Bolivia: alpacas supporting the livelihood of Andean people.

 

Yesterday I took a yoga class at the Blue Alpaca Ranch & Store in Belfast, Maine. Not knowing much about this pack animal, I did some research today and discovered that they are an important source of income for the Andean people in Bolivia. They are gentle, they are soft, and they interact with people.

This four-minute video depicts how the United Nations International Fund for Agricultural Development has helped revitalize rural Bolivia.

Bhutan: where progress is measured by gross national happiness.

This video, courtesy of CBS Sunday Morning, makes me want to jump on a plane and become one of the 57,000 visitors to Bhutan each year. The hiking, the spirituality, the warmth of the people, are just some of the things that people enjoy in Bhutan.

That said, the most intriguing aspect of Bhutan is that they measure progress by gross national happiness. According to The Borgen Project, this index is comprised of nine variables:

1. Psychological well-being

2. Health

3. Education

4. Use of time

5. Cultural diversity and resilience

6. Good governance

7. Community vitality

8. Ecological diversity and resilience

9. Living standards

Perhaps more countries should consider measuring happiness as the ultimate aim of our lives...