The Greater Victoria Happiness Index Partnership
Latest news from HIP
Among the various determinants of happiness and wellbeing, the challenge of time-balance appeared to be the most problematic for residents of Greater Victoria. The Time-Balance report shows that young families struggle to the greatest degree with time balance and that the resulting stresses have important implications for their health and wellbeing.
KCTS - PBS Seattle interviews local Happiness Index Partnership members as part of a happiness program that aired February 25th.
Background
What is a happiness index?
The nation of Bhutan has become well known for the articulation and application of the Gross National Happiness framework. This framework has been widely recognized as a major contribution to the development of alternative measures of progress and wellbeing. The concept of “happiness” within the Bhutanese framework is synonymous with the concept of “life satisfaction” which is typically used in western studies of wellbeing.
The primary advantage of a wellbeing framework is that it provides a unifying framework to support cross-sector collaborations to promote wellbeing in communities. Such frameworks also provide communities with a comprehensive measurement of progress which incorporates economic, social, health, cultural and ecological dimensions. The evidence-based framework which is employed in Bhutan defines “wellbeing” within a life-satisfaction context and defines the primary determinants of wellbeing as:
• Physical, mental and spiritual health
• Time use (balance among productive activities)
• Community vitality and social support
• Cultural vitality
• Education
• Living standards
• Good governance
• Ecological vitality
The first Greater Victoria Well-being Survey took place in the fall of 2008.
What is the Happiness Index Partnership?
As a result of Victoria's Vital Signs®, the Victoria Foundation came to host and facilitate a Community Indicator Network made up of organizations that collect and/or report indicators on Greater Victoria. As a result of this network, eight organizations partnered together to conduct a wellbeing survey that resulted in a Happiness Index for Greater Victoria in 2009.
The Happiness Index Partnership (HIP) of Greater Victoria includes: the Capital Regional District, City of Victoria, Community Social Planning Council, BC Ministry of Healthy Living, United Way, University of Victoria, Vancouver Island Health Authority, and the Victoria Foundation. These partners decided to get involved in this study because they all recognized it is an important, first step in improving the wellbeing of the people in our region.
The determination of a Happiness Index for the region provides guidance to local organizations interested in improving the level of wellbeing people experience here in Greater Victoria. This study is the first of its kind in Canada and joins a growing trend around the world to view wellbeing as a critical component to successful, vibrant communities where the aspirations of individuals are valued, their needs addressed and their engagement in community affairs encouraged and facilitated.>
2009 World Café
The Happiness Index Partnership hosted a gathering to discuss the results of the wellbeing survey, and contemplate how we, as individuals, organizations and communities can impact happiness levels. At the Café, keynote John Helliwell, economist and professor from UBC shared his insights with attendees from the community, non-profits, private, and public sectors. Results of the event were recorded through iconography as charts that were made into display boards to identify ideas around increasing happiness within our communities, organizations, and as individuals. Graphic facilitator Lisa Arora (www.getthepicture.ca) captured the discussions and the resulting display was circulated amongst the partners in their places of business to create awareness of the Happiness Index, and to provide opportunities for people to see how simple gestures can increase happiness on a daily basis.
The panels represented responses to questions such as:
• How does happiness connect to culture, values, priorities, time of life, etc.?
• When are you happy? What are the factors contributing to this?
• Is happiness an attitude? How much is related to external factors?
• How can we help make ourselves/ others happier: our home community, city, country, globally, etc.?
• How do health and happiness connect/overlap/differ?
• A Challenge Activity: Organize a group activity that will foster happiness among participants and others around you.
Happiness Booklet – this booklet was created to stimulate discussion and questions around happiness.
Health Contributor report (2009) A report on the health of people living in the Capital Region highlights those factors that contribute to good health and how they relate to overall wellbeing. The report shows that income is the most important determinant of health, and that health is an important determining factor of wellbeing or life satisfaction. However, some people report high levels of life satisfaction despite poor health. Read the report
Colwood Genuine Wealth Report
A group of public, private, and non-profit groups in Colwood came together to begin to assess the area's progress along a Genuine Wealth model, following that developed by Mark Anielski. There are five main categories of wealth (or capital assets) whose integration constitutes genuine wealth:
• human wealth (people)
• social wealth (relationships)
• natural wealth (the environment)
• manufactured or built wealth (infrastructure)
• financial wealth (money)
As a baseline, the group decided to use data from the 2008 region-wide survey on happiness and well-being. This survey was mailed out to a random sample of 2400 residents in the Capital Regional District (111 in Colwood). The members of the Happiness Index Partnership were recognized and thanked for sharing the data which is the basis of this summary report on genuine wealth and wellbeing in Colwood.
How can you contribute to wellbeing in our community?
• Take part in the survey.
• Consider ways to help make ourselves/ others happier: at home and around the world.
• Organize a group activity to foster happiness among participants - neighbours, co-workers, or a group in your community.
• Get involved in a community social service agency.
• Use happiness indicators as a framework for decision making and policy development.
• Find out the latest news from the Happiness Index Partnership
Please note all requests for the use of any or all data from the well-being survey are to be sent via email to info@victoriafoundation.bc.ca with Happiness Index Partnership Data Use Request in the subject line.
