Embedding Wellbeing in Northern Ireland: New Support for Communities

Guest post by Aideen McGinley, Chair of the Advisory Group for the Embedding Wellbeing in Northern Ireland project, Carnegie UK Trust

Across the UK and Ireland, local government, in discussion with communities and citizens, is increasingly being given the freedom to map out the economic, social, environmental, and democratic outcomes they are striving for, responsive to local priorities and challenges.

How Society Could Be Happier Beyond GDP: Video with Happy City

“If we use the wrong measures, we will strive for the wrong things” – Nobel Laureate Joseph Stiglitz.

The Network of Wellbeing (NOW) and Happy City hosted a webinar to mark International Day of Happiness and the 50th anniversary of Senator Robert Kennedy’s famous speech about the weaknesses of measuring societal progress only in terms of a growing economy. Check out the highlights and the full webinar video in this post.

International Day of Happiness: Share What Makes You Happy Beyond GDP

On 20th March it'll be International Day of Happiness. This March also marks 50 years since Robert Kennedy made a famous speech spelling out the inadequacy of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as a measure of societal progress, saying that, “it measures everything, in short, apart from that which makes life worthwhile”. In the lead up to International Day of Happiness, we will be joining together with Happy City to highlight how a fairer economy will lead to more happiness and wellbeing for all. We’d love you to be involved, including by entering a #HappyBeyondGDP photo competition and joining us at a free webinar on how society could be happier beyond GDP.

Thriving Places Index Launch: Measuring Wellbeing Beyond GDP

A focus on economic growth and GDP as an end in itself has delivered neither equitable or sustainable wellbeing. The global economy doubled in 25 years, but this has been accompanied by carbon emissions rising to dangerous levels. Inequality is reaching such epic proportions that the top 1% now have more money than the bottom 99%. There is an urgent need for new ways to measure our progress.

On Monday 19th February Happy City launched a new Thriving Places Index to help address this urgent need through providing a new local framework of indicators to measure what really counts; namely those factors which make our communities happy, healthy and well.

How To Save The Planet With A Doughnut: Kate Raworth Video and Review

Members of the NOW team recently attended a presentation by radical economist Kate Raworth at the Dartington Ways with Words and Ideas Festival. She was speaking about her new book ‘Doughnut Economics: seven ways to think like a 21st century economist.’