What is happines really? In conventional development theory, it equals money and prosperity, as measured by 3)GNP (Gross National Product). But Bhutan, the famously remote and beautiful Buddhist kingdom in the Himalaya has been trying out a different concept. 4)Espoused by the country’s king, Jigme Singye Wangchuck, its government has been using a standard called GNH, or Gross National Happiness. It has 5)underpinned the country’s approach to change and development.
/ x3 L6 X$ l8 v) W! D1 V& a After centuries of self-imposed isolation, in 1961, Bhutan opened its doors to the world. The Bhutanese quickly learnt that in the pursuit of economic prosperity, many countries had lost their cultural identitie as well as their spirituality, and 6)compromised their environments. From a Buddhist perspective the burst of consumer-driven, economic growth, and consequently the explosion of affluence in industrialized nation had resulted in widespread spiritual poverty. It was a clear message to the Bhutanese that economic growth alone did not bring contentment.
$ M/ n/ G! t+ I- O- z$ k$ p However, the government also knew that change was inevitable. So Bhutan had to come up with a different approach to development—something that would monitor and regulate the nature and pace of change without compromising the essence of its citizens’ well-being. Thu GNH was born. GNH, according to the Center of Bhutan Studies in the capital, Thimphu, is not against change. It 7)propounds development by balancing economic development, preservation of the environment, and religious-cultural heritage. The underlying message is that the country should not sacrifice elements important for people’s happiness to gain material development. In short, GNH 8)takes into account not just the flow of money, but also access to healthcare, free time with family, conservation of natural resource and other non-economic factors.
# X: g: o* e( ~+ a8 c# O& `9 l 到底什么是幸福呢?在常见的发展理论中,幸福等同于金钱与繁荣,是用GNP(国民生产总值)衡量的。但不丹,一个位于喜马拉雅山区,遥远而美丽的佛教国家,正尝试一种不同的幸福理念。在国王吉格梅·辛格·旺楚克的支持下,不丹政府采用了一种不同的标准来衡量幸福,叫GNH,即国民幸福总值,这一直是这个国家求变发展的基石。
5 S- \; F. a9 Q+ X. n 历经了几个世纪的自我封闭之后,在1961年,不丹终于向世界打开了大门。不丹人很快认识到,在追求经济繁荣的过程中,许多国家丧失了自己的文化身份以及精神特性,并牺牲了自己的环境。从佛教的角度来看,消费者驱动型经济的迅猛增长以及随之而产生的工业化国家中财富的膨胀都会造成普遍的精神贫乏。这让不丹人清楚地认识到,单纯的经济增长并不能带来满足感。
7 z, X. _5 W3 P& \/ x; j$ B5 p 虽然如此,不丹政府也清楚改变是不可避免的。因此不丹必须寻求一种不同的发展途径—— 一种能够监控及规范“变化”的本质和速度,而又不会牺牲其国民基本幸福的方式。GNH因此应运而生。据位于不丹首都廷布的不丹研究中心称,GNH与改变并不相斥,它提出发展必须在经济发展、保护环境及保存宗教文化遗产之间取得平衡。其中隐含的信息是,国家不应以牺牲那些对人们的幸福至关重要的东西来获取物质方面的发展。简而言之,GNH不但考虑资金流向,而且还顾及卫生保健、家人共处的休闲时间、保护自然资源以及其他非经济因素。9 [ k0 v% E4 ?2 [( j9 \9 F
In 1998, Bhutan’s Prime Minister, Jigmi Thinley, identified the “Four Pillars” of GNH, which today form the overall guiding principle for development in Bhutan. The first is sustainable and equitable socio-economic development. This stresses the improvement of physical, intellectual, social, and economic health through services such as health, education, trade and commerce, road and bridge construction, employment, urban development, and housing. As a result, education and health were provided free of cost to all Bhutanese even though the country was still poor. The second pillar is conservation of the environment. Only 16% of Bhutan’s land is 9)arable, so there is pressure to 10)fell trees and sell timber. But the law requires that the proportion of tree cover must not be less than 65%. At present about 72% of Bhutan is forest. The hydropower projects—main drivers of the country’s economy—are mostly “run-of-the-river” schemes which 11)pose far less impact on the environment, and far less human displacement, than would huge dams. The third pillar is preservation and promotion of culture. The Bhutanese government views this as a crucial strategy to preserve the country’s sovereignty. It has implemented policies that conserve and promote Bhutanese religion, language and literature, art and architecture, performing art national dres traditional 12)etiquette, and sports and recreation. For instance, the government requires all Bhutanese to wear traditional dress to office temple and official 13)functions. And the last pillar is good governance. The Bhutanese believe that good governance is vital for the happiness of the people.3 Y* C! r( b/ {8 w4 ?
1998年,不丹总理吉格梅·廷里确立了GNH的“四大支柱”,这如今成为不丹发展的总指导方针。第一大支柱是社会经济的可持续、公平发展,强调通过诸如健康、教育、商业贸易、道路及桥梁建设、就业、城市发展和住房等服务来提高身体、智力、社会和经济的健康发展。因此,即使这个国家仍然很贫穷,但所有不丹人的教育及健康服务都是国家免费提供的。第二大支柱是环境保护。不丹只有16%的土地是可耕种的,这会迫使当地人通过砍伐树木和出售木材来谋生。但是该国法律要求树木的覆盖率不能低于65%。如今,不丹的森林覆盖率为72%。国家经济的主要驱动力——水力发电工程,大多数都是利用河流的天然动力,这些项目对环境的影响较少,并且比那些规模浩大的筑坝发电工程要造成少得多的人口迁徙。第三大支柱是文化的保护及推广。不丹政府认为这是维护国家主权的重要策略。国家实施了各种政策去保护及推广不丹的宗教、语言和文学、艺术和建筑、表演艺术、民族服饰、传统礼仪、运动和娱乐活动。例如,政府要求不丹人上班、去寺庙及出席官方活动时都要穿传统服装。最后一大支柱是良好的政府管治。不丹人坚信良好的管理对人们的幸福至关重要。/ w/ B9 _. S/ X; w4 f3 f
While this novel approach to development is still very much a work in progres importantly, it is today serving as a 14)catalyst for broader discussions worldwide on happiness—15)stoking ideas about whether governments and peoples should accept happiness as a legitimate and measurable pursuit. Across the world an increasing number of bureaucrat economist corporate leader and social scientists are discussing the subject.9 E0 \4 c# G# d5 | r
“Happines as we learn in Buddhism, can only come from within the self, through the understanding of one’s own mind. So GNH is the responsibility of the state to create the right environment where the citizen can seek and find that happines ” said Kinley Dorji, editor-in-chief of Kuensel, Bhutan’s national newspaper.
7 i8 h8 D+ q( K# e That said, GNH does not ignore economic development, according to the Center for Bhutan Studies. On the contrary, economic development planning is critical, but as only one means by which happiness should be achieved. Renata Dessallien, the Resident Coordinator for UN agencies in Bhutan, recently stated, “GNH 16)encapsulates both the quantity and quality of development or ‘progress’. 17)GDP is a quantitative measure only, measuring as it does both ‘goods and bads’. ” For example, Ms. Dessallien argued, “when a sick man receives medication and health care, the GDP increases whether the man recovers or not. But GNH is not only interesting because of its combination of the quantitative and the qualitative, it also conjures up deep philosophical questions on the essence of happiness. And it allows for a relative definition of happines" Y R6 s& l( w" L5 X0 t4 w
. M' W- y, K* X3 l7 ?+ F according to each person’s perspective.” |
发表于 2012-8-15 23:23:33
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