Download model-pursuit-of

MODEL A PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS DAY PROCLAMATION
Whereas, “the Pursuit of Happiness” is a fundamental human right enshrined in
our Declaration of Independence by its author Thomas Jefferson, and
Whereas, the first three presidents of the United States, Washington, Adams and
Jefferson, all spoke of the purpose of government as promoting the happiness of
its citizens, and
Whereas, our current primary indicator of national success, the Gross Domestic
Product (GDP), measures only economic activity and not the happiness and
wellbeing of our citizens, and
Whereas, even GDP’s creator, Simon Kuznets, proclaimed that ‘the welfare of a
nation can scarcely be inferred by a measurement of national income,” and
Whereas, the United Nations, by unanimous declaration, has called on all
member nations to place “the pursuit of happiness” at the forefront of their
national goals, and to find more accurate ways than GDP to measure their
success in promoting the sustainable well-being of their people, and
Whereas, recent advances in field of positive psychology have made it feasible to
more accurately measure happiness, and
Whereas, expanded collecting of data makes possible a more complete
assessment of quality of life, and
Whereas, Thomas Jefferson’s birthday falls on April 13, one week before the
celebration of Earth Day, and Earth Day falls on April 22.
Therefore, (your city/community/ College/University of; etc.) hereby proclaims
April 13, Pursuit of Happiness Day, and the following week through Earth Day
as Sustainable Happiness Week, and encourages its (community members,
students, staff and faculty) to engage in conversation and activities that promote
sustainable happiness and well-being for all, while seeking new ways to measure
their success in this endeavor as alternatives to GDP.
__________________________________
signed
__________________________________
position
__________________________________
date