In the spotlight
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In the spotlight - current
Your Better Life Index
The OECD has just released a new version of its Your Better Life Index (http://www.oecdbetterlifeindex.org/) -- an online, interactive tool through which you can look at how countries perform according to the importance users give to the various components of well-being. The updated version integrates data on gender and inequality and strengthens existing topics. Visitors to Your Better Life Index will now be able to compare their well-being priorities to those of other users by country, age and gender, and share their results. The updated Index also includes two new countries, Russia and Brazil. The Index is available in French and is embeddable for websites and blogs.
Join the Canadian Index of Wellbeing Online Discussion: as part of Civil Society, how the Canadian Index of Wellbeing (CIW) is leading change
Have your say and be a part of the conversation shaping the future of measuring what matters. The discussion focuses on the next phase of the progress movement and seeks contribution from all interested individuals and organisations.
Go to the Canadian Index of Wellbeing Online Discussion
In the spotlight - archive
Join the conversation and have your say - CIW online discussion
Join the Canadian Index of Wellbeing Online Discussion: as part of Civil Society, how the Canadian Index of Wellbeing (CIW) is leading change
Have your say and be a part of the conversation shaping the future of measuring what matters. The discussion focuses on the next phase of the progress movement and seeks contribution from all interested individuals and organisations.
Go to the Canadian Index of Wellbeing Online Discussion
Whole Child Virtual Conference
The 2012 ASCD Whole Child Virtual Conference will explore what outstanding schools, communities, and individuals have done as they move along the whole child approach continuum from implementation to sustainability to culture.
The online event runs from May 3–11, 2012. Presenters will share their knowledge and expertise with participants on developing a whole child approach to education.
Join the Virtual Conference and learn more about Whole Child ASCD.
Global Well-Being - who is suffering and who is thriving
Gallup has released findings from their Global Well-Being Survey, which show that an average of 13% of adults around the world rate their lives as "suffering". Gallup classifies survey respondents according to "thriving", "struggling" and "suffering" based on how each respondent rates their current and future lives on a scale of 0 to 10. Gallup rates people to be suffering if they indicate their lives as 4 or lower. Average global suffering has remained relatively unstable over the last 11 years.
The results found that the percentage rating themselves as "suffering" was as high as 45% in Bulgaria and as low as 1% or less in the United Arab Emirates, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Canada, Thailand, and Brazil.
One in four or more residents in 18 countries rated their lives poorly enough to be classified as suffering.
See more findings More Than One in 10 "Suffering" Worldwide
The Vietnam Urbanisation Review
The Vietnam Urbanisation Report, released this week by the World Bank, warns that the rapid urbanisation of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City could make home ownership increasingly unattainable for residents and cause transportation gridlock.
The report argues that Vietnam can more successfully harness the economic and social opportunities of urbanisation and mitigate the challenges it poses if the urbanisation process is managed in a way that will benefit all segments of society.
See more and download the report: Vietnam Urbanisation Review
UN High Level Meeting on Happiness and Wellbeing
On Monday, the United Nations hosted a High level meeting on Happiness and Well Being Defining a New Economic Paradigm and put happiness on the global agenda. There has been extensive media coverage on the event that was attended by leading progress thinkers, academics and economists.
A question raised in the meeting: should happiness figure in a nation’s bottom line? And should the concept of Gross National Product be replaced by Gross National Happiness? Bhutan’s Prime Minister Jigmi Y. Thinley told spoke at the meeting and said that it not only should but that it must if mankind is to avoid its current unsustainable and self-destructive course. "The GDP-lead development model that compels boundless growth on a planet with limited resources no longer makes economic sense. It is the cause of our irresponsible, immoral and self-destructive actions," Thinley said. "The purpose of development must be to create enabling conditions through public policy for the pursuit of the ultimate goal of happiness by all citizens."
- U.N. to Create Gross National Happiness? (TIME 03.04.2012)
See more media articles related to this meeting: High-level Meeting on Happiness and Well-being - Media review
Putting happiness on the global agenda
Next week, the United Nations will implement Resolution 65/309, adopted unanimously by the General Assembly in July 2011, placing “happiness” on the global agenda. High level meeting on Happiness and Well Being Defining a New Economic Paradigm will be hosted at UN headquarters in New York and will be attended by leading economists, scholars and spiritual and civil society leaders, representing both developed and developing nations.
The meeting is intended to initiate next steps towards realizing the vision of a new well being and sustainability based economic paradigm that effectively integrates economic, social, and environmental objectives.
This New York Times article discusses what has become known as the "UN Happiness Project". UN Happiness Project (New York Times 26.03.2012)
See also:
Global Human Development Forum 2012
Global Human Development Forum in Istanbul this week to focus on sustainability and equity as priorities for “Rio + 20” conference
The forum will be convened three months before world leaders gather in Brazil for the “Rio + 20” U.N. Conference on Sustainable Development, the Istanbul Forum will provide a unique and timely opportunity for a fresh examination of the critical social, economic and environmental challenges now facing the world community.
The Forum, an initiative of UNDP’s Human Development Report Office and Bureau of Development Policy, is co-sponsored by the Government of Turkey.
The 2011 Human Development Report —“Sustainability and Equity: A Better Future for All”— will serve as the overarching framework for the Istanbul dialogue.
The two-day symposium will culminate with an “Istanbul Declaration” articulating agreed goals and priorities for the “Rio+20” UN Conference on Sustainable Development in June 2012.
See more details about the conference
Putting inequality in the post 2015 picture
There’s a growing consensus among the countries, UN agencies and civil society organisations involved in discussions on the post-2015 development agenda that equity, or inequality, needs to be somehow integrated into any new framework.
This report from the Overseas Development Institute focuses on the challenge of inequality across all 8 Millennium Development Goals post 2015.
See more and download the report.
International Women's Day on Wikigender: Connecting Girls and Inspiring Futures
The theme for 2012 is connecting girls and inspiring futures. Our sister wiki, Wikigender, is one of the many ICT tools that are connecting girls and women across the globe and developing knowledge and understanding on key gender issues. See how Wikigender Partners celebrated this year's 2012 IWD.
Read highlights from the Wikigender online discussion: How can access to ICTs promote opportunities for women and girls?
State of the World's Children 2012
More than half of the world’s 7 billion people now live in urban areas. What does this mean for children? UNICEF has dedicated the 2012 edition of its flagship report, The State of the World’s Children, to the situation of children growing up in urban settings. Cities are known to generate economic growth – but, as the report reveals, not all children are benefiting from urban expansion. In this increasingly urban world, the absence of a sustained focus on child rights means that some children are being left behind.
See more and download the report: State of the World's Children 2012
China 2030 Building a Modern, Harmonious, and Creative High-Income Society
The report, “China 2030: Building a Modern, Harmonious, and Creative High-Income Society”, recommends steps to deal with the risks facing China over the next 20 years, including the risk of a hard landing in the short term, as well as challenges posed by an ageing and shrinking workforce, rising inequality, environmental stresses, and external imbalances.
The report lays out six strategic directions for China’s future:
Completing the transition to a market economy; Accelerating the pace of open innovation; Going “green” to transform environmental stresses into green growth as a driver for development; Expanding opportunities and services such as health, education and access to jobs for all people; Modernizing and strengthening its domestic fiscal system; Seeking mutually beneficial relations with the world by connecting China’s structural reforms to the changing international economy.
See more and download the report China 2030 Building a Modern, Harmonious, and Creative High-Income Society
Forget about GDP. The real question is are we happy?
In 1968 Bobby Kennedy stated "GDP measures everything except that which makes life worthwhile”. In recent years there has been an explosion of activity around the world with organisations developing new and innovative ways of measuring progress.
This article from the Gazette looks at the most recent developments in the movement to look beyond economic indicators in measuring well-being. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development has been one of the leaders in this movement with the Better Life Index, How's Life publication and Wikiprogress. The United Nations General Assembly has adopted a non-binding resolution whose goal is to make happiness a “development indicator.”
The OECD initiative and the UN resolution did not come out of the blue. In recent years, there has been increased recognition that public policies based on gross domestic product data alone are not serving people well. In 2008, even before the global economic meltdown, French President Nicolas Sarkozy asked three well-known economists – Joseph Stiglitz and Amartya Sen, both Nobel laureates, and Jean-Paul Fitoussi – to find a better way of measuring social and economic well-being than the usual standby, GDP.
Read the full article- Forget about GDP. The real question is are we happy?
Read more on progress and comprehensive indicators
Caribbean Human Development Report 2012
The theme for the 2012 Caribbean Human Development Report is: Human Development and the Shift to Better Citizen Security.
The report says that with the exception of Barbados and Suriname, homicide rates including gang-related killings have increased substantially in the last 12 years across the Caribbean, while they have been falling or stabilizing in other parts of the world.
Although murder rates are exceedingly high by world standards, the report says that Caribbean governments can reverse the trend , calling for regional governments to beef up public institutions to tackle crime and violence —including the criminal justice system—while boosting preventive measures.
The new study recommends that Caribbean governments implement youth crime prevention through education, as well as provide employment opportunities that target the marginalized urban poor. A shift in focus is needed it says, from a state protection approach to one that focuses on citizen security and participation, promoting law enforcement that is fair, accountable, and more respectful of human rights.
The Caribbean Human Development Report reviews the current state of crime as well as national and regional policies and programmes to address the problem in seven English- and Dutch-speaking Caribbean countries: Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago.
Download the report
See more and contribute to the Wikiprogress article on the Caribbean Human Development Report 2012
Regret and Subjective Well-being
Bronwyn Bare, a nurse working in palliative care in Australia has recorded the most common regrets of the dying dying: first on her blog, Inspiration and Chai and more recently in her book, The Top Five Regrets of the Dying - A Life Transformed by the Dearly Departing, (Balboa Press, 2011). Her findings from conversations with people in their last 12 weeks of life have resonated strongly with current discussions on subjective well-being.
Read the Guardian article on the top five regrets of the dying..
Read also, commentary from The World Bank Impact Evaluations blog and commentary by Nic Marks, well-being expert at the new economics foundation.
See more and contribute to the Wikiprogress article on Subjective Well-being
UN High Level Panel Report on Global Sustainability -- Resilient People, Resilient Planet: A Future Worth Choosing
A 22-member Panel was established by the Secretary-General in August 2010 to formulate a new blueprint for sustainable development and low-carbon prosperity. The Panel's final report, "Resilient People, Resilient Planet: A Future Worth Choosing", contains 56 recommendations to put sustainable development into practice and to mainstream it into economic policy as quickly as possible.
Resilient People, Resilient Planet: A Future Worth Choosing (full report)
- Please note that the full report has not yet been formatted as a publication. The publication version will be available in mid-February 2012.
Click here to view the United Nations Press Release of the launch of the report.
The Panel Report in the media:
- A free-thinking UN would spice up sustainable development's bland dish (Guardian Poverty Matters 02.02.2012)
- Sustainable Development Goals: easy win or slippery slope? (Oxfam from Poverty to Power 31.01.2012)
- India opposes UN panel’s ‘back door’ for green caps (Times of India 31.01.2012)
- "World still not on sustainable path"- high-level UN panel (Ecoseed 31.01.2012)
Read more and contribute to the Wikiprogress article on sustainable development.
Egypt, One Year On
The uprising on Jauary 25 th 2011 in Cairo’s Tahrir Square began a wave of protest that spread throughout Egypt and lead to the fall of the Mubarak regime. In honour of the one year anniversary, the Thomson Reuters Foundation has released a documentary on the Egyptian revolution.
Highlights from the 2012 World Future Energy Summit
The United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon spoke at the opening of the World Future Energy Summit and called on governments to address energy poverty and to support innovation that makes energy more sustainable.
Renewable energy organisations presented their latest innovations at the Summit, both timely and appropriate to start 2012 the International Year of Sustainability for All.
Media highlights
- Ban Ki-Moon tells Summit to Address Energy Poverty (The National 16.01.2012)
- Proposal for Global Energy Oversight (EcoBusiness 17.01.2012)
- World Future Energy Summit Highlights Renewables, Sustainability (Environment News Service 16.01.2012)
2011 Democracy Index
The results of the Economist Intelligence Unit’s (EIU) Democracy Index 2011 show that democracy has been under intense pressure in many parts of the world. In most regions the average democracy score for 2011 is lower than in 2010, including the developed countries of North America and Western Europe. There was a decline in the average score for Eastern Europe and small declines for both Asia and Latin America. These were offset by increase in average scores in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and Sub-Saharan Africa.
Download the 2011 Democracy Index
2011 The Year in Data
The Guardian data blog has gathered the biggest data stories of 2011 and are showcasing the figures that gripped the headlines and defined the year that was.
2011 The Year in Data Journalism and Charts (Guardian Data Blog 30.12.2011)
Numbers include: 30 - the number of workers at Japan’s Fuskushima power plant who were exposed to radiation over 100msv after the Tsunami in May destroyed the plant’s safety system. 48% - the youth unemployment rate in Spain and the worst rate in Europe. 3927 - number of people arrested following the London riots in August 951 - is the number of Occupy protests (as of October 2011) in 82 countries
Read the Guardian data blog post on the top data stories of 2011 for all facts and figures reflecting the year that was.
Global Corruption Perception Index reflects Arab Spring Unrest
The 2011 Global Corruption Perceptions Index scores 183 countries and territories from 0 (highly corrupt) to 10 (very clean) based on perceived levels of public sector corruption. It uses data from 17 surveys that look at factors such as enforcement of anti-corruption laws, access to information and conflicts of interest.
New Zealand ranks first, followed by Finland and Denmark. Somalia and North Korea (included in the index for the first time), are last.
Most Arab Spring countries rank in the lower half of the index, scoring below 4. Before the Arab Spring, a Transparency International report on the region warned that nepotism, bribery and patronage were so deeply engrained in daily life that even existing anti-corruption laws had little impact.
Download the report and see the data on the interactive map
In the media: Global corruption index reflects Arab Spring unrest (Reuters 30.11.2011)
Fourth High Level Conference on Aid Effectiveness opens in Busan, Korea
From 29 November to 1 December 2011, approximately 2000 delegates will review global progress in improving the impact and effectiveness of aid, and make commitments that set a new agenda for development.
Ministers from across the globe, from both developing and donor countries, government representatives, parliamentarians, civil society organisations and private sector representatives will come together for the Fourth High-Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness at the Bexco convention centre in Busan, Korea.
See Event Page for more...
Stories from "Perspectives on Global Development 2012: Social Cohesion in a Shifting World"
In 2011, the world witnessed mass citizen mobilisation. From Tahrir square to the Puerta del Sol, from the streets of Tunis to the avenues of New Delhi, calls for more social and economic justice, political participation, transparency and openness have resounded. These aspirations for greater social cohesion, with fair chances for everybody in society, are rooted in profound global economic transformations that have taken place over the last two decades. The new geography of growth brings new financial resources to fast growing countries while at the same time uncovering new challenges which require action and long-term commitment from governments, underlining an opportunity that is too good to be missed.
In this context, the OECD Development Centre and the Club de Madrid will jointly launch "Perspectives on Global Development 2012 – Social Cohesion in a Shifting World" on 21 November 2011. The report is the second book inItalic text the series of publications from the OECD Development Centre (the first one was on "Shifting Wealth"). The 2012 edition focuses specifically on social cohesion, and the launch on 21 November will be an opportunity to raise the following questions:
- Is social cohesion at risk?
- Why should countries now invest in social cohesion?
- How can governments best respond to these new expectations?
- What policy reforms can contribute to strengthening social cohesion?
- How can we learn from past experiences and existing practices?
Follow the launch of the report live on the Wikiprogress Twitter account.
East Asian and Pacific children most vulnerable to climate change – UN report
The living conditions of millions of children across East Asia and the Pacific will be worsened by climate change, says a United Nations report released on November 14th. It argues that rising temperatures put them at greater risk of contracting diseases such as cholera and malaria, and natural disasters, negatively affect children's livelihoods and increase malnutrition rates. See here for UN News article on the Report.
Visit Wikichild for more stories on child well-being and climate change.
2011 Human Development Report launch
The Human Development Report 2011 was launched on Wednesday the 2nd of November.
About the report
Although living standards in most countries have been rising and converging for several decades, the 2011 Human Development Report projects a disturbing reversal of those trends if environmental deterioration and social inequalities continue to intensify, with the least developed countries diverging downwards from global patterns of progress by 2050.
Titled "Sustainability and Equity: A Better Future for All," the 2011 Report calls for new approaches to global development financing and environmental controls, arguing that these measures are both essential and feasible and that the challenges of sustainability and equity must be addressed together.
The Report will also feature the 2011 Human Development Index—a composite measure of health, education and income—and its complementary indices.
Joseph Stiglitz talks about going Beyond GDP
Discussion continues about measuring progress. Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz talked about the new means of measuring progress well-being and sustainability during his recent participation at the [SSF Conference].
Joseph Stiglitz talks about going beyond GDP
OECD Releases "How's Life?" Report
The "How's Life?" Report released on 12 October by the OECD gathers and analyses indicators on the well-being of individuals and households to deepen the analysis of the drivers of well-being. It is structured along the dimensions identified by the Stiglitz Commission, and focuses on both average conditions of households and specific population groups in OECD and selected non-OECD countries to enrich the Your Better Life Index (of the Better Life Initiative) with new countries and indicators. See here for the full Report
The Economist progress comparison- India and China
Chasing the dragon (The Economist 03.10.2011)
How the Asian superpowers compare on various measures of development
In the recent Singapore Grand Prix, a car belonging to the Force India team reached the finish line just 111 seconds after the leader. Today’s chart uses a stopwatch to compare India’s progress in development against another pace-setter, China. The chart shows the number of years that have elapsed since China passed the development milestones that India has now reached. India’s income per head, for example, was about $3,200 in 2009 (holding purchasing power constant across time and between countries). China reached that level of development nine years ago. The lag in social progress is much longer. A child’s odds of surviving past their fifth birthday are as bad in India today as they were in China in the 1970s. Moreover, the chart does not necessarily imply that India in nine years’ time will be as rich as China is today. That is because China grew faster in the last nine years than India is likely to grow over the next nine. We stopped the clock at $3200 per head. But China did not stop racing ahead. See the full Economist article with graph
Gallup Well-Being Index finds the majority of Germans are ‘struggling’
Germans Rate Their Lives Worse Than Americans, Britons (Gallup 27.09.2011)
Fewer than half in Germany are "thriving," while a majority are "struggling"
Germans rate their lives worse on average than do adults living in the U.K. and the U.S., according to the inaugural findings from the Germany Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index. Less than half, 41.1%, of Germans rate their current lives and expectations for their lives in five years high enough to be classified as "thriving," compared with 52% of Britons and 52.9% of Americans who say the same. Relatively few Germans are "suffering," but a majority are "struggling." Read full article
Global Women's Progress Report
To measure the state of women’s progress, Newsweek ranked 165 countries, looking at five areas that affect women’s lives: treatment under the law, workforce participation, political power, and access to education and health care. Poring over data from the United Nations and the World Economic Forum, among others, and consulting with experts and academics, we measured 28 factors to come up with our rankings.
See the article Global Women's Progress Report from Newsweek
This article is timely, as the World Bank are hosting the The Open Forum on Gender Equality
Education 2011- statistics compared by country
On the 13th of September the OECD launched Education at a Glance 2011 in order to take stock of where education is today and where it might be headed. A few articles selected below give a detailed analysis of Education at a Glance 2011 - see the Education at a Glance 2011 - Media Review for a round up of all media coverage.
- Bad education System -- What's the real cost? (Huffington Post blog 16.09.2011)
- Education 2011: spending, class sizes, teachers pay and statistics compared by country (Guardian data blog 14.09.2011)
- Degrees of Equality (The Economist 13.09.2011)
- Education pays (OECD Education Today 13.09.2011)
Child Well-being: Global study on Neonatal Mortality covering 20 years and 193 countries
The World Health Organisation and Save the Children released this week the most comprehensive study to date, finding that newborn deaths decrease but account for higher share of global child death. The study which was published in the PloS (Public Library of Science journal) of Medicine on Tuesday found that almost 99 percent of newborn or neonatal deaths occur in the developing world. It also found that more than half of these deaths happen in five countries -- India, Nigeria, Pakistan, China and Democratic Republic of Congo. Afghan babies face the greatest risks -- with one in 19 dying in the first month of life. India has more than 900,000 newborn deaths per year, nearly 28 percent of the global total.
See also:
- Neonatal Mortality Levels for 193 Countries in 2009 with Trends since 1990: A Systematic Analysis of Progress, Projections, and Priorities (PloS (Public Library of Science journal) of Medicine 30.08.2011)
- WHO: Newborn deaths decrease but account for higher share of global child deaths (WHO-Save the Children joint Press Release 30.08.2011)
- Global Study finds newborns struggle to survive (Reuters 31.08.2011)
- Despite 33% drop, India records highest newborn deaths in world (The Times of India 31.08.2011)
- Fewer newborns dying worldwide but progress too slow, say UN and partners (UN News Centre 30.08.2011)
Progress in Libya
Wikiprogress is creating a series of articles on the Arab Spring revolutions; data mapping the progress/regress of each nation involved in the Arab Spring is being updated in the relevent country articles. See Progress in Libya, the first of the Arab Spring articles to be created.
See also progress in Libya in the media
- Humanitarian aid in Libya: how much has each country donated? (Guardian Data Blog 22.08.2011)
- World Bank ready to help Libya (Wall St Journal 22.08.2011)
The web turns twenty
On Saturday August the 6th, the world wide web had it's 20th birthday. The Economist celebrated with an article dedicated to the evolution of the web and what progress has been made over the last 20 years.
The web turns twenty - Difference Engine: Happy anniversary? from The Economist
It is always a little disconcerting to realise a generation has grown up never knowing what it was like to manage without something that is taken for granted today. A case in point: the World Wide Web, which celebrated the 20th anniversary of its introduction last Saturday. It is no exaggeration to say that not since the invention of the printing press has a new media technology altered the way people think, work and play quite so extensively. With the web having been so thoroughly embraced socially, politically and economically, the world has become an entirely different place from what it was just two decades ago. Whether the web has made it a better place or a worse one is for readers to decide. Read full article
Link to full text Difference Engine: Happy anniversary? (The Economist 12.08.2011)
The promotion of global wellbeing can drive the development agenda
It might seem inappropriate to focus on wellbeing when there is a famine in east Africa, but it could provide a longer-term perspective that helps us to address the roots of such crises Article from the Guardian Global Development Blog
With pictures of starving children again on our TV screens nightly, the focus of current international development efforts is very much on the short-term imperative of saving lives. Talk of living "well" may seem over-optimistic just now, inappropriate even.
However, a focus on human wellbeing provides a new and powerful perspective on the challenges facing humanity today – and one with a greater potential to confront the roots of crises such as that experienced in east Africa today than is provided by the standard development agenda.
Link to full text
What makes people happy? CGD on subjective well-being
The Center for Global Development has released an essay on subjective well-being. See the abstract below on link to the full article.
Abstract There is a burgeoning academic literature on happiness polls that has used a range of different measures and approaches across countries rich and poor alike to answer the question, “what makes people say they are happy?” The excitement surrounding this work is well justified. These polls suggest an idea of happiness that would be broadly understood by philosophers from Aristotle to Mill to Rawls or Parfit. Happiness studies also suggest some potential reasons why we appear to act irrationally according to the dictates of revealed-preference-utility-maximization. Subjective-well-being (SWB) polls also help to illustrate some of the absurdities of taking income per capita as our measure of the ultimate good. At the same time, a lot of things we surely care about are not reflected in SWB poll answers. Cross-country studies involving economies and societies at distinctly different levels of development suggest a limited role for income, rights, health and social factors all combined in explaining SWB. And all the usual criticisms of and concerns with utilitarianism apply to SWB polls. Polls do not capture a be-all and end-all measure of the good. Both because of the difficulty of interpreting SWB evidence with regard to SWB-maximizing policy and because it appears clear that SWB (on whichever measure) is probably not what we want to maximize, considerable caution is required in the use of such polls for policymaking.
Link to full text
Happiness should have greater role in development policy – UN Member States
The General Assembly today called on United Nations Member States to undertake steps that give more importance to happiness and well-being in determining how to achieve and measure social and economic development.
In a resolution adopted without a vote, the Assembly invited countries “to pursue the elaboration of additional measures that better capture the importance of the pursuit of happiness and well-being in development with a view to guiding their public policies.”
Read full article from UN News Centre
New Directions in Welfare Congress
This congress is jointly organised by the OECD, The Open University, Oxford University and Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, and is addressed to economists, statisticians and policy-analysts. It builds on the event held last year at Oxford University and sponsored by the UK’s Government Economics Service to celebrate Amartya Sen’s 75th anniversary and his contributions to welfare economics.
The range of papers and topics will follow a similar pattern to the Oxford Conference which was attended by over 130 economists and generated a special issue of the Journal of Public Economics in honor of Professor Amartya Sen. The event will welcome contributions from theorists and empiricists alike who are interested in broadening our understanding of the economics of welfare which continues to flourish. Following work by Sen, Stiglitz and others that has helped to bring about the Sarkozy Report, the EU’s Beyond GDP memorandum and a number of other initiatives, the congress particularly welcomes papers relating to the theoretical or empirical economics of Health, Development, Social Policy, Environment, Labour, Education, Childhood, Aging, Migration, Culture, Happiness, Equality and Equity, Behavioural Economics and Life course issues – any area of economics, in fact, closely interested in understanding the economics of human welfare. Previously nearly a third of papers came from the following areas where there will again be strands: Social Choice, Utility Theory, Experimental Economics and Philosophical Foundations of Economic Theory.
This year’s congress will be opened by the OECD Secretary-General and will feature a policy-focused day comprising several roundtables, followed by two days of empirical and theoretical research presented by some 100 economic researchers from Europe and beyond. The first day will include presentations by OECD colleagues, the World Bank, EBRD, WHO and the EU on topics such as:
Broadening the Measurement of Economic Progress Opportunities for Improving Health and Health Services MDGs: Achievements and Challenges in Development. The overall focus will be on areas of economic analysis relating to national and international social and public policy agendas.
See more details New Directions in Welfare event article
See all video interviews from the event
ODI Mapping progress- evidence for a new development outlook
"We believe that by providing robust and accessible information on progress at national level, Development Progress Stories will offer lessons for policymakers and support the evidence base for continued international engagement." ODI Director, Dr Alison Evans.
The past two decades have delivered unprecedented progress and improvements in quality of life across the developing world. Poverty has fallen in most developing countries, and the number of low-income countries fell from 60 in 2003 to just 39 in 2009. Countries such as India and (particularly) China have managed to lift very large numbers of people out of extreme poverty. Progress has not been restricted to increases in income; many developing countries have also dramatically improved their access to vital services, such as education and health. Read more on the report
- Mapping Progress: evidence for a new development outlook read the full report
Media highlights from the ODI report release
- Emerging nations need more than aid ODI (The Guardian)
- ODI Releases Report on Progress in Africa (CNBC Africa)
- Radio Australia
(H)activate - developers producing web, SMS and smartphone solutions to change the world
H-activate developers produce wonders in a weekend (The Guardian Technology Blog 21.06.2011)
Over the course of just two days the developers involved in the hackathon produced web, SMS and smartphone solutions to change the world – and present at Activate on Wednesday. A gaggle of geeks descended on the Guardian's HQ at King's Cross on the weekend with a simple yet ambitious brief to develop ideas to change the world. And boy did they did deliver.
The two-day hackathon – organised by the Guardian and Rewired State as part of this year's Activate Summit, which celebrates the role web technologies play in shaping a better global future – saw developers from as far afield as the Netherlands, Germany, India and sub-Saharan Africa join forces with their domestic counterparts to build a range of apps for good... read more on the Guardian
(H)activate is part of the 2011 Guardian Activate Summit
United Nations Development Dialogue - the Millennium Development Goals
The United Nations General Assembly’s Development Dialogue held on Tuesday addressed the progress made toward achieving in 2015 Millennium Development Goals. Asha Rose Migiro, UN deputy secretary-general, addressed the Assembly stating 'We have a framework that will tell us where the money is coming from, where it is going, and how effectively it is being spent, the ability to track resources and results is critical for ensuring that all partners deliver on their commitments, and that we are achieving tangible progress in achieving our goals.' See a round up of media highlights below.
- UN official says investing in women, children has "multiplier" effects (People's Daily Online 14.06.2011)
- Investing in fight against poverty brings results, General Assembly hears (UN News Centre 14.06.2011)
- How to set goals (China Daily 14.06.2011)
- Society: Migiro urges nations to invest in poverty eradication (Afrique en Ligue 14.06.2011)
- ‘Not a Moment to Lose,’ Warns Deputy Secretary-General at General Assembly’s Development Dialogue as 2015 Nears Amid ‘Vast Backlog of Deprivation’ (IEWY News 14.06.2011)
United Nations Report Declares Internet Access a Human Right
A United Nations report said Friday that disconnecting people from the internet is a human rights violation and against international law. Included in the report is a section dedicated to protesting the blocking internet access to quell political unrest.
While blocking and filtering measures deny users access to specific content on the Internet, states have also taken measures to cut off access to the Internet entirely. The Special Rapporteur considers cutting off users from internet access, regardless of the justification provided, including on the grounds of violating intellectual property rights law, to be disproportionate and thus a violation of article 19, paragraph 3, of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
See more on the Threat Level Blog.
See the full report Report of the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, Frank La Rue
- Is Internet Access a Human Right? (PC Magazine 06.06.2011)
- UN says access to internet is human right (Hindustan Times 06.06.2011)
- Breaking down the barriers (Times LIVE 05.06.2011)
- United Nations report: Internet access is a human right (Los Angeles Times 03.06.2011)
- Internet access is a human right, according to a United Nations (Telegraph.co.uk 02.06.2011)
2011 Global Peace Index
The 2011 Global Peace Index (GPI), released today by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), shows a decline in levels of world peace for the third consecutive year. According to the GPI, levels of peacefulness in 2011 were most impacted by the threat of terrorist attack and the likelihood of violent demonstrations.
See also: Global Peace Index, Vision of Humanity website
The Economist online debate on Happiness
Join The Economist online debate 'This house believes that new measures of economic and social progress are needed for 21st-century economy.' - Defending the motion: Richard Layard
Emeritus Professor of Economics, London School of Economics
Surely the quality of life, as people experience it, has got to be a key measure of progress and a central objective for any government.
- Against the motion: Paul Ormerod
Economist and author, "The Death of Economics"
Government attempts to increase measured happiness, rather than making life better for us, may well actually do the opposite.
United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries
UN opens forum on unlocking economic potential of world’s poorest countries (UN News Centre 09.05.2011)
A major United Nations conference aimed at devising a new strategy to help the world’s poorest countries unlock their economic potential and accelerate development opened today in Turkey, where of heads of State and senior officials from international organizations are among7,000 participants in attendance. The Fourth UN Conference on Least Developed Countries (LDCs) in Istanbul will assess the implementation of the Brussels Programme of Action – the outcome document adopted at the last such conference, held in 2001 – and try to reach agreement on a new set of support measures for the 48 nations classifiedas LDCs.
Progress is education for all
Winners of the OECD's 50th Anniversary Video Competition have been annouced. The competition invited young people worldwide to create a short video describing their vision of Progress. 'Progress is Education for all' (video below) was voted number 1 by the public. See the top 3 videos and special mentions on the OECD 50th Anniversary Video Competition page.
Nic Marks on The Happiness Manifesto
Nic Marks gives a great talk at TEDx Danubia 2011. Nic Marks is the found of the Centre for Well-being at Nef (the New Economics Foundation). In his presentation he talks about various organisations and governments who are committed to measuring quality of life. Watch out for his mention of Wikiprogress!
How to inspire and enable people to help build a happier society together
'Action for Happiness' is a new movement launched on the 12th of April by 3 great progress thinkers, Lord Layard, Geoff Mulgan and Anthony Seldon. Due to the overwhelming response, the website for Action for Happiness is currently down. See a selection of news items on the movement below and full coverage in the Action for Happiness - Media Review article. We'll post the link here as soon as the site is up! You can also stay up to day by following the for Happiness Twitter account
- Happiness: When smiling becomes policy (The Guardian 13.04.2011)
More and more politicians are adopting the infant discipline of happiness economics - but they may face painful questions
- Action for Happiness movement launches (BBC 12.04.2011)
The world's first membership organisation dedicated to spreading happiness is being officially launched.
- C'mon, get happy: Economists, politicians back 'mass movement for a happier society' (Associated Press 12.04.2011)
A new organization is dedicated to the principle that money can't buy happiness — but individual acts of kindness can.
The inaugural United States Peace Index
Today the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) will launch the first ever United States Peace Index (USPI) that will rank 50 states
according to their peacefulness. The index aims to identify the key drivers of peace by state and will analyse the economic benefits of peace. In a statement from the IEP, the USPI ‘finds that a reduction in violence and crime could equate to billions of dollars in saved revenue.’
As the world’s largest economy, America is the ideal candidate to kick-start the planned series of national peace indices by the IEP and highlight potential economic and social gains from increasing levels of peace.
The national peace indices will build on the existing 149 national perspectives in the Global Peace Index. The Global Peace Index (GPI), which was launched by the IEP in 2007, ranks 149 countries based on 23 indicators of peace. The United States currently ranks85th on the GPI, with neighbours Canada ranking 14th and Mexico 107th.
Hans Rosling and the magic washing machine
China to Measure Happiness
We have created a media review of a variety of news items related to China's move to measure happiness. Two of the key articles are selected below, to see all items in the news review go to China to Measure Happiness - Media Review
The government introduces the country’s new mantra.
The pursuit of happiness, runs one of the most consequential sentences ever penned, is an unalienable right. That Jeffersonian sentiment seems to have influenced even China’s normally strait-laced, rubber-stamp legislature, the National People’s Congress (NPC), which has just wrapped up its annual session. Increasing happiness, officials now insist, is more important than increasing GDP. A new five-year plan adopted at the meeting has been hailed as a blueprint for a “happy China”. The prime minister, Wen Jiabao, however, appeared downright miserable as he described the challenges he faces.
- Don't worry, be happy (The Economist 17.03.2011)
In a world of 7 billion people, who is most typical? National Geographic Special Report
See the 7 Billion focus on National Geographic.
There will soon be seven billion people on the planet. By 2045 global population is projected to reach nine billion. Can the planet take the strain?
Earths 7 billion are depicted by 7000 human figures each representing 1000 people.
UNICEF releases the State of the World's Children Report 2011
- Unicef adolescents data: what is the state of the world for teenagers? (Guardian Data Blog 25.02.2011)
The latest Unicef state of the world's children report is out, with a special focus on adolescents. So, how do the world's teenagers compare? Children are unambiguously the focus of the millennium development goals (MDGs). But what happens when they grow up? This year, the United Nations Fund for Children (UNICEF) have dedicated their annual flagship report to the world's 1.2bn teenagers. "In the global effort to save children's lives, we hear too little about adolescence," says Anthony Lake, UNICEF's energetic new executive director. "Surely we do not want to save children in their first decade of life only to lose them in the second." The State of the World's Children 2011 produces a snapshot of what the world looks like for its billion-plus teenagers, 88 percent of which live in developing countries.
See Guardian article for more
- Get the data
- Search the MDG data
- Read more about the report (Guardian article - One billion people forgotten in fight against poverty)
See also
For In the Spotlight prior to 2011, see:
