The United Nations currently observes 173 international days in a year based on resolutions adopted by the UN General Assembly. The idea is to ‘educate the general public on issues of concern, to mobilize political will and resources to address global problems, and to celebrate and reinforce achievements of humanity.’ International days are marked by many activities organized by UN agencies, governments, and private organizations around the world. Sometimes multiple international days coincide on a single date on the calendar. For example, on March 21 five international days are observed – International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, World Poetry Day, International Day of Nowruz, World Down Syndrome Day, and International Day of Forests. The day before, on March 20, an interesting international day is observed – International Day of Happiness. According to the United Nations, this day is celebrated to recognize the importance of happiness in the lives of people.
The UN resolution for observance of the International Day of Happiness was initiated by Bhutan in 2012. According to an article published by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in 2016, the concept of happiness serving as a guiding principle for governance has been present in Bhutan for centuries. The GNH Centre Bhutan, a non-profit civil society organization under the Patronage of Her Royal Highness Ashi Kesang Chodren Wangchuck, highlights that according to Bhutan’s legal code of 1629, “If the government cannot create happiness for its people, then there is no purpose for government to exist”. That’s quite blatant and decisive! Bhutan’s fourth king Jigme Singye Wanchuk introduced the term Gross National Happiness (GNH) in 1972. He declared that the conventional measure of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is less important since it couldn’t reflect the happiness and well-being of people.
According to Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative, Bhutan’s economic and social policies have been guided by the concept of GNH since the above declaration of its king Jigme Singye Wanchuk. Later, Bhutan created a GNH index that included measures of Psychological well-being, Health, Education, Time use, Cultural diversity and resilience, Good governance, Community vitality, Ecological diversity and resilience, and Living standards.
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This article was published in the Daily Sun on March 21, 2023. Please read the full article here or here.