News

Wellbeing, Happiness and the SDGs: QWB Lab in Thailand

QWB Lab co-founder Robert Sadleir presented on ‘Wellbeing, Happiness and the Sustainable Development Goals’ to an academic forum of more than 70 researchers, academics and government officials at the National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA) in Bangkok, Thailand.

The discussion highlighted how both the Happiness Index inspired by Bhutan’s fourth king, Jigme Singye and his notion of Gross National Happiness, and the Better Living Index developed by the OECD, are useful tools to measure the impact of the Sustainable Development Goals. These frameworks share the common objective to build more balanced and resilient national economies.

Thailand is seeing the role of its 30,000 Buddhist monasteries and temples changing from places of worship and moral learning, to now becoming curators of the arts and cultural sectors. A large number of monasteries have now established museums to house and display religious collections, ritual documentation, folk artefacts, antiquities, curiosities and gifts. Many of the monasteries are also incubators of wellbeing; providing accessible schooling, and contributing to community and civic activities and providing public space in often crowded urban environments.

News

Wellbeing, Happiness and the SDGs: QWB Lab in Thailand

QWB Lab co-founder Robert Sadleir presented on ‘Wellbeing, Happiness and the Sustainable Development Goals’ to an academic forum of more than 70 researchers, academics and government officials at the National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA) in Bangkok, Thailand.

The discussion highlighted how both the Happiness Index inspired by Bhutan’s fourth king, Jigme Singye and his notion of Gross National Happiness, and the Better Living Index developed by the OECD, are useful tools to measure the impact of the Sustainable Development Goals. These frameworks share the common objective to build more balanced and resilient national economies.

Thailand is seeing the role of its 30,000 Buddhist monasteries and temples changing from places of worship and moral learning, to now becoming curators of the arts and cultural sectors. A large number of monasteries have now established museums to house and display religious collections, ritual documentation, folk artefacts, antiquities, curiosities and gifts. Many of the monasteries are also incubators of wellbeing; providing accessible schooling, and contributing to community and civic activities and providing public space in often crowded urban environments.