“The Indonesian government has shown a consistency in legitimizing the SDG agenda into the country’s national development planning and issuing Presidential regulation No.59 year of 2017. [The] support from BAPPENAS and SDSN [of the] Happiness Festival shows our government values [the notion that] the growth of a nation is linked to increased human happiness and wellbeing, not just growing the economy.
Jakarta, Indonesia 28, March 2018 –
Achieving balance between people, nature, and spiritual wellbeing is one way to achieve universal happiness. This philosophy makes up the core of the SDG Pyramid developed by the SDSN Southeast Asia Network and was the fundamental motivation behind the Happiness Festival they hosted last month.
The second annual Happiness Festival was recently held in Indonesia under the patronage of the Indonesian Ministry of National Development Planning (BAPPENAS), SDSN, Project Semesta, and United in Diversity, or UID (the host of SDSN Southeast Asia). The Happiness Festival aims to ignite a global movement for happiness by combining social, ecological, and spiritual messaging around the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The two-day event was supported by honored leaders and members of the community, including Bambang Brodjonegoro (Minister of National Development Planning), Marzuki Usman (Formerly of the Ministry of Tourism; Board of Trustees, UID), Aristides Katoppo (Senior Journalist), I Gede Ardhika (Formerly of the Ministry of Tourism; Board of Trustees, UID); and Cherie Nursalim (Vice Chairman of GITI Group; Board of Trustees, UID). Other stakeholders from various parts of society also supported the festival and joined in the activities.
“The Indonesian government has shown a consistency in legitimizing the SDG agenda into the country’s national development planning and issuing Presidential regulation No.59 year of 2017. [The] support from BAPPENAS and SDSN [of the] Happiness Festival shows our government values [the notion that] the growth of a nation is linked to increased human happiness and wellbeing, not just growing the economy. The Happiness Festival brings our society closer together with the spirit of unity in diversity, serving as a collective action to join the global movement of happiness and realize the SDGs,” said Mari Elka Pangestu, President, United in Diversity.
Throughout the event, a series of workshops and dialogues were held on a variety of topics. Sustainable food consumption was one popular theme, and prompted a discussion among attendees from the food industry including Burgreens, GEMASS, Sayurbox, and Krakakao, on the adverse impacts of general public consumption patterns, and alternative lifestyle solutions so individuals can practice sustainable food consumption, inspiring more sustainable food consumption in the context of urban society. Other workshops included: Turmeric-Based Home Remedy by Rahsa Nusantara; Terrariums for Kids by Kawan Cendekia; Upcycling Fashion Waste by Threadapeutic; Natural Lipbalm by Peek.Me Naturals’ Good Deeds; Happy Volunteering by Indorelawan.org; and many more.
ATTENDEE SPOTLIGHT: Vikra Ijas, cofounder & CPO of crowd-funding company Kitabisa.com
“Happiness is a choice. In Kitabisa.com, we believe one of the highest forms of happiness is achieved when we help make other people happy. In line with SDG Pyramid to Happiness, which serves as the DNA of [the] Happiness Festival, Kitabisa.com have evidence that Indonesia is full of good and caring people. Rather, we simply need more bridges to connect and more platforms that unite us.”
The festival championed the SDG Pyramid, which demonstrates how the SDGs can be used to facilitate social wellbeing. The Pyramid rearranges the SDGs into three core components that represent issues in relation to people, ecology, and spirit. The 17 SDGs are grounded in the existing core values of other philosophies and religions such as Pancasila, Islam (hablum minallah, hablum minannas, hablum minalam), the Chinese philosophy Tian Di Ren He, and the Balinese life philosophy Tri Hita Karana, which means “Three Ways to Happiness” and guides many aspects of Balinese life.
About United in Diversity and Project Semesta
United in Diversity (UID) is a not-for-profit organization established in 2003 to build trust and inspire Indonesian leaders from business, government, and civil society to collectively create SUSTAINABILITY-ORIENTED SOLUTIONS (SOS): prototypes of systemic change that promote models of socially and ecologically responsible economic transformation. UID serves as a catalyst for sustainable development through its learning platforms that emphasize socially, ecologically, and spiritually balanced economic development.
Project Semesta is a community of social businesses whose products/services are solutions for sustainability. The main objective of Project Semesta is to map and build the right ecosystem to ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns in Indonesia. To achieve this, Project Semesta engages in building a sustainable partnership, enhancing education on sustainability, and creating a collective market.
For more information, visit and follow:
The SDG Pyramid website – http://www.sdgpyramid.org/
The Happiness Festival on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/HappinessFestival.ID/
The Happiness Festival on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/happinessfestival.id