Global Policies

After three decades of strong economic growth, China is now focusing on the well-being of her 1.3 billion citizens. There is a vibrant, science-based well-being movement already in full swing in China, well launched in a number of actions taken in 2011.

Do you think of marketplace behavior as neutral, negative, or moral? Paul Zak and other researchers argue that market behavior on the whole is moral behavior that both benefits from and contributes to social connectedness. Surprised? Read on.

Kate Hefferon and Ilona Boniwell have written a book, Positive Psychology: Theory, Research and Applications, with the aim of providing a comprehensive introduction to the field of positive psychology for undergraduate and post-graduate students. It provides lecturers with a clear structure for teaching the subject. It’s both accessible and engaging, so it will also appeal to anyone who wants to know about the latest developments in the field.

This week marks the third annual Sustainable Cleveland 2019, an Appreciative Inquiry (AI) summit led by David Cooperrider for the city of Cleveland. I had the opportunity to interview one of the participants, Louis Alloro, who is also involved in SOMO Leadership, a business that emerged from the first Sustainable Cleveland conference held in 2009.

A few months ago I wrote about the British government’s intention to measure national well-being. This project came about because of the obvious failing of GDP (gross domestic product) to capture all the nuances of social and economic progress (and lack of it). I promised to update you on this project’s progress, and at the end of July 2011, a series of reports was issued by the Office for National Statistics.

The opening night at the IPPA World Congress included naming 6 new IPPA fellows, followed by addresses from three exceptional men. Ed Diener on 5 research findings, Chris Peterson on 6 directions that positive psychology is moving, and Martin Seligman on measuring and extending well-being.

In London last week, shortly after the tennis at Wimbledon 2011 had just come to an end, Dr. Martin Seligman used a timely analogy. He announced that the UK was now on ‘centre court’ towards creating a positive human future and at a possible inflection point for positive psychology.

I recently read some seemingly unrelated articles that all caused me to reflect on institutions’ missions to create happiness on behalf of others. In this article are snapshots of what I read and some subsequent reflections on questions that have no easy answers.

China’s rise in the global community generates widespread uncertainty at home and abroad. Chinese fiscal expansion has already fundamentally changed the nature of the world’s economy. All of our futures are intimately linked to what happens there. The recent contributions of Yukun Zhao and Timothy So to Positive Psychology are important to the improvement of living conditions and quality of life in China.

The Positive Psychology and Leadership Conference was held March 19, 2010 at George Mason University. Meaningful change needs leadership, and each of us can make a positive difference, no matter what our position. That’s called leadership with a small “l”.

For a 25th strength, I propose a meta-strength built on global awareness that I call Enlightened Action. This new strength can be aligned among or above the six virtues of…