Pathways to Happiness are policy suggestions for communities using the Happiness Index and scoring low in an area. Each one suggests policies and programs for when a community scores low in one area.

1. Pathways to Happiness
for communities that score in low in enjoyable time

2. Pathways to Happiness are ways communities can increase
the time we spend doing things we

3. 100= happiest
Communities
everywhere
score
low
in
time
balance.

4. Let’s look at one aspect of Time Balance:
Time we spend doing things we enjoy.

5. Overall scores for
time we spend doing
things we enjoy are…
LOW
a score of 40 or below means we spend not much or none of our time doing things we enjoy

6. Courageous Policies

7. guaranteed basic income
An experiment in Manitoba shows it works
people get to work
and do what they love to do.

8. references for basic income
Examples of Basic Income in Canada
A Canadian City Once Eliminated Poverty and Nearly Everyone Forgot About It. Article in Huffpost
about Manitoba, Canada: http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/12/23/mincome-in-dauphin-manitoba_n_6335682.html
Ontario, Canada: New Report on Basic Income Pilot article in Basic Income Earth Network
http://basicincome.org/news/2016/09/ontario-canada-new-report-minimum-income-pilot/
Like another 1970s throwback, basic income is back in fashion and Ontario could learn from past mistakes –
article in National Post: http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/canadian-politics/like-another-1970s-throwback-basic-income-is-back-
in-fashion-and-ontario-could-learn-from-past-mistakes

9. Learn more about guaranteed basic income
basicincome.org

10. build community
feel like you are a part of something
feel like you belong
share values, passion, goals

11. a few ways to build community
time banks
community supported agriculture (CSA)
public transportation
public festivals
build & support dance & choral groups
clustered mailboxes

12. resources for building community
example community center projects
A community center, built by the community, wins the latest City 2.0 award article In TEDBlog
http://blog.ted.com/a-community-center-built-by-the-community-wins-the-latest-city-2-0-award/
some community building best practices
Best Practices from Partners for Livable Community: http://livable.org/livability-resources/best-practices
history of community centers
Community centres (centers) and associations: their history, theory, development and practice by
infed: http://infed.org/mobi/community-centers-and-associations/
America’s Best Intergenerational Communities by AAPR http://www.aarp.org/content/dam/aarp/livable-
communities/learn/civic/americas-best-intergenerational-communities-aarp.pdf

13. resources for creating a department of neighborhoods
example department of neighborhoods
Houston Department of Neighborhoods: http://www.houstontx.gov/neighborhoods/
publications by J. Diers, creator of first department of neighborhoods
Neighbor Power (book): http://www.neighborpower.org/book.html
Seattle’s Department of Neighborhoods: Enhancing Government Effectiveness by Empowering Communities :
http://courses.washington.edu/quanzhou/pacrim/papers/Diers-China_Paper.pdf
Seattle Department of Neighborhoods: http://www.seattle.gov/neighborhoods
Great Neighborhood Strengthening Ideas from Jim Diers: http://inspiringcommunities.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Jim-
Diers-Neighbourhood-Strengthening1.pdf

14. a few more words on building community
use the happiness index to access needs
work with community members to decide what to do and do it
talk loud about successes – create a virtuous cycle

15. What’s it
going to
take?

16. a shift in values
language is the DNA of culture
talk, write, speak about happiness as an inalienable

17. case studies
experiments in cities, counties or regions
researchers and policy makers conduct studies

18. build alliances
work with other people & organizations
to raise awareness
to work in partnership
to support each other

19. Leading Company
use happiness indicators alongside profit metrics
make the case for community and employee well-being
and talk about it - a lot
at TEDx talks and other venues

20. be visible
talk, blog, share your
thoughts
experience
values

21. be patient and persistent
as we work together for the happiness revolution

22. Other policies in the Pathways to Happiness tool series
Campaign finance reform
Guaranteed basic income
Media reform
Massive public transportation
Local food reliance
Village living (cities and rural)
Multi-use zoning
Public spaces
Political festivals
Participatory governance
Participatory budgeting
Anti-corruption policies
Transparency in government
Compassion training for police
Community-based monitoring
Sousveillance
Vote holiday
Vacation laws & Vacation Incentives
Family & Sick leave laws
Flex time and job share laws
Telecommuting policies
Babies at work policies
Intergenerational care
Department of Neighborhoods
Volunteer programs
Mindfulness practice in schools
Social justice awareness raising
Mental health –priority counseling
Same Sex Marriage Laws
Public child care
Age-friendly cities
Loneliness awareness campaign
Heritage Programs
Rural Colleges
Arts & Culture Policy
Lifelong Learning Programs
War on Adult illiteracy
Low Cost & Tuition Free College

23. We envision a world where all beings can thrive.
Can you envision it too?
happycounts.org