Welcome to The World Happiness Foundation’s Public Policy Forum

"We need to work together at a systemic level to create the necessary change"

Growing inequalities, lost diversity, pandemics, and climate change are only some of the serious challenges facing humanity in the coming decades. All of these crises are interconnected and we cannot confront them in isolation. Our current economic systems are failing to foster a productive and healthy balance between societal, individual, and environmental needs and goals.

That is why we support the leaders from governments and organizations that are disrupting current systems by implementing new policies and initiatives that are advancing the dialogue on creating economies of happiness and well-being for all.

In Partnership with the United Nations University for Peace

The Foundation stewards two UN resolutions:

The Foundation specifically stewards two UN resolutions:

UN RESOLUTION 65/309

Happiness: Towards a Holistic Approach to Development

UN RESOLUTION 66/281

International Day
of Happiness

We Support Global Political Initiatives

All of our work supports the UN Global Compact and many of the Sustainable Development Goals

We bring together the world leaders and experts on Public Policy across multiple disciplines such as Health Care, Education, Environment, Economy, Psychology, Business, Research, Statistics, and the United Nations 2030 agenda to breakdown silos and to improve the overall happiness and well-being of all beings.

We bring a holistic approach incorporating view from the leading institutions and the professionals behind the latest research and policies around the world.

We help advance the dialogue on Public Policy towards an Economy of Happiness and Well-Being.

GLOBAL HAPPINESS AND WELL-BEING POLICY REPORT

The 2019 Global Happiness and Well-Being Policy Report is produced by the Global Happiness Council (GHC) and contains papers by expert working groups on happiness for good governance. This report provides evidence and policy recommendations on best practices to promote happiness and well-being. The 2019 Global Happiness and Well-Being Policy Report was presented at World Government Summit held in Dubai on February 10, 2019.

WORLD HAPPINESS REPORT

The World Happiness Report is a landmark survey of the state of global happiness that ranks 156 countries by how happy their citizens perceive themselves to be. The report is produced by the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network in partnership with the Ernesto Illy Foundation. The World Happiness Report was written by a group of independent experts acting in their personal capacities. Any views expressed in this report do not necessarily reflect the views of any organization, agency or program of the United Nations.

OECD BETTER LIFE INDEX

How is LIFE? There is more to life than the cold numbers of GDP and economic statistics – This Index allows you to compare well-being across countries, based on 11 topics the OECD has identified as essential, in the areas of material living conditions and quality of life.

HAPPY PLANET INDEX

The Happy Planet Index measures what matters: sustainable wellbeing for all. It tells us how well nations are doing at achieving long, happy, sustainable lives. Wealthy Western countries, often seen as the standard of success, do not rank highly on the Happy Planet Index. Instead, several countries in Latin America and the Asia Pacific region lead the way by achieving high life expectancy and wellbeing with much smaller Ecological Footprints. The Happy Planet Index provides a compass to guide nations, and shows that it is possible to live good lives without costing the Earth.

Join our World Happiness & Well-Being Public Policy Forum at the World Happiness Fest.

Gross National Happiness, or GNH, is a holistic and sustainable approach to development, which balances material and non-material values with the conviction that humans want to search for happiness. The objective of GNH is to achieve a balanced development in all facets of life that are essential; for our happiness.

We are in the age of the Anthropocene when the fate of the planet and all life is within the power of mankind. Boundless consumerism, widening socio-economic inequality and instability is causing rapid natura resource depletion and degradation. Climate change, species extinction, multiple crises, growing insecurity, instability and conflicts are not only diminishing our well-being but are also threatening our very survival.

Today, it is inconceivable for modern society to function without the business of commerce, finance, industry or trade. These very factors are altering human destiny by the day in extraordinary ways, both positive and negative. GNH directly addresses such global, national and individual challenges by pointing to the non-material roots of well-being and offering ways to balance and satisfy the dual needs of the human being within the limits of what nature can provide on a sustainable basis.

The Economy of Happiness and Well-Being

We support the emergence of new economic paradigms

Growing inequalities, lost diversity, pandemics, and climate change are only some of the serious challenges that humanity faces in the coming decades. All of these crises are interconnected, and we cannot confront them in isolation. Our current economic systems are not designed to deliver a balanced approach to social and environmental initiatives. World Happiness Foundation Founder, Luis Gallardo addresses these issues in his report on The Economy of Happiness and Well-Being.

An economy is a collection of norms and rules that reward certain behaviors and punish others. The economies of the 21st century destroy natural wealth, degrade communal bonds, and incentivize overconsumption. This is how our economies have evolved to function, which also means that we can change them and evolve in new directions. It is time we think about how.

Happytalism, Key to (Re)connection

Ganga river in Rishikesh

Flowing with the Ganga: Sacred Waters, Inner Yoga, and the River of Transformation

As I sit on the banks of the Ganga in Rishikesh—this ancient city where sages have meditated for millennia—I feel the current of something much deeper than water. The Ganga is not merely a river. She is a living, sacred presence. A mother. A mirror. A reminder of impermanence and possibility. And for me, she has become a guide in this very personal and professional moment of integration. I am here in Rishikesh immersing myself in yogic practice—not just asana or breathwork, but in the fullest sense of Yoga as union. Union of body and spirit, mind and heart, self and cosmos. This union is also the essence of my work as a researcher and professor at Shoolini University, where I explore the deep intersections between ego deconstruction, non-duality, and transformational methods like hypnotherapy and the Meta Pets system. Sitting by the Ganga, I see this work reflected in the river’s eternal message: Let go, flow, renew. The Sacred Ganga: More Than a River In Hindu cosmology, the Ganga descends from the heavens to purify the earth. Flowing

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Luis Miguel Gallardo and Saamdu Chetri

Between War and Wisdom: A Journey to Peace in the Himalayas

As I arrived in India in early May to begin my PhD and become a Professor of Practice at the Yogananda School of Spirituality and Happiness at Shoolini University, nestled in the tranquil foothills of the Himalayas and led by Saamdu Chetri , I was filled with anticipation. This academic journey, dedicated to spirituality and well-being, promised a life of study and inner growth. I had no idea that the arrival of my new campus would coincide with an outbreak of violence between India and Pakistan. A Flight Interrupted by Conflict The peaceful welcome I had imagined soon gave way to a far more somber reality. Days before my program was set to start, my flight into the region was canceled as nearby airports were closed amid escalating tensions. India had launched Operation Sindoor, and Pakistan responded with Operation Bunyan Marsoos. With military planes roaring overhead, violence escalated rapidly, and the situation on the ground was becoming increasingly dire. I had to travel to Shoolini University by car, winding through the mountainous terrain that separates Chandigarh from Dharamshala.

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HH Dalai Lama and Luis Miguel Gallardo

An Embrace of Peace: My Meeting with His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Dharamshala

There are moments that seem to collapse time into a single breath, moments where everything aligns—spirit, mission, and presence. One such moment unfolded during my recent pilgrimage to Dharamshala, where I had the honor of meeting His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. As I stepped into the sacred space of his residence, nestled in the hills that echo the prayers of exiles and seekers, I felt the quiet hum of a higher frequency—a peace that surpasses words. Then, as we stood face to face, His Holiness placed his forehead gently on mine. In that instant, the world softened. Time paused. I could feel the warmth of his smile not only on his lips, but in his eyes, and through the hands that he tenderly held in mine. We bowed together—an eternal gesture of mutual respect and shared intention. And then, with the simple elegance that only true sages possess, he offered a letter of support to the 10 Billion Happy by 2050 initiative, an audacious vision we are advancing through the World Happiness Foundation. **“Dear Luis, His Holiness

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Happytalism
Happytalism

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