Britons say key to happiness is helping others
More than half of Britons believe helping others in the UK and abroad is important to achieving happiness, a new poll has revealed.
On the eve of a new report into human wellbeing, the survey found that 75% of those asked believe helping people in the UK is key to happiness, with 54% citing helping those abroad as important to happiness. Nearly 90% of people said that living in a world where the environment is protected and where poverty does not exist is important.
The poll was conducted to coincide with the official launch, on 13 October, of Wholly Living, a report by Catholic aid agency CAFOD, Christian relief and development agency Tearfund and the public theology think-tank Theos. The report examines human wellbeing in the context of both the UK and international development. It invites the UK government and citizens to enter the debate on how best to create an environment in which to engender human flourishing. Examples taken from the UK and the developing world indicate that people are most fulfilled when they are productive, creative and have strong relationships with others.
Wholly Living calls for a holistic approach that recognises that economic growth is an important - but not the only – driver towards human fulfilment and that unless growth is sustainable, it can do more harm than good. It argues that people flourish most when they are able to fulfil their potential and live in healthy relationships with others. Drawing on academic and theological understandings of flourishing, it calls for the UK government to consider a range of policy ideas in the areas of economics, environment and governance. In particular, it calls for:
A high profile Prime Ministerial Commission to look at wellbeing (human flourishing) to review current research in this area, consider how to apply a human flourishing approach to policy decisions and to assess potential new indicators for measuring progress – a Human Flourishing Index.
Accountability and transparency of British businesses operating worldwide through appropriate legislation.
The UK and other countries to lead the way in radically cutting carbon emissions, so that developing countries have enough environmental space to develop in a way that benefits poor communities.
The UK to help achieve greater equity at a global level, for example, ensuring that the voices of developing countries are given parity within global bodies such as the World Bank and the IMF, to help tackle the current sense of disempowerment in poorer parts of the world.
To read the report in full, click here.
(Source: Theos Public Theology Think Tank)