Frontline – August 02, 2019

country of Bhutan andthe“happiness project”the

BuddhistHimalayan kingdom hadbeenpursuingsince

the early1970s.

The“project” wasfirst highlightedbeforethe worldin

1972 , whenJigme SingyeWangchuck,thethenCrown

Prince of Bhutan,statedthatgrossnationalhappiness

(GNH) wasmoreimportant thangrossnational product

WHEN THE UNITEDNATIONSGENERAL

Assemblypasseda resolution titled“Happiness:towards

a holisticapproachto development”in July 2011 urging

member nations to measurethehappinessandwell-

beingof theircitizens andcallinghappinessa “funda-

mental humangoal”,it alsoacknowledged thatthein-

spirationfor pioneeringsuchan initiative wasthe small

Pursuit of happiness

Russia showcases methods and programmes associated with its own

iterationof the“happinessproject”pioneeredbyBhutan, withspecific focus

onlongevity,healthcare,education andanactivelifestyle.

TEXT&PHOTOGRAPHSBYVENKITESHRAMAKRISHNAN,RECENTLYINMOSCOW

WORLD AFFAIRS

RUSSIA

IAN

LANDSBERG/

AFRICAN

NEWS

AGENCY.