University Place  Lyonpo Yeshey Zimba Gross National Happiness In the Kingdom of Bhutan   cc >> Any exploration of the issues we're considering today must include the example offered by the Kingdom of Bhutan. Located at the eastern end of the Himalayas, between India and China, Bhutan is a small mountainous country of fewer than a million people. But it is a leader in the movement to re-evaluate how we measure human well-being and social progress. Since 1972, the same year in which "Limits to Growth" was published, Bhutan has perceived the concept of Gross National Happiness as alternative to Gross Domestic Product. Unlike GNP, which only measures economic activity, Gross National Happiness includes factors such as cultural integrity, conservation, governance, physical and mental health, community values and education. Things we often say that we value most of all. That idea has spread. Canada, France and other countries are considering similar measures of social progress. We are tremendously honored today to be joined by a very distinguished guest to tell us about Gross National Happiness in the Kingdom of Bhutan. Before I introduce him, I would like to take a moment to acknowledge two other guests from Bhutan who are in the audience. 

Here with us today are Dasho Bharat Tamang Yonzen, the managing director of a group Green Power Corporation Limited, a major hydropower company in Bhutan. We're also joined by Mr. --, counselor at Bhutan's Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York. Welcome to Wisconsin, and thank you both for being here. [applause]  Now it is my great pleasure and privilege to introduce His Excellency Lyonpo Yeshey Zimba, Lyonpo Zimba is the Minister of Works and Human Settlement in the Kingdom of Bhutan. The Ministry of Works and Human Settlement was established in 2003, to oversee physical infrastructure, including roads, urban development and engineering. The Ministry also coordinates technical capacity building in the workforce. It promotes research and development to maintain a synergy between technology, environment and traditional values. It develops plans and policies for proper human settlement through growth centers. Lyonpo Zimba has twice served as Prime Minister, and he has also been Bhutan's Finance Secretary, Finance Minister, and Minister of Trade and Industry. He was conferred the esteemed title of Lyonpo 1998 by the King of Bhutan. 

Finally, I am pleased to tell you that Lyonpo Zimba is an alumnus of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he earned a master's degree in economics. He also holds two bachelor's degrees, one from St. Joseph's College in Darjeeling, India, and one from the UW-Madison. So please join me in welcoming His Excellency. [applause]  >> Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. >> Good morning. >> Thank you. It's a great pleasure for me to get back after so many years. As Dr. Mitman mentioned, I was a student in this great university a long time back. I'm very honored to be here, in front of so many distinguished guests, and to be with very distinguished and highly acclaimed co-speakers. 

I'm also very happy that my friend -- who is also an alumnus of this university, is able to join us today. He happened to be in Canada and he just hopped over to be with us today. [laughter] I was here 36 year back. What I learned in this great university has contributed immensely to what I am today, and to what I was able to contribute to the development of my country. During these last 36 years Madison has changed greatly. It is quite unrecognizable actually. The airport is very, very different from what I left behind. [laughter] But I must say that I prefer the old airport. We could just walk to the aircraft from this little structure which used to be in the same place. And it's not only Madison, but Bhutan has changed enormously. 

I think the whole world has changed enormously. I'll say, that in spite of all the grim pictures that are painted now about today's world, I would like to say that the world has improved tremendously since the last 36 years.  I remember, there used to be a lot of poverty, a lot of wars, internal strife, lack of proper health facilities, education, in most countries of the world. That's what we used to hear about all the time. That's what we used to debate about all the time, about corruption and all sorts of bad things all over the world. I must say that the world is now far better. If I might mention the example of Bhutan for instance, when I came here, I went back only after I completed my three-year's course, because we did not have air flights, we did not have telephones. It was quite difficult to get back. GNP per capita at that time was estimated to be, they say below $100. Even that of the United States, I remember, was below $5000. 

That was a lot of money in those days. I was probably one of maybe five or six graduates in the country. Today we have thousands graduating every year. We built our first road in 1961. Now we have thousands of kilometers of road. Bhutan had changed tremendously, like all of the countries in the world. But this rapid development and the socio-economic transformation that has taken place was good, no doubt, but it has brought in a lot of new challenges. Challenges that were not foreseen at that time. Challenges of sustainability, security, and happiness on our finite planet. It is very clear that we cannot continue to follow the same path, knowing the increasing stress on the planet, the inequity within and among nations. 

It is still very bad. The wasting and over-consumption of scarce resources. Pollution, and the irreparable damage to the natural environment. We need to redirect the path of development, and even question the very purpose of development. Is it just wealth-creation as an end in itself? Or is development a means to a greater end that all beings ultimately aspire for, which is well-being, that finally according to Bhutan, leading to happiness. Well, going by the theme of the conference this year, if I consider equity for instance, the world has transformed greatly. Equity is certainly better than in the past. But it is not fair enough. It is not good enough. I think we have a long way to go. 

The disparity in income levels is unacceptable, both within the county, and between rich and poor countries. Sometimes it's even worse within a given country actually, particularly in the developing world. The difference between the developed countries and the under-developed countries is something that I need not talk about. We all know. These are very, very stark differences. The rich countries are consuming most of the resources in the world. The poor countries are paying for it in terms of the global warming and all the problems that come in as a result of that.  If I might just illustrate by mentioning some figures, the richest 20% consume over 86% of the world's goods, while the bottom 20% consume less than 1.5%. This clearly shows the very large inequity and poverty that exists in some of the poorer countries. What we also need to remember is that the richest 20% of the countries use over 60% of the energy, and produce 63% of the greenhouse gases. 

The poorest 20% produce only 2% of the greenhouse gases, but bear the brunt of climate change and it's negative consequences. We see this happening every time. Now, the world is not fair I'm afraid, but it is even worse when it comes to sustainability. That is very clear. We heard a lot this morning on this very important issue. The current pace and pattern of development in the pursuit of unbridled growth, limitless growth, is actually, in a manner of speaking, killing our planet. The rate of consumption and extraction of natural resources is almost 40% more than the ability of nature to regenerate itself. Oil and minerals consumed will perhaps never be regenerated and lost forever. The very earth on which we live is being virtually eaten up at a frightening pace leaving very little or nothing for future generations. The greatest threat to sustainability and survival of our world, and all of us people as well as animals, is pollution and emission of greenhouse gases, which is warming our world and transforming the very behavior of nature. 

I can see this very clearly even here in Madison. I think somebody told me that lake did not freeze. I remember, the lake used to freeze by end of December and remain frozen until April. I could walk on it. Now I think I'll not try that. [laughter] I'd also like to illustrate this with some examples from my own region. It is now quite clearly established that the mighty Himalayan Mountains are receiving less rain and snow. Every year, I see. It's very noticeable. It's leading up to a process of warming and drying up which I hope would not someday culminate in the desertification of one of the most important water towers of the world. 

Over a billion people in Asia would be at risk as most of the mighty rivers in South and much of East Asia flow from the Himalayas. The highest point on our planet, Mount Everest, if you see it, it's quite disappointing now. It is no longer the absolutely white mountain seen in postcards, but is increasingly exposing the dark rocks beneath the snow. If you fly from Calcutta or Delhi to Bhutan, and you look out, the pilot will announce that you are seeing Mount Everest. You'll be disappointed to see a protrusion of rock which is rather black or brown, but not white. It has also been projected that by 2035 all the glaciers of the Himalayas will have melted. Of course there was some dispute, some disagreements with this. But from those of us who come from the Himalayas, our worry is that it may melt even before 2035. The mountains which used to be snow-covered throughout the year are now no longer that way. Very few have snow in the mountains. 

Even in winter a lot of the snow comes very late. Bhutan, where the conservation of the environment is exemplary and has nature almost intact, in it's natural form, has not been spared by climate change. Rainfall and snow has reduced, and as a result, a lot of the sources of water are drying up very rapidly. In the land of once abundant water I now see water as a possible, costly, long-term problem. I don't know, those of you who have been to Bhutan might have seen a lot of ugly haze in the winter. This does not come from Bhutan. It comes from across the border. So it's very clear that global warming effects all of us, the guilty as well as the innocent. No country anywhere is spared. We are all in the same sinking boat. 

 The most sensible thing for all of us, for all the countries in the world, to do is to repair the boat, regardless of which side the leak is from. Because we all are in the same sinking boat. But if you listen to the debate, you'll see a lot of differences of opinion. The developing countries taking one side, justifying why they should be allowed to emit more carbon. The developed countries trying to protect the present growth and income levels and therefore refusing to set carbon limits. But we are all sinking together. Bhutan is hopeful that the recommendations of the very recent UN conference, which was held in New York on the 2nd of April. The topic is "Well being and Happiness: Defining a New Economic Paradigm," hosted by Bhutan and supported by the UN. It will receive serious consideration at the Rio+20 Summit in June, this year. A lot of useful recommendations have been made, perhaps the most concrete so far, in order to save this planet. 

 In a world that is unequal and unsustainable, security is, I think, really out of the question. There is not much future actually. Only the certain destruction of humanity, and all beings on this earth, if we do not act now. We're losing time. In fact, during the conference in New York the prime minister of Bhutan remarked that, and I quote, "Mankind is like a meteor blazing toward self-annihilation along with all other innocent life forms." But this course can be changed if we act now. And act, we must. Ladies and gentlemen, now I will touch upon Bhutan's concept of Gross National Happiness. Hereafter, I will refer to this as GNH. In a world that is unfair, unsustainable, unsafe and not clear about what is progress or where it is headed, there is an urgent need for a new development paradigm. I think this is a message that came out quite clearly even in the New York conference and in many other meetings held elsewhere in the world. 

The old way of considering human development was societal progress, mainly through the GNP growth and income levels do not reflect the true condition of our world. In the pursuit of growth by the GNP model, the world has witnessed damages to the environment. The more you damage, the more the growth rate is. The more trees you cut, the more you mine. Inequity of income destruction is very unfair. It is inequitable, as I mentioned earlier. The loss of tradition and culture-- in a lot of the countries that's lost and gone forever now. The loss of mental peace. There's a lot of stress. People have no time for anything else. 

And generally not attaining contentment and happiness, the ultimate desire of human beings. It is now widely accepted that more money does not necessarily lead to greater happiness. In fact, many wealthy people no longer have time to enjoy what they've earned. They have worked so hard, become extremely stressed, alienated from other people, and sometimes even lonely in the midst of many. This is what is happening in the world now. We, in Bhutan, believe that in the Gross National Happiness paradigm, or GNH, introduced by His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck, the fourth king, in the 1970s. In this we believe that we have found a holistic approach to societal progress that addresses all the shortcomings of the GNP-lead growth model. The king, while still a very young man, coined the term Gross National Happiness, and said that GNH was more important than GNP. That the responsibility of the state was to embark on a development program that has direct barring on the well-being and happiness of the common people. The king used to be the chairman of the planning commission, and he passed this directive to the government. 

GNH, while still evolving in a dynamic world, is now considered a more holistic and balanced development paradigm. It recognized the importance of physical as well as psychological well-being. It defines happiness as the ultimate goal of life. It entrusts the state with the responsibility of creating the basic conditions that are necessary within which happiness can be pursued. These conditions are known as the four pillars of GNH. These are namely-- First, equitable, socio-economic development. The second pillar is conservation of the environment. The third pillar is preservation of culture and tradition, and the fourth is good governance. While happiness is a subjective feeling differing from person to person, and hence not possible to ensure uniformly, the state has the responsibility to create the conditions that promote or enable people to pursue happiness. Even the American constitution recognizes this right to pursue happiness. 

It is very clearly mentioned. In fact, the most important human institution of all, the religions of the world, all promote lasting happiness as the ultimate goal. So it's really nothing new. It's been there all the time. I'm confident that all of us gathered here today would also like to be happy. I don't see too many smiles, but-- [laughter] It's all in your heart, I can understand that.  The desire to be happy is universal and timeless. It is natural and innate to all beings. Now I will go into the four pillars. I will give some explanation. 

The first pillar of GNH is equitable social and economic development. While it has been said that GNH is more important than GNP, it must be clearly understood that GNP is also necessary. There can be no GNH is people are poor, uneducated, unhealthy and do not enjoy the basic amenities of life. The living standard must be good enough so that the quality of life is adequate to enable people to pursue happiness. Hence, economic growth and much easier prosperity is a necessary condition for happiness. This is contrary to misconceptions that money does not matter. Money does matter a lot. Much easier prosperity is however, is a necessary but not a sufficient condition for happiness. It's one of the conditions. The GNH model promotes the middle part of widening extremes and ensuring balance. 

 Well, nowadays, as we have seen, it is common knowledge that more wealth does not lead to greater happiness beyond certain income threshold levels. Human beings need spiritual and psychological well-being as well. Therefore, poverty, in it's multidimensional aspect, is regarded as the greatest obstacle to justice, harmony and the pursuit of happiness. Poverty must be eradicated through equitable and sustainable growth. It can be done, and in must be done. In Bhutan the basic object of planning and development is the provision of some of the basic requirements of life, such as access to education, health facilities, safe drinking water and sanitation. And nowadays of course, telecommunication, Internet, electricity and road networks. We also promote hydroelectricity and tourism to create employment and to generate revenue. I must very happily say that the government has been quite successful in ensuring primary education enrollment now to about 99%. Access to primary health coverage is also over 95%. 

We have almost 100% telephone coverage. We just achieved it a few months back. Over 80% of the people have already access to electricity, even in remote areas. Over 95% of the people have access to clean drinking water and sanitation facilities. Most of the population centers are now accessible by road. We have a huge road construction program going on. So within the next two years' time we believe that most of the basic facilities, even in the remote parts of the country, will be available to the people.  I would also like to mention that education and health services are provided free of cost, and most of the other essential services are subsidized to keep them affordable. Our people are not rich. If it was expensive they would not use the facility. 

 Getting to the GNP, our economic growth rate has been more than 7% for the last 20 years or so, and it has now crossed 9% per annum. The per capita income level has reached, as I mentioned at the beginning, from less than $200 to now about $2000, which by your standard is very, very low, but it is a significant improvement in recent years. By our South Asian standards, it's considered quite decent. The private sector is also growing and becoming the engine of growth. This was not the case when I came here. Hydro power and tourism are the key industries. Tourism because of the environment, the mountains and the scene, and hydro power because we have plenty of potential thanks to the good environment and the water. Recently we have also been trying to promote Bhutan as an international hub for education, health and IT services. Basically, green industries. I would like to mention a little bit about hydropower, because this has the greatest potential for Bhutan. 

In some countries they feel that building dams, etc, would damage the environment, so I'd just like to explain a little bit. As a result of the good forest cover, the good environment, in spite of the reduced rainfall that I just talked about, we still have tremendous potential for hydropower. In fact, it is estimated that we can generate more than 30,000 megawatts. I believe Nepal has the potential to generate more than 80,000. We are in the process of undertaking projects to harness at least 10,000 megawatts by the year 2020. A lot of the projects are under construction. All these projects, once completed, will come under the good care of my friend here. All the power projects are under him and he's a very powerful man therefore. [laughter] This will create a lot of revenue for the government. Of course, energy you can sell as energy to energy-hungry India just next door, to Bangladesh and all the neighbors. 

Also, we can start many industries. While it presents tremendous potential we have to be careful to ensure that only environmentally friendly industries are permitted. The hydropower projects are of the type know as Run-of-the-River schemes. We do not build large dams. There is no point. They will not hold much water anyway because of the terrain. Basically the water is diverted under a hill through a tunnel, so there is very little damage to the environment. There is very little displacement of people also. Hydropower in Bhutan is a Green industry.  I would also like to mention that there is absolutely no abject poverty in Bhutan, but the number of those below the poverty line is about 15% and decreasing steadily. 

We hope that within another five years' time we will have, if possible, nobody under the poverty line. The income levels, their disparity particularly, is unfortunately increasing with development. But it is still among the lowest in the region. So the disparity in income levels in Bhutan is not as much as in many of the neighboring countries. It is a much fairer society from that point of view. Now I touch upon the second pillar, and that is the conservation of the environment. Bhutan has fortunately recognized the interdependence of Man and nature long before most countries. In fact, this has been Bhutan's strong point. We have initiated timely laws and regulations to protect the environment, particularly the forests. There was a lot of demand for forest products so we had to be very careful. 

In fact, the constitution of Bhutan requires that a minimum of 60% of the land at all times be kept under forest.  As a result of this sound policy the forest cover in Bhutan, after development, has actually increased. Now it is presently about 80%. Even in the capitol city, if you saw a picture 30 years back, you see a barren hill. Now it's all covered with trees.  Also by law, and by some of the initiatives taken in recent times, about 50% of the land area is under National Parks, and therefore a safe haven for flora and fauna. Excuse me.  In fact, one of the most common complaints of the farmers now is the increasing damage to crops caused by wildlife as the result of the growing animal habitat near villages, because the forests are growing. Bhutan is also recognized as a global bio diversity hotspot. The flora and the fauna is still in pristine form. 

We have animals and plants that range from what you might see in the subtropics to almost the Arctic, given the range of climate zones, depending upon the altitude. It's a small country but there's a wide variety of animals and plants. I'm sure many of you must have heard about the tiger habitat at an altitude of over 4000 meters in Bhutan, as recorded and broadcast by the BBC last year. Even elephants have been spotted at altitudes of over 2000 meters on very steep hillsides. Very recently, just before I came here, I was traveling in the south of the country and I was amazed to learn that elephants quite freely pass by houses and use paths that are sometimes near the villages, sometimes that are even going through villages. This was news to me also. I think these occurrences, in some ways, are the results of Bhutan's pristine environment, but sadly, it is also the loss of natural habitat in neighboring countries. So their habitat has been damaged so they're forced into the quite different kind of habitat which they're not really used to. The forest cover in Bhutan has of course also been beneficial to our neighbors. It has minimized the risk of erosion and the very destructive flooding that is quite characteristic of the Himalayas. 

Therefore it has been a great help to India and Bangladesh. On the other hand, pollution in the neighboring countries, and even elsewhere in the world, have subjected Bhutan to, as I mentioned earlier, unseasonable haze, global warming and the drying up of our water systems.  Now I go to the third pillar, and that is the preservation of culture and tradition. Now this is something that I do not see in the concerns of most of the other countries and the agencies who talk about happiness and well-being. Human well-being and happiness requires not just material comfort, but spiritual and psychological fulfillment. We believe that the culture of our people is as essential to promote values, psychological well-being and harmony in society. In the case of Bhutan, a small country, our culture is also the most visible mark of our national identity. Without culture and values, human beings cannot realize their full potential, and life would be sterile and mechanical. Values are the basis for social ethics, harmony and co-existence, and a sense of contentment without which human greed will not be quenched and well-being will not lead to happiness. We need values. 

The preservation of culture, both tangible as well as intangible, are therefore accorded very high priority in the policies of the government of Bhutan. We promote traditional ethics and mannerism, how we behave, how we relate to each other. I must admit that some of the younger people are not very happy with it, but it's necessary. We give importance to traditional dance and music, customary festivals. Some of these festivals are very popular also with the tourists. Local foods, while I think a lot of the food can be approved. Traditional clothing, and the unique architecture and style of Bhutan. This is an example of traditional clothing.  All buildings in Bhutan must incorporate the basic architectural style of Bhutan in the facade even if the interior needs to be more modern. Bhutan is probably the only country where traditional dress is worn in public offices and generally, by most people, at all times. 

But Bhutan is definitely the only country where the men wear the dress. [laughter] Skirt, rather. That sounds even better. [laughter] Many people have said this is a kind of a skirt. Culture gives inner meaning to life, such as family values, community spirit, ethical living, contentment, love and care, tolerance and harmony in society, and generally, refinement and enrichment of life. It leads to values to the higher and finer things of life beyond the mundane and the material, to the spiritual and psychological fulfillment that is necessary for genuine happiness.  I'm happy to say that Bhutan has a liberal and tolerant culture. Hence, our society is less bound by social prejudices and probably is one of the most egalitarian and liberal in Asia. I now come to the fourth pillar of GNH. That is good governance. 

The key to the success of the country and the achievement of the lofty ideals of insuring the well-being and happiness of the people lies in having an effective, caring and just government. I think this has been the problem in most of the developing countries, lack of good governance. This was foreseen quite early on and therefore our king insisted on having good governance, ensuring that there is a strong and just government. A great amount of effort was spent in strengthening the civil service and the judiciary. Administrative and legislative reforms were introduced to improve governance at all levels, and Bhutan was able to develop a fairly good cadre of civil service which, in the end, was responsible for enabling the country to go on the path of very rapid development. This has also reached all the corners. It has been rather balanced.  The donor community recognized and appreciated Bhutan's good governance long before the introduction of democracy, even when the king's power was absolute. The government became not only effective, but again, I'm happy to say, the least corrupt in the region. Basic development was widespread and reached all corners of the country. 

Access to justice was easy and not fraught with hurdles and high cost as in many countries. The separation of the judiciary and the executive was assured by the constitution. We also have various oversight constitutional bodies, like the Royal Authority and the Anti-corruption Commission, to basically monitor good governance.  Well, not withstanding the people's complete confidence and loyalty, and in a very historic and unprecedented move, the king announced some time in September, 2001 that Bhutan would become a democracy. He set up a representative task force to draft a constitution. That was in 2001. The people were shocked and appealed to the king to reconsider, or at least postpone, the introduction of democracy. [laughter] They all were happy with the benevolent rule of the king. I must say that the examples of democracy in many parts of the world were really something from where you could learn what not to do, rather than what to do. The examples are pretty poor. 

People were concerned. They said, things are going well, why spoil it? Democracy meant corruption. It meant disagreements, fights in the eyes of most of our people. But the king had other ideas. The king was adamant and said that the introduction of democracy was the fulfillment of one of his most important objectives. He said, I've been doing nothing but preparing for this all my life. It's got to be done. Hence, democracy in Bhutan, came by way of the will of an absolute monarch and not by the will of the people. I think this is the ultimate gesture to give meaning to good governance. A government of the people, for the people and by the people. 

Of course, now the task of ensuring good governance rests with the people themselves through the electoral process, and laws and institutions. With this visionary and extraordinary gesture, the king gave true meaning to good governance and hence, GNH. Unlike many other people, he practiced what he preached.  Now I would like to come to the topic about measuring happiness. This was always the controversy. Okay, it's good to have happiness as the objective, can you make sure it happens? Can you measure it? This was a debate that was going on for a long time. In the beginning we thought that GNH was something worthwhile pursuing even if it could not be measured. So we went ahead. But over the years, given the international interest in the subject, and the subsequent discussions and debates, we decided to develop a GNH index. It had to be measured if it was to be taken seriously. 

The task was made easier as various attempts were also being made elsewhere in the world to measure human well-being by organizations and even states. The director mentioned some examples earlier. Expert advisors were sought, relevant ideas or terms were incorporated from studies carried outside by academia, by research organizations, by donor agencies, etc. The new index borrowed initially from the UN's Human Development Index. They have a lot of common features. Also from the European Social Survey and others. There's so many, I cannot recall all of them. The objective was to measure the level of happiness based on the attainments in the various components of the four pillars that I just mentioned. That, in a manner, covers everything actually. And as the Nobel Laureate, Dr. Joseph Stiglitz said, "What we measure affects what we do." So it was important to measure happiness if it is to be taken seriously, firstly by ourselves, and then by the rest of the world. 

These days, people want to measure things all the time. Likewise, Professor Dr. Jeffery -- in the World Happiness Report says that happiness can be measured. And I quote, "The Gross National Happiness Index--" And he's referring to Bhutan's index. "Is the first of it's kind in the world. A serious, thoughtful and sustained attempt to measure happiness, and use those measurements to chart the course of public policy." He goes on the say, "Bhutan is on to something path-breaking and deeply insightful. And that the world is increasingly taking notice." In order to facilitate measurement the four pillars that I just mentioned were divided into four physical well-being domains such as living standard, education, health, ecological diversity and resilience. And also five non-physical domains as community vitality, cultural resilience, time-use. I think we just mentioned about time-use, and good governance. I mean, if you don't have the time, after working so hard, you can't enjoy what you've earned. You need time to be with your family, to interact with the community, to exercise for good health, and to basically enjoy the fruits of your labor. 

Time-use is very important. These nine domains where further divided into 32 indicators to see how the components of these domains are being affected by public policy, or the general socio-economic development. It's unfortunately quite complicated, but an attempt has been made. The GNH index is still at a preliminary stage of development and needs to be simplified. It is very complicated, and if it is very complicated it does not become useful. Last time in a seminar I was told by the director in charge that in some cases it took three of four hours to fill in a single questionnaire. I will say that if it remains that way, it's not going to get far. Anyway, it will be improved. While the GNH is a -- model, human well-being is a more commonly accepted aspiration, and as such, recent developments to enhance and measure well-being in France, UK, Japan, just to mention a few countries, and many other countries. Even at the level of cities and counties in some countries. 

In Brazil, for instance, there was, I believe, a municipality where this was taken as seriously as in Bhutan, if not more. And even in some companies they are also injecting components of the GNH. Since this was being done, the task of formulating the index was that much easier. There is something to draw upon. All these have a lot in common. The main difference between GNH and well-being indexes, of course, is that the GNH goes beyond well-being to happiness as the goal of life. I think well-being is a step in the progress to happiness. Now happiness itself is being recognized as an objective by a growing number of countries, organizations and intellectuals the world over. I think this also clearly came out in the recent meeting in New York. Within Bhutan, all of our plans and policies must fulfill the GNH criteria, which is drawn up by the national planning body, also known as the Gross National Happiness Commission. 

We hope the name will have an impact on what is being done. The entire plan is structured on the basis of these four pillars and monitored accordingly. This is how we operationalize GNH. Having followed the path of GNH one might wonder whether development of Bhutan has been equitable and sustainable, and more importantly, are the people of Bhutan happier? This is something that people always ask. Well, if you talk to the Bhutanese, they will definitely say that the people of Bhutan are among the happiest in the world. The state has created the whole condition for us to be happy.  Most Bhutanese feel highly satisfied with the status of the nation in terms of peace and safety. They always say what a peaceful country we have. It's safe. The environment is near pristine. 

Opportunities, nowadays, given the rapid transformation of the economy, even the opportunities are immense. If you are willing to work hard, there are a lot of opportunities to do many things. A lot of the services, like health and education, are free and accessible all over, even in the villages. You can go to school without money. You cannot do this in many countries. The family value is still very strong. The family social network is extremely strong at this juncture. This is very highly valued. Community vitality is still very strong in the villages. Unfortunately it's becoming a little weak in the towns. 

This is something that we need to put back into the system. We have a system of people coming together in terms of problem, in terms of happiness, and helping each other in the agriculture, in construction, etc. This is being a little diminished these days. Some things we have to work to get back. Then we have our flourishing spiritual institutions. There are so many religious functions, etc., where people get together and so on. I think this is also very important for the psychology of the people. And, of course I'm in the government, but I would like to still say that we have a very caring and responsive government. The government is very visible whenever there's a problem, be it a road accident, a house getting burned, roof blown off, a water channel disrupted. Immediately, people run to the government, and government is always there. 

This also is something I think is probably quite unique to Bhutan. It is possible because we are a very small country. Of course, one example that we'd like to mention every now and then is the students studying abroad, including here in the United States. The return rate is almost 100%. If it is an indication of a happier place. I went back myself. I was offered a job, and this friend, he wanted to know why I wanted to go back. That was very interesting anyway.  I would, however, like to remind you that the Bhutanese are human beings no different from anybody else. We are not free from the growing consumerism and the desire for material prosperity. 

It is growing very rapidly day by day, and creating a lot of problems. I think all the more reason why we need proper policies and principles in place so that this does not overtake everything else.  The bottom line is, sorry to disappoint you but, Bhutan is not Shangri-La. We are just one of the small, developing countries that is still highly dependant on foreign aid, struggling very hard to provide basic services to our people, to reduce poverty, and to catch up with the rest of the world in a highly competitive global environment. It's a very difficult task. There are many people inside Bhutan, and outside, who sometimes feel that our emphasis on GNH is going a little overboard, and that we are neglecting things that need to be done, and that we are portraying a wrong image. I think that is not the case. In fact, we can convinced more than ever that we have found the right path to development, a path that is sustainable, equitable, people-centric and holistic. GNH has served Bhutan very well. We need to continue with this. 

There has also been a lot of global interest in GNH. It is clear that the world needs a more holistic development paradigm to redirect development on the correct path to equity, sustainability and security on a finite planet. The GNH, the development paradigm of Bhutan, offers one such approach. In recent years, the idea of happiness as a goal of development gained worldwide attention. Several conferences were held in Bhutan, as well as many other countries, in colleges in the United States, in Japan, Canada, Brazil, India, Spain, Korea, and so many other places. Our prime minister has spoken on the subject in various international forums. In fact, he is in great demand. He's very articulate and he's a very important, I would say, messenger of GNH and sustainable development. With each new meeting ideas emerged and various organizations, as well as even individuals, have contributed to giving GNH an international flavor. The greatest moment for GNH was the resolution of the UN, sponsored by Bhutan and co-sponsored by no less than 68 other countries. 

I've not heard of any other resolution being sponsored by that many countries at any given time. On 19 July last year, they adopted unanimously the resolution that says happiness towards a holistic development. This resolution by the UN has given GNH global recognition and support as a more relevant development paradigm. The recent conference, which is a follow-up to this one actually, on 2 April in New York on Well-being and Happiness, Defining a New Economic Paradigm. That is the topic. It is another conference, again, sponsored by Bhutan, with the support of the UN. I think this was also an overwhelming success, with more than 700 participants. It was attended by a large area of distinguished intellectuals, government representatives, civil society representatives and many other concerned citizens of the world. Bhutan was honored to have the University of Wisconsin represented by no less a person than the Nobel Laureate, Dr. Jonathan Patz, and the very distinguished scientist Dr. Richard Davidson. [inaudible]  When the throat dries up, it means you should go. 

[laughter] And please, a little bit of patience once again. Just to know the kind of support we received, I would just like to quote a few from some of the participants. The president of Costa Rica. And as you know, Costa Rica is rated very highly when it comes to sustainable development. In fact, they say the greenest nation on Earth. The president, in our keynote speech, said that there were many paths to happiness. Now I quote, "But the more global initiative unanimously embraced by the United Nations is the one launched by Bhutan." The secretary general of the UN, appreciating Bhutan's development philosophy, said that, "Sustainable development is intricately linked to happiness and well-being." He underlined that the UN Sustainable Development conference, which is also known as Rio+20, is going to be held in Brazil in June this year, "...will need to provide an outcome that reflects this." He has also taken note. This conference and the preparatory work, as well as the follow-up activities, I hope, will provide invaluable inputs to the Rio summit in June. The prime minister of Bhutan will submit reports to the summit. We are hopeful that a global consensus will soon emerge to enhance sustainability and happiness in the world by adopting a holistic measure of progress that takes into account social, environmental, economic and human aspects of development and progress. 

The move towards global adoption of a holistic development paradigm has indeed started. But again, as the prime minister of Bhutan has said, "A great beginning has been made, but it is the end that we must strive for. The momentum must not be lost, it must be continued." GNH has inspired, and in turn, has been influenced by the global dialogue on the need to adopt a holistic development paradigm. It is, by whatever name it is called outside of Bhutan, they may not call it GNH, becoming international in character. Bhutan is privileged to have contributed in some small measure to this urgent effort to save our world. GNH, as complicated as it may sound to many people, as confusing to many people, is actually not at all complicated. It is simply, and I quote, "Development with human value." As the present king of Bhutan, His Majesty Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck put it. May I take this opportunity to thank the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies of the University of Wisconsin for kindly inviting me to take part in this very important conference, and for the interest in Bhutan's development philosophy of GNH. I would particularly like to thank Dr. Mitman, the director, Mr. Steve Pomplun, the assistant director, and Mr. Andrew Sellers, for making it possible for me to be here, and for the kind hospitality extended to me and my delegation. I would also like to thank all the wonderful people who had the patience to listen to me this afternoon. 

It's been such a wonderful opportunity for me to have this opportunity to introduce my country's development paradigm under the auspices of the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies of the University of Wisconsin, which is one of the finest centers of learning in the world. Thank you very much. [applause]