Gross National Happiness Center Master Plan

Since its inception, the radical concept of Gross National Happiness (GNH) has been developed in Bhutan to measure social progress and quality of life in more holistic terms than that offered by Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The Master Plan is a quantum leap in the protracted time-line of GNH that has hitherto been an abstract concept. The goal of the GNH Center is to interpret and situate the intangible aspects of GNH as a national policy into a physical Master Plan that lays out a place to examine happiness in the everyday lives of citizens, maintaining cultural identity while expanding contact with the rest of the world.

The Master Plan process involved fundamental inquiries into various program & organizational models to define a unique curriculum and program of activity. In 2011, Prime Minister Jigme Thinley approved the Master Plan, citing it as a model of Gross National Happiness principles and sustainable development.