A manifesto for wellbeing

A manifesto for wellbeing:

"Governments can’t legislate to make us happy, but many things they do affect our wellbeing. Industrial relations laws can damage or improve the quality of our working lives; government policies can protect the environment or see it defiled; our children’s education depends on the quality of schools; tax policies can make the difference between a fair and an unfair society; and the cohesiveness of our communities is affected by city design and transport plans."

I believe the government of Bhutan has legislated for wellbeing. I believe it is high on their agenda. I do believe it is possible for governments and media to influence the wellbeing of the community. I believe we can do better. I believe we can look at the decisions we are making or avoiding and determine whether they will have a long or short term impact on the health, happiness and wellbeing of our nation. I didn't even know we had a Wellbeing Manifesto and you can read it in its entirety on the link above. It's common sense and it's an indicator we are ready to make the changes we need to , to provide a better nation for our young people to grow up in and our old people to grow old in.

I found the Wellbeing Manifesto at the Australia Institute Ltd where there are a lot of discussion papers related to our wellbeing as a nation. Governments can be a part of this - they can take the lead because economic rationale does not make you well. It makes some people feel good for a while.