiness of all, as a collective goal.

The third eye metaphorically represents our potential to see all things as interdependent across timeand space. Equity is central to GNH. The perception of happiness that doesnt take into account the

needs of others happiness is irresponsible and egocentric, and the pursuit of such happiness is likely

to be unethical. Happiness blossoms through enhanced relationships, arising unbidden when

relationships improve. In this sense, the whole of development is a progress in relationships, not of

individuals.

INSTITUTIONS IMPLEMENTING GNH:

The constitution of Bhutan describes the state and the government as having responsibilities to pursue

GNH. GNH should become a serious arbitrator of public policies and plans. Correspondingly, there are

institutions to apply GNH to policy and programme formulation.

His Majesty Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck established a new institutional structure of GNH in

January 2008 when the GNH Commission was founded in order to function as the apex strategic body

for planning national development. The decision to open GNH committees at the ministerial,

dzongkhag (district) and gewog (block) levels was also announced by the Prime Minister at that time.

These changes more clearly define the structures and processes of decision making unique to a GNH

state. These institutions and processes will forge stronger and clearer links between concepts of GNH

and their application to policy and programme. Because of these initiatives, GNH will increasingly

shape the nature of Bhutan s political economy, legal foundation, health and education systems much

more distinctively in the course of time.

The ruling party, Druk Phuensum Tshogpa, have committed itself to pursuing GNH. The government is

therefore fine tuning their policies and plans according to the development philosophy of GNH.

SURVEY FOR DEVELOPING GNH INDICATORS:

The Good Governance Exercise carried out by the Royal Government in 2005 mandated the Centre forBhutan Studies to develop indicators for Gross National Happiness (GNH). Financial support wasobtained from the Royal Government of Bhutan and United Nations Development Programme,Thimphu , for both a pilot and the final survey. Between September 2006 and January 2007, the pilotsurvey was administered on randomly chosen 350 respondents aged 15 and above to test thefeasibility and robustness of GNH pilot questionnaire. The districts surveyed were Paro, Chukha,



Punakha, Trongsa, Bumthang, Mongar, Lhuentse, Sarpang and Thimphu . Initially, it took 7-8 hours tointerview one respondent. The places surveyed ranged from remote, to semi-urban, to urbanpopulations of Bhutan . It took three months to complete the pilot survey.

The pilot survey questionnaire, which was found tobe too lengthy, was pared down to a questionnairethat took half a day to interview in the final survey

carried out from December 2007 to March 2008. Thesurvey was carried out in 12 of the 20 districts:Dagana, Tsirang, Wangdiphodrang, Samtse,Zhemgang, Pemagatshel, Samdrupjongkhar,Tashigang, Tashiyangtse, Gasa, Haa and Thimphu .Unfortunately, resources were insufficient to carryout surveys in the remaining eight districts. A total of 950 respondents were interviewed in the 12 districts.The questionnaire covered the key areas affectingthe values and principles of GNH, roughly divided intothe domains of psychological well-being, health, timeuse, education, culture, good governance, ecology,community vitality and living standards.

The survey questionnaire included one hundred andeighty eight questions. The questionnaire consistedof a mixture of objective, subjective, and open-endedquestions. The subjective voice that has beenrelatively neglected in social sciences as a whole andin indicators in particular has been restored in GNHindicators to produce a balanced representation of information between the objective and thesubjective. The indicators of GNH were estimated

from the primary data generated from the surveycarried out from December 2007 to March 2008.

DIMENSIONS AND INDICATORS OF GNH:

The efforts towards developing a GNH index was undertaken to provide Bhutan with a valuable set of indicators that can be utilized in making its development efforts more holistic and harmonious in itsgoals and means.

The single number GNH index and its component indicators provide Bhutan with three different levelsand types of indicators:

GNH status indicators. Hundreds of such indicators have already been calculated from theprimary data.

GNH demographic indicators. These indicators show distribution of GNH dimensions across

different social, economic and demographic groups.

GNH causal and correlation indicators.

The GNH index been designed to fulfill various criteria which are needed for periodic national measureof happiness that is also relevant to national and district policy.



A measure of Gross National Happiness might bepresumed to comprise a single psychologicalquestion on happiness such as Taking all thingstogether, would you say you are: Very happy,Rather happy, Not very happy, or Not at allhappy. Another measure is the subjective wellbeing measure generated from a question such as

On the scale of one to ten, how would you rateyourself? One is not a happy person and 10 is avery happy person. However, neither of theseindicators are good multi-dimensional measures of happiness.

The objectives of the kingdom of Bhutan , and theBhutanese understandings of happiness, are muchbroader than those that are referred to ashappiness in the Western literature. Under thetitle of happiness, we include range of dimensionsof human well-being. Some of these are quitetraditional areas of social concern such as livingstandard, health, and education. Some are less

traditional, such as time use, emotional well-being, culture, community vitality, orenvironmental diversity.

The Gross National Happiness index is generated to reflect the happiness and general well-being of

the Bhutanese population more accurately and profoundly than a monetary measure. The measure willboth inform Bhutanese people and the wider world about the current levels of human fulfillment inBhutan and how these vary across districts and across time, and will also inform government policy.

The GNH indicators have been designed to include nine core dimensions that are regarded ascomponents of happiness and well-being in Bhutan , and are constructed of indicators which arerobust and informative with respect to each of the dimensions. The nine dimensions were selected onnormative grounds, and are equally weighted, because each dimension is considered to be relativelyequal in terms of equal intrinsic importance as a component of gross national happiness. Within eachdimension, several indicators were selected that seemed likely to remain informative across time, hadhigh response rates, and were relatively uncorrelated. The nine dimensions are:

1. Psychological Well-being2. Time Use3. Community Vitality 4. Culture5. Health6. Education7. Environmental Diversity 8. Living Standard

9. Governance

In this perspective happiness comprises

having sufficient achievements in each of the nine dimensions.

PSYCHOLOGICAL:

The domain of psychological well-being as an end includes satisfaction with all elements of life, lifeenjoyment, and subjective well-being. As collective happiness is the main goal in a GNH society,psychological well-being is of primary importance in gauging the success of the state in providingappropriate policies and services. Among component indicators of the psychological well-being domain,



general psychological distress rate, prevalence rates of both negative emotions (jealousy, frustration,selfishness) and positive emotions (generosity, compassion, calmness), spiritual activities likemeditation and prayers, and consideration of karmic effects in daily life were calculated.

The psychological well-being index covered three areas:

General psychological distress indicators, Emotional balance indicators, and

Spirituality indicators.

TIME USE:

The domain of time use is one of the most effective windows on quality of life, as it analyzes the natureof time spent within a 24-hour period, as well as activities that occupy longer periods of time. Animportant function of tracking time use is to acknowledge the value of non-work time for happiness.The time available for non-work activities such as sleeping, personal care, community participation,education and learning, religious activities, social and cultural activities, sports and leisure and travelcan directly indicate diversity of activities that add to rich life and contribute to levels of happiness.Measurement of time, devoted unpaid work activities like care of children and sick members of household, and maintenance of household, can provide a proxy measure of contribution made byunpaid activities to welfare though the value of such activities are completely underestimated innational accounts. In the GNH index, time use component was divided into benchmark indicators of sleeping hours and of total working hours.



COMMUNITY VITALITY:

The domain of community vitality focuses on the strengths and weaknesses of relationships andinteractions within communities. It examines the nature of trust, belongingness, vitality of caringrelationships, safety in home and community, and giving and volunteering. These indicators can trackchanges in adverse affects on community vitality.

The community vitality indicators consist of:

Family vitality indicator,

Safety indicator,

Reciprocity indicator,

Trust indicator,

Social support indicator, Socialization indicator, and

Kinship density indicator.



CULTURAL DIVERSITY AND RESILIENCE:

Maintenance of cultural traditions has been one of Bhutan s primary policy goals, as traditions andcultural diversity contributes to identity, values, and creativity. The domain of culture focuses on thediversity and strength of cultural traditions. The domain takes into account the nature and number of cultural facilities, language use patterns and diversity, and participation in community festivities andtraditional recreations. The indicators estimate core values, and perception of changes in values andtraditions.

The indicators of cultural diversity and resilience consist of:

Dialect use indicator,

Traditional sports indicator, Community festival indicator,

Artisan skill indicator,

Value transmission indicator, and

Basic precept indicator.



HEALTH:

The health indicators assess the health status of the population, the determinants of health and thehealth system. Health status indicators show information on self-rated health, disabilities, body massindex, number of healthy days per month. Health indicators also cover the prevalence of knowledgeabout HIV transmission and breast feeding practices. Lastly, barrier to health services are assessed interms of walking distance to the nearest health facility, which includes both western and indigenoussystems.

Thus the health index consists of:

Health status indicator,

Health knowledge indicator, and

Barrier to health indicator.



EDUCATION:

Education contributes to the knowledge, values, creativity, skills, and civic sensibility of citizens. Adomain such as education is not intended merely to measure the success of education in and of itself,but rather to assess the effectiveness of education in working towards the goal of collective well-being.The domain of education looks at a number of factors: participation, skills, among others. However, inthe education index, a limited number of variables could be included.

The education index consists of:

Education attainment indicator,

Dzongkha language indicator, and

Folk and historical literacy indicator.

ECOLOGICAL DIVERSITY AND RESILIENCE:



By examining the state of Bhutan s natural resources, the pressures on ecosystems, and differentmanagement responses, the domain of ecological diversity and resilience is intended to describe theimpact of domestic supply and demand on Bhutan s ecosystems. However, since most of the objectivemeasurements of ecological diversity and resilience are surveyed by other agencies, GNH surveygathered information on perceptual data on ecology.

The ecological diversity and resilience indicators consist of:

Ecological degradation indicator,

Ecological knowledge indicator, and

Afforestation indicator.

LIVING STANDARD:

The domain of living standards covers the basic economic status of the people. The indicators assessthe levels of income at the individual and household levels, sense of financial security, room ratio, foodsecurity, house ownership. The indicators were also constructed for economic hardships as shown by

inability to repairs houses, inability to contribute to community festivities, and purchase of second handclothes.

Thus the living standard indicators consist of:

Income indicator,

Housing indicator,

Food security indicator, and



Hardship indicator.

GOOD GOVERNANCE:

The domain of good governance evaluates how people perceive various government functions in termsof their efficacy, honesty, and quality. The themes of indicators include human rights, leadership atvarious levels of government, performance of government in delivering services and controllinginequality and corruption, peoples trust in media, judiciary, and police. Therefore, the indicators of good governance consist of:

Government performance indicator,

Freedom indicator, and

Institutional trust indicator.



a. Psychological Wellbeing: b. Community Vitality:

c. Culture d. Time Use

e. Good Governance f. Ecology

g. Living Standards h. Health

i. Education



GNH in curricula:

IN SCHOOLS:

(i) Maths

It was widely acknowledged that a key challenge is to use a GNH approach in teaching withoutcompromising the content or rigour of existing curricular materials.

As a direct result of the December workshop discussions, this will be explicitly demonstrated in theprincipals’ workshops in relation to the math curriculum. Household budgeting and management,which is rarely taught well anywhere in the world, will be used to demonstrate how all existingmathematical functions, from simple arithmetic to percentages, interest rates, algebra, and calculus)can be taught while conveying the importance of prioritizing household needs and expenditures ratherthan giving in to desire and consumerist impulses. Wider GNH-related economic implications can alsobe conveyed, including the impacts of consumer debt, and the importance of acknowledging social andenvironmental benefits and costs in accounting. This approach supports the living standard domain of GNH.



(ii) Science A second example will be demonstrated at the principals’ workshops through the use of schoolvegetable gardens to teach important scientific principles while at the same time conveying theinterdependent nature of reality, the impacts of environmental degradation, the benefits of ecologically friendly practices, and the value of local wisdom and indigenous knowledge—all of whichare consistent with GNH principles and values.Other breakout group recommendations to bring GNH principles into science learning included:

• “Bringing the classroom into nature and nature into the classroom”. Value of learning in naturethrough class projects, field trips, and research, including using indigenous local knowledge to identifyBhutanese medicinal and other plants in nearby forests. A best practice is that of Mr. Wangchuk,former principal of Ura secondary school, who founded nature clubs, used local resources to teachhimself, published a book on the wildflowers of Bhutan, and is now producing a second book onmedicinal plants. Mr Wangchuk will be invited for the introductory session to this breakout group inthe principals’ workshops.

• Increasing the environmental studies component of science curricula; and learning scientificprinciples and functions through hands-on activities. Examples raised by this breakout group included:

creating sustainable systems within schools so that schools become models for their communities (e.g.zero waste management practices, use of solar energy, water conservation, using renewable and lowimpact resources for school supplies); involving school children in care and management of community forests and “learning the significance of a forest from a spiritual point of view” (KhenpoPhuntsok Tashi); and having school children participate in planting, harvesting and other farmingpractices. It was suggested that principals encourage science teachers “to look outside their doors”.

• Dr Vandana Shiva referenced a school in which the children studied biodiversity by identifying andcompiling a list of all the plants in their community. That exercise, she reported, brought the childrento realize how rich their own community was. Dr. Shiva recommended that children learn how sanehuman behaviour can be modelled on nature’s own examples (like the earthworm giving morenutrition than it takes in by contrast to India’s industrial agricultural system that uses far more energythan the food it produces.) Dr Art-Ong described how the children in his school grew their own riceand noted that his school was entirely self-sufficient in food.

• This breakout group challenged the way science is currently taught (which too frequently is based ona mechanistic view and exploitation of nature) and recommended approaches to science based onobserving and learning from nature and a holistic, integrative approach more consistent with GNH andBuddhist principles and values.

A second science breakout group, consisting of Zenobia Barlow, Bunker Roy, Manish Jain, SonamWangchuk, David Orr, Satish Kumar, Deki Pema, Sally Booth, and Naina Kala Gurung, pointed out that “it isn’t the people who are scientifically illiterate who are wrecking the earth; it’s the scientificallyliterate people who are ruining the planet.” In other words, science is wrongly (and dangerously)taught. We need to challenge the misleading way in which science is currently taught, and ask “whatis science from a universal GNH standpoint?” How can science be taught in a way that inspiresreverence for the world and for the ecological environment that sustains us?At this critical and crucial historical juncture, facing the realities of climate change and of an economicgrowth paradigm that has created both global warming and global inequality (in which one billion areover-nourished while one billion are malnourished), we literally have to change the way ScienceEducation is taught. In other words, accepting the existing textbook paradigm and curriculum won’twork. We need a new approach entirely — one that values indigenous knowledge, that teacheseconomics accurately in terms of its impact on the earth, and that draws on ancient Bhutanesewisdom that knows how human beings can live in harmony with nature.

To this end, this group recommended explorations into the real, living science present in localknowledge and communities, including the science in the home (like the use of food, energy, andwaste in ways that do not harm the earth). How did our grandparents deal with ‘waste’ and how do we



deal with it today? Here the group referenced the “empty plate policy” that we want to profile at theprincipals’ workshop.

The group recommended hands-on exercises that wouldwork even with younger children, like asking them toidentify three products that we use and consume, andwhich we think are necessary to our everyday lives, which

come from the global corporate culture? The true costs andimpacts of these products can then be explored. Thestudents can then explore the kinds of alternatives thatcould be used, which are not dependent on unsustainableindustrial production to fulfil these same three functions?What kind of science and technology can be used inBhutanese villages to improve lives without sacrificing theenvironment (e.g. explore and understand solar energyfrom both a scientific and a practical point of view)?

From there, the students could be encouraged to explore different forms of “right livelihood” and newGNH-based careers that support the local economy. They can be asked to identify 10 such livelihoodsand new opportunities and to create an action plan. In this way, science education can support notonly the ecological but also the economic pillars of GNH. This exploration can begin right at school —how, for example, can we create a zero waste school, what would be the daily practices in such aschool, how can we reduce waste immediately, and how can students become actively involved insuch a project?

The group recommended concrete lesson plans and activities, including showing the movie “The Storyof Stuff”, weighing the lunchtime waste of a week (suitable for a math project) and examining andunderstanding its contents, collecting and displaying the waste generated in a week, and making toysand useful objects our of waste products. And the group recommended a workshop for scienceteachers to transmit these and many other creative activities that can be used to transmit scientificprinciples and methods that are more accurate and more in line with reality than the methods andapproaches currently used. We had some of the world’s best and most reputable environmentaleducators at our December workshop, and they are well equipped to lead such a workshop.

Other potential topics discussed by the group as examples of the “new science” are close examination of currentconsumption patterns and systems, including food systems?From how far away did the food we are eating come? Whatare the supply chains? What were the impacts of producingand bringing it here? What is the economy of foodproduction and consumption?What is the science behind the threat of potential glacial lakeoutburst floods in Bhutan, and how can glacial melting affectnot only this country but all those downstream of theglacier-fed Himalayan rivers? How has climate changechanged the water supply, and how might the changingwater supply change the agriculture of the local

environment? How can energy be saved and what is thescience (and economics) of alternative energy forms?

How can we build a Bhutan that is truly resilient 20 years from now when our children will face a verydifferent world? And how can GNH present a different economic strategy for resilient economicdevelopment? How can we value solutions inherent in indigenous knowledge and local wisdom? Thisbreakout group described GNH as an “immune system” to globally destructive tendencies.



Bhutanese science teachers can be educated to lead excitingand inventive projects to examine and chart changes in localecological systems. In this process, science teachers canactively draw on local resources and knowledge. For example,local elders and farmers can be invited into the classroom todescribe changes they have seen in their own lifetimes and toshare that experience with the children. What changes have

they seen in sowing and harvesting times, in the pattern of rains, for example? How have households dealt with changesin the water supply? What actions can be taken to preventfloods (so students can appreciate the vitally important hardmanual work and personal sacrifice of labourers this pastsummer moving rocks at Bhutan’s glacial lakes to preventGLOFs)

These local elders can be recognized and acknowledged as “Honorary Teacher Ambassadors”. Thisprocess therefore supports not only the economic and environmental pillars of GNH, but alsocommunity vitality and the knowledge and wisdom embedded in cultural traditions.Raising questions like the above can engender real curiosity in children and a passion for science.Even more importantly, they can engender confidence in realizing that solutions are possible and thatthe knowledge of those solutions is near at hand.

These and many other key questions are the potential basisof a new GNH-based science curriculum. To create this newcurriculum and to accept that science education must changeto acknowledge present realities like climate change, Bhutan’sschool principals and teachers first have to become genuinelysceptical about the so-called science education that we nowhave. From honestly examining these truths, hope will ariseand a new science education path will unfold, along withrecognition that we already have the resources andknowledge to begin implementing that without delay.

(iii) History This breakout group focussed on use of local resources in teaching history in order to bring history tolife and make it more personal and relevant for students than textbooks alone could do. Examplesincluded tracing students’ own family and local community history, inviting community elders into theclassroom, and using participatory research and community mapping methods in addition to criticaland analytical thinking.

It was recommended that the cultural context of historical events could be emphasized rather thansimple events, and that facts could be balanced with exploration of legends, folk lore, and values from

the monastic traditions. The group noted that the teaching of history should support the cultural pillarof GNH.

(iv) Sports:This breakout group noted that sports by its very nature can enhance the physical and mental healthcomponents of GNH. The group then discussed in detail two basic principles of bringing a GNH qualityfurther into school sports activities:



• Inclusiveness means that all students are given the opportunity to participate, regardless of ability.Games might include mandatory substituting of players in both teams, so that the best players do notdominate the whole game.

• Non-competitiveness in teamwork can be achieved through cooperative games, especially withyounger children. Among older students, one technique is for teams to exchange some players in acompetitive match to reduce group / class/ or school ego. For example, one school principal describeda tournament in which each school brought a certain number of players, but the teams were thencreated with a mix of players from the various schools with an equal range of abilities.

(v) Language

• This group began by identifying GNH values that are already in the curriculum but are not madeexplicit. It was suggested that a key strategy for principals and teachers is simply to make those GNH-based values more explicit than at present.

• The group recommended specific teaching techniques that foster mindful listening and creativestorytelling and writing. For example, they could share stories of positive and negative schoolexperiences with one student listening to a partner’s story and then sharing that story with the largergroup (which requires careful listening). The group can then analyse which elements are common to

the positive and to the negative experiences in order to link successes and failures to GNH principles.Stories can then be selected for writing exercises and illustration.

• Inspired local community story-tellers can be invited into the classroom. These might includegrandparents or recognized authors like Kunzang Choden. The group also recommended silent readingtime, book-making (with student-made books included in the school library), and identifying storiesand folk tales that embody GNH principles (like using the Four Friends story to demonstrate the valueof collaboration).

VISUAL ARTS, DANCE, DRAMA, AND MUSIC:

Two breakout groups considered the arts in education as pivotal to strengthening the GNH base of thecountry’s education system and the cultural pillar of GNH in particular. This was discussed from two

fundamental perspectives:• Enhancing study and practice of the arts as separate disciplines, particularly to continue thepractice of the 13 traditional arts; and

• Integrating the arts more effectively into all other disciplines and subject areas to enhancelearning in those areas, to bring those subjects to life, and to make the learning experience more vividthan cerebral book learning alone can do.

Both these approaches are discussed below:

(a) The 13 traditional arts Provocative question in introductory lead-in to this breakout group: Will the 13 traditional Bhutanesearts survive into the next generation? What would be lost if they were to disappear from daily life orpreserved only as museum pieces? -> Explanation of both their aesthetic value and also of moreprofound connections of the arts to ancient wisdom, culture, nature, and contemplative and creative

traditions — with specific examples of each.

It was suggested that Dasho Karma Ura might be excellent person to give a provocative 20-minuteintroduction on this subject, ending with the question posed to principals: What can Bhutan’seducational system do to ensure these arts are dynamically preserved and practised, and how canthey be effectively integrated into regular curricula?

This breakout group recommended that these 13 traditional arts be displayed and performed on twoevenings at the principals’ workshops. As well, traditional Bhutanese music might be played in



different circumstances, like participants’ entry and exit from plenary sessions, during meals, etc. tobring the atmosphere of the traditional arts into the environment of the principals’ workshop.

(b) Integrating the arts into different disciplines As one example, it was suggested that subjects like math, often considered “dry” and ”boring” couldbe made much more vivid and enjoyable through introduction of music, stories, and movement. Forexample, one educator suggested that a thief stealing things could be used to teach subtraction; andthat movement exercises could be used for elementary school children to teach basic arithmetic(adding and subtracting children from different groups in the classroom). One educator suggested thatchanting and kinaesthetic movement could be effectively used to teach multiplication tables, andclapping exercises can be used to teach fractions.

Similarly, science students can learn about molecules through movement; and students can buildvisual models like the solar system.

Drama can be used to act out historical scenes — for example dramatizing the contributions of eachKing. Stories from the language curriculum could also be acted or presented visually, and folk talesacted out to teach ethics and morals.

One school principal noted that his school also uses movement and aesthetic appreciation in relation

to nature, allowing times for students to wander aimlessly and silently in natural surroundings andthen to bring back an object from nature to which they are particularly attracted. Those objects arethen silently arranged by the class into a mandala, which is collectively contemplated.

One of the breakout groups suggested specific classroom activities using the arts, some of which havebeen very successfully used in Bhutan youth assemblies. For example:

Creating sculptures and inventions from waste, litter, and recycled/re-used materials;• Performing mimes, skits, and tableaux, and inventing dance moves;• Writing new lyrics on a GNH theme to existing tunes and songs;• Having local healer come to classroom to illustrate healing through movement.

CREATING GNH AMBIENCE AND ATMOSPHERE: Purpose: Principals and teachers can create learning environments that “encourage the naturalgracefulness & goodness of all beings.” This can be applied to school classrooms, and — to the extentpossible — will be modelled at the principals’ workshops themselves.

• Plants• Paintings by children on the walls• Small rug areas surrounded by books• Nature table (table at entry to elementary classroom

with graceful arrangements of seasonal natural materials)• Photos of natural environment• Coloured chalk drawing reflecting seasons

• Bring the classroom into nature for periods of the day



Other suggested Activities: a) Create space for movement and meditation (move desksto walls)

• Movement (dance/stretch)• Meditation• Breathing exercises — deeper breathing to release

stress, improve focus and relaxation

b) As an example of using student artwork to enhance thelearning environment, one school principal described hisschool’s use of clay and beeswax activity:

• Tell a story that reflects natural world.• Sculpt characters or forms from story with clay or

beeswax• Artistic display of the art work

c) Inspire principals (and teachers) to realize they CAN dosimple things like these — i.e. empower them to go beyondthe conventional classroom set-ups to enhance ambience andcreate warm and welcoming child-friendly learningenvironments. It was suggested that principals themselvesdon’t need to feel pressured to have all these ideas onaesthetic arrangement themselves nor to make them happenalone. They themselves can empower teachers and studentsto play an active role in rearranging the learningenvironment, classroom, and common areas of schools to be

aesthetically pleasing) and invite suggestions and activeparticipation from teachers & students onaesthetic arrangement.

d) It was suggested that — at the principals’ workshops — principals might divide into groups to shareexisting best practices, and to brainstorm ideas for enhancing the learning ambience, including bysubject area.



e) Other areas discussed by this breakout group to create aGNH-infused learning environment included

(i) positive disciplining;(ii) improving the physical conditions of toilets, running

water, and other basic necessities with emphasis oncleanliness and hygiene (e.g. a rota system for students toclean these facilities); and

(iii) addressing specific gender needs: — for example, theUNICEF representative remarked: “In the country schools,when girls get their periods, they stop coming to schoolbecause of the lack of privacy”.A second breakout group on creating GNH ambience definedambience as the human (incl. emotional and spiritual),physical, and ecological environment that all people(students, teachers, administrators, and visitors) experiencewithin and around the school.

It was suggested that each school create its own vision statement, which might adapt elements of thebroader nationwide Educating for GNH vision statement to its own conditions and circumstances. Forexample, an elementary school would phrase the vision statement in simple language that all childrencould easily understand. This vision statement could be beautifully written and framed, andprominently displayed as a constant reminder.

This breakout group suggested the following possible format for the principals’ workshop breakoutgroups on ambience:

• 5 minutes silent meditation to arrive in the present moment• 1 minute recollection on what you want to achieve in this workshop• Visualize your present school and people and environment.• Recall childhood memories of your childhood school and list 3 things you liked about your

childhood school environment and three things you disliked and would have changed in thatenvironment.

• Share these childhood likes and dislikes with the person next to you.• Share with the group all the positive attributes identified in exercise, and either list these or

draw them in a mural (if a graphic artist is present in the group)• This would be followed by the group brainstorming an ideal / optimal school ambience that

could be created at low cost, with ideas groups into four categories:o human ambience (including emotional, spiritual, participatory)o physical ambience (e.g. cleanliness, structures, classroom arrangement)o ecological ambienceo aesthetic ambience

• Based on this, they could create a check-list or survey to take to teachers, students, andparents in their own schools to assess their present school environment and what the teachers andstudents would change. This checklist and questions can be shared with the group. (Also: How mightparents be engaged in building a more positive ambience?)

• Following this, the principals can list specific and practical changes they wish to make in theirschool ambience now and in the future.

• The breakout group can close with a silent reflection and visualization in which principalsimagine their school, people, and environment in the changed situation.

This breakout group also had a more in-depth discussion on human ambience, and suggested thatprincipals might first list ways in which their school’s learning environment presently reflects a top-down vs participatory culture, and then consider how they could move towards a more participatoryculture, including through changes in school communications, in the psychology of the schooladministration, and in bringing this more participatory culture into the classroom.



This breakout group also suggested sample questions for discussion among principals in theirambience breakout groups. In reviewing the breakout group recommendations,Steve Mustain suggested that such questions might be the simplest and most useful way of leadingprincipals’ breakout groups on school ambience: For example,

• What can I do to beautify my school and its environs at minimal expense?• What can I do to encourage and enhance teacher and student creativity in this area?• How can the physical surroundings of my school/community be incorporated into the

curriculum?• What can I do to encourage more participatory activity at all levels in my school, and thus go

beyond the conventional passive learning situations?• Which television/film characters (if any) do you believe exemplify GNH principles, and how

might these be used as models? Which do not?• How can my school be a constructive change agent for the surrounding community — for

example in adopting ecological practices like waste reduction, composting and recycling, organicgardens (already in place in many schools), solar energy, serving locally grown (vs imported) food,using local, sustainably produced materials in school supplies, building inexpensive, ecological

compost toilets using sawdust, ashes (Ladakh school model), etc?

CREATING GNH AMBIENCE AND ATMOSPHERE:

Purpose: Principals and teachers can create learning environments that “encourage the naturalgracefulness & goodness of all beings.” This can be applied to school classrooms, and — to the extentpossible — will be modelled at the principals’ workshops themselves.

• Plants• Paintings by children on the walls• Small rug areas surrounded by books• Nature table (table at entry to elementary classroom

with graceful arrangements of seasonal natural materials)

• Photos of natural environment• Coloured chalk drawing reflecting seasons• Bring the classroom into nature for periods of the day

Other suggested Activities: a) Create space for movement and meditation (move desksto walls)

• Movement (dance/stretch)• Meditation• Breathing exercises — deeper breathing to release

stress, improve focus and relaxation

b) As an example of using student artwork to enhance the

learning environment, one school principal described hisschool’s use of clay and beeswax activity:

• Tell a story that reflects natural world.• Sculpt characters or forms from story with clay or

beeswax• Artistic display of the art work



c) Inspire principals (and teachers) to realize they CAN dosimple things like these — i.e. empower them to go beyond

the conventional classroom set-ups to enhance ambience andcreate warm and welcoming child-friendly learningenvironments. It was suggested that principals themselvesdon’t need to feel pressured to have all these ideas onaesthetic arrangement themselves nor to make them happen

alone. They themselves can empower teachers and studentsto play an active role in rearranging the learningenvironment, classroom, and common areas of schools to beaesthetically pleasing) and invite suggestions and activeparticipation from teachers & students onaesthetic arrangement.

d) It was suggested that — at the principals’ workshops — principals might divide into groups to shareexisting best practices, and to brainstorm ideas for enhancing the learning ambience, including by

subject area.

e) Other areas discussed by this breakout group to create aGNH-infused learning environment included

(i) positive disciplining;(ii) improving the physical conditions of toilets, running

water, and other basic necessities with emphasis oncleanliness and hygiene (e.g. a rota system for students toclean these facilities); and

(iii) addressing specific gender needs: — for example, theUNICEF representative remarked: “In the country schools,when girls get their periods, they stop coming to schoolbecause of the lack of privacy”.A second breakout group on creating GNH ambience definedambience as the human (incl. emotional and spiritual),physical, and ecological environment that all people(students, teachers, administrators, and visitors) experiencewithin and around the school.

It was suggested that each school create its own vision statement, which might adapt elements of thebroader nationwide Educating for GNH vision statement to its own conditions and circumstances. Forexample, an elementary school would phrase the vision statement in simple language that all childrencould easily understand. This vision statement could be beautifully written and framed, and

prominently displayed as a constant reminder.

This breakout group suggested the following possible format for the principals’ workshop breakoutgroups on ambience:

• 5 minutes silent meditation to arrive in the present moment• 1 minute recollection on what you want to achieve in this workshop• Visualize your present school and people and environment.• Recall childhood memories of your childhood school and list 3 things you liked about your

childhood school environment and three things you disliked and would have changed in that

environment.



• Share these childhood likes and dislikes with the person next to you.• Share with the group all the positive attributes identified in exercise, and either list these or

draw them in a mural (if a graphic artist is present in the group)• This would be followed by the group brainstorming an ideal / optimal school ambience that

could be created at low cost, with ideas groups into four categories:o human ambience (including emotional, spiritual, participatory)o physical ambience (e.g. cleanliness, structures, classroom arrangement)

o ecological ambienceo aesthetic ambience

• Based on this, they could create a check-list or survey to take to teachers, students, andparents in their own schools to assess their present school environment and what the teachers andstudents would change. This checklist and questions can be shared with the group. (Also: How mightparents be engaged in building a more positive ambience?)

• Following this, the principals can list specific and practical changes they wish to make in theirschool ambience now and in the future.

• The breakout group can close with a silent reflection and visualization in which principals

imagine their school, people, and environment in the changed situation.

This breakout group also had a more in-depth discussion on human ambience, and suggested thatprincipals might first list ways in which their school’s learning environment presently reflects a top-down vs participatory culture, and then consider how they could move towards a more participatoryculture, including through changes in school communications, in the psychology of the schooladministration, and in bringing this more participatory culture into the classroom.

This breakout group also suggested sample questions for discussion among principals in theirambience breakout groups. In reviewing the breakout group recommendations,Steve Mustain suggested that such questions might be the simplest and most useful way of leadingprincipals’ breakout groups on school ambience: For example,

• What can I do to beautify my school and its environs at minimal expense?• What can I do to encourage and enhance teacher and student creativity in this area?• How can the physical surroundings of my school/community be incorporated into the

curriculum?• What can I do to encourage more participatory activity at all levels in my school, and thus go

beyond the conventional passive learning situations?

• Which television/film characters (if any) do you believe exemplify GNH principles, and howmight these be used as models? Which do not?

• How can my school be a constructive change agent for the surrounding community — forexample in adopting ecological practices like waste reduction, composting and recycling, organicgardens (already in place in many schools), solar energy, serving locally grown (vs imported) food,using local, sustainably produced materials in school supplies, building inexpensive, ecologicalcompost toilets using sawdust, ashes (Ladakh school model), etc?

IN A BROADER LEARNING ENVIRONMENT:

It was recognized that learning takes place not only through textbooks and curricular materials but

more broadly in families and communities, through the media and a wide range of extra-curricular

activities, and through the atmosphere and ambience (both physical and psychological) of school

environments. Several breakout groups on Dec. 10 explored how these various dimensions of thebroader learning environment might best reflect GNH values and principles.

A GNH School

“I have heard of children not allowing parents who drive scooters to come to the school parking. They

must be taught that what parents have has nothing to do with who he or she is”. – Lyonchhen Jigmi Y.

Thinley



Prime Minister Lyonchhen Jigmi Y. Thinley called on the Bhutanese educators to wield the torch of GNH

values and create “enlightened” educational campuses that produce children who are ingrained with the

values necessary to pursue and achieve happiness.

Delivering a keynote address at the workshop on Educating for Gross National happiness, the PM

exhorted the principals of educational institutes to use their “special capabilities” to be an inspiration and

role model to students and make their schools a GNH community where values such as altruism,camaraderie, team spirit, faith, honour, dignity and allegiance are practiced.

“I believe you are the most powerful means through which GNH values can be imbibed in children,” he

said, speaking past 10 pm to a packed hall at the Teacher Training College in Paro. “If we are able to

create an enlightened society, it will be because of the teachers, school principals and educators more

than anyone else.”

He allayed concerns expressed in some quarters that GNH in schools would overburden the students by

pointing out that the attempt was not to introduce separate subjects but to create a conscious framework

within which teachers can infuse, transfer and promote GNH.

The GNH values were inherent in Bhutanese; all that was required was a conscious effort to practice

it. “GNH is simple,” he said. “It is all about promoting and living with basic human values in a harmoniousand sustainable manner.”

He pointed out that teachers felt they were not responsible for promoting happiness. But if children were

the future of society, how they think and act must be shaped. Teachers were the architects of society and

all grand designs and ambitions, howsoever good on paper, will dissipate into the thin air if not

implemented.

The Prime Minister rhetorically asked: “Are our children growing up with the right attitude and motivation?

Are they equipped morally and spiritually to face the tough world ahead? Will they make a better world

and leave a better legacy? Are we doing enough?”

The truth, he said, was that children both in and out of schools indulge in behaviors that “shame

us”. Values such as dignity, honour and faith were considered obsolete, marriage is no longer sacred, andloyalty, allegiance and devotion to parents and elders no longer existed.

“But we cannot stay silent. Go beyond. The challenge is to ensure our schools do not produce selfish

economic animals – motivated only by the desire to succeed at the cost of relationship, environment and

society.”

Most universities, he lamented, were merely dedicated to producing successful and efficient human

beings but not in teaching students how to pursue happiness.

The prime minister cited ways and means with which GNH values can be ingrained in schools, pillar-

wise. Schools should be seen as part of the larger community and the child must be taught to serve the

community. Principals must see themselves playing a larger role than merely administering schools.

Children have to be taught to promote mutual respect and cooperation – between the educated,

intellectual and the ignorant. Illiteracy and ignorance are not synonymous.

Special attention must be given to poor children and orphans in GNH schools. Their needs must be

identified and support provided. A teacher must, in fact, go beyond the superficial and try to understand

every child. Likewise, every child’s health must be monitored and registered because parents – even the

well to-do ones – have no time for their children.



Principals must ensure that every child is in school and help the country achieve 100% enrolment. They

should bring back drop-outs, and find out if some are made to work when they should be studying.

A GNH school must ensure there is justice and equity in the way the principals deal with teachers and

teachers with students. A child must learn agricultural skills so that those who later return to the village

can engage in progressive framing.

Educators should raise consciousness over the importance of sharing, equity between and among

students, the present and the generation to come. A child must be taught to get an idea about what would

be left for the next generation at the present level of consumption. Conditions must be created for the

children to think, reflect and show concern.

Love and care for environment and nature should be imbibed young. Make children appreciate the

aesthetic aspect of nature. They must be shown to make beds, plant seeds and bulbs, water the saplings

and, in the process, discover for themselves the marvels of nature. Field trips must be encouraged as

they provide pleasure as well as knowledge.

Aim for zero-polluting and zero-waste schools, the PM said. Schools should have no room for plastics,

and bio-degradable wastes should be turned into manures which can be used for school agriculture

activities. Papers should be collected, stored and sent for recycling.

In the same vein, water is scarce and must be conserved. The idea of adopting water sources and

streams is good but the adoption should be all the way – from the source right down. Such activities will

instill a sense of satisfaction in children and they will desire to protect all the streams and rivers in the

country.

Educators must also get students to walk to schools, especially in the urban areas, or to use the public

transport as it is less taxing to the environment.

GNH is more culture driven than any others, the PM said, and went on to define Driglam Namzha as a

conscious pursuit of harmonious living. Good thought, good speech and good action and being polite,

courteous and respectful – not just before high officials or lams – beget respect and therefore happiness

for oneself.

The prime minister said that in the primary schools he visited during the familiarization tours, most

children wanted to become doctors, engineers and teachers but not even one expressed his desire to

serve his parents, return the love, affection and support he received from them. “This illustrates the nature

and kind of children we are raising,” he said. They were primed to think, compete and succeed in a

material world but “if you cannot think well of your parents, you are the least likely person to take care of

your country”.

“How many of our children say ‘la, lasso’ to parents? Parents deserve your respect. Age and social

hierarchy is important.” Nowadays none but a few address their relatives and siblings as “ Acho, Au, Ata,

Ana” and, as a result, the sense of affection and care by the elder to the younger – a simple GNH - is

lost.

The essence of every religion, according to the PM, is happiness. While children can recite volumes of

prayers they cannot fathom the essence and that is something the teachers must address.

Children must learn that material goods do not define their identity. “I have heard of children not allowing

parents who drive scooters to come to the school parking,” the PM said. “They must be taught that what

parents have has nothing to do with who he or she is.”



Educators should teach children not to be “show-offs”. “In fact, rich children should be embarrassed that

they have more than the others.” Big cars, latest Nike shoes, expensive watches and mobile phones do

not make the person owning them better than the one who is wearing mere slippers. Such an

environment should be discouraged in schools so that the poorer children do not withdraw from mixing

with the rich in the fear that he would be rejected. True wealth, he said, is having more friends – not cars

-, shoulders to cry on and friends who laugh with you in good times and cry with you in bad times.

He emphasized the importance of creating opportunities for children to meditate, contemplate and be

mindful and, likewise, the importance of community and relationship building. Teachers should initiate

activities requiring teamwork, inter-generational sharing, building bonds, leadership building.

He asked the principals to assess their performance against GNH baselines especially in regard to cases

of indiscipline, fights, substance abuse and to follow these indicators year after year.

On good governance, the PM said the principals should promote participated decision-making and

betransparent in all their dealings. “Don’t be authoritarian. Don’t feel elevated. When you become a

principal, you become a servant of other teachers. The more arrogant and authoritative you are, the less

respect you get. Being respectful to other teachers is not being weak; asking for advice is not being

indecisive.”

He also asked them to make the parent-teacher meetings meaningful, and to be accountable to the

teachers and the community. “A person who is suspected is not respected.”

He called on the principals to embark on collaborative projects that lend substance to GNH and its values;

to imbibe in students democratic values like electoral process, voting and election in the school campus

and lay the foundations of leadership building.

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Educating for GNH

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