What humans live by? How important is happiness in human life? How do we become happy? How can we contribute to others living more happily? Answers to such questions since ancient times may seem simple, but are indeed different for everyone.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) works for decent, better life for all in the world. A world achieved by the Sustainable Development Goals will be one where human beings are healthier and happier. All efforts to this end.
We want to tell you the stories of good people of Turkey who were empowered by projects supported by UNDP, whose lives changed, who diffused such positive impact around and supported other people. We first listened their stories, and ultimately asked them to make a statement starting with “Happiness is…” We had various responses shaped by individual experience.
How can we create the conditions necessary for people to be happy?
We wanted to investigate both the contribution of UNDP-supported work to happiness of people, understand the relation, and what made people happy. If we know what happiness is to people, we can do things to contribute to their happiness, channel our energy in the direction.
As underlined by Jon Hall, Policy Specialist from the UNDP Human Development Report Office, in his article, further focus on happiness when assessing human development or more importantly aiming human happiness may inform policy-makers as well. Paying attention to measuring happiness and its determinants and formulating policies accordingly may lead us to a world of happier and healthier people.
UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner says in his article: “The International Day of Happiness is a good sign reminding us that the world is changing. If we are to understand how we progress and why we sometimes fail and eventually increase the quality of life for all, pursuing happiness may give us an answer.”
Really, what do you think happiness is?
Please ask yourself and your friends to make a statement starting with “Happiness is…”
These responses will guide us to a better world.