Latest news with #JeffreyD.Sachs
The Sun
27-05-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Strong multilateral cooperation vital amid global volatility
KUALA LUMPUR: The ongoing volatility in global affairs demands stronger international cooperation, particularly among nations in the Global South, said world-renowned economist Prof Jeffrey D. Sachs. Speaking to the media on the sidelines of the 2nd ASEAN-GCC Summit here today, Sachs urged countries to enhance strategic partnerships and resist unilateralism. Citing China's approach in managing its complex relationship with the United States, particularly in regard to President Donald Trump's massive tariff, he said Beijing had acted with restraint and strategic foresight in response. He also commended the inaugural ASEAN-GCC-China Summit, describing it as a symbol of multilateral resilience. However, Sachs, a professor at Columbia University and President of the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Solutions Network, cautioned that unpredictability remains a significant concern. He said China must prepare by diversifying its economic ties, especially with ASEAN and the GCC. 'It's a clear signal that China places high priority on its relations with ASEAN and the GCC. These are major trade and diplomatic partners,' he said. The ASEAN-GCC Summit and the ASEAN-GCC-China Summit, hosted by Malaysia as ASEAN Chair, brought together ASEAN leaders and their counterparts from the Gulf nations and China to deepen political, economic and strategic cooperation amid rising global tensions. The two summits were held today, after yesterday's 46th ASEAN Summit, which was staged under Malaysia's ASEAN Chairmanship 2025 themed 'Inclusivity and Sustainability'.
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Where Does The UK Rank In Happiness? This Report Paints A Grim Picture
This week, The World Happiness Report 2025 was released. This report is the world's foremost publication on global wellbeing and how to improve it. The researchers behind the report combined wellbeing data from over 140 countries, and provides essential insights into how we can create more happiness within our communitiies and nations. To explain their ranking, the researchers say: 'Our global happiness ranking is based on a single question from the Gallup World Poll, derived from the Cantril Self-Anchoring Striving Scale (Cantril Ladder): 'Please imagine a ladder with steps numbered from 0 at the bottom to 10 at the top. 'The top of the ladder represents the best possible life for you and the bottom of the ladder represents the worst possible life for you. On which step of the ladder would you say you personally feel you stand at this time?' The report found that, despite the UK being the sixth richest nation in the world, we have fallen to 23rd place in global rankings. The US has also fallen to its lowest position, now sitting at 24th place. Meanwhile, Finland is reportedly the happiest place in the world for the eighth year in a row. Providing more context to their findings, the researchers say: 'Country rankings are based on a three-year average of each population's average assessment of their quality of life. 'Interdisciplinary experts from economics, psychology, sociology and beyond then seek to explain the variations across countries and over time using factors such as GDP per capita, healthy life expectancy, having someone to count on, a sense of freedom, generosity and perceptions of corruption.' Those factors explain the differences across nations, but the rankings themselves are actually based solely on answers people have given when asked to rank their own lives. Quite a sorry tale for the UK. While this news isn't exactly uplifting, the overall findings from the researchers were surprisingly wholesome and give us attainable goals for rebuilding, as well as finding joy and comfort where we can. Lara B. Aknin, professor of social psychology at Simon Fraser University, and an editor of the World Happiness Report, says: 'Human happiness is driven by our relationships with others. Investing in positive social connections and engaging in benevolent actions are both matched by greater happiness.' Jeffrey D. Sachs, president of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University and a founding editor of the World Happiness Report, adds: 'The findings in this year's World Happiness Report reconfirm a fundamental truth: happiness is rooted in trust, kindness, and social connection. 'It is up to us as virtuous individuals and citizens to translate this vital truth into positive action, thereby fostering peace, civility, and wellbeing in communities worldwide.' Let's hope we can improve over the next 12 months. If You Struggle To Trust Strangers, This Report May Give You Some Hope The 'Happiness Paradox': Why Trying To Be Happy Is Making You Miserable 6 Habits That Make Your Kids Well, Not Just Happy — According to Psychologists
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Strangers twice as kind as we think, study suggests
Strangers are about twice as kind as people think, a study looking at happiness across the globe suggests. This year's World Happiness Report - released on Thursday - measured trust in strangers by deliberately losing wallets, seeing how many were returned and comparing that with how many people thought would be handed in. The rate of wallets returned was almost twice as high as people predicted and the study, which gathered evidence from around the world, found belief in the kindness of others was more closely tied to happiness than previously thought. The report ranked Finland as the world's happiest country for the eighth year running, with the US and UK slipping down the list. John F. Helliwell, an economist at the University of British Columbia and a founding editor of the report, said the wallet experiment data showed "people are much happier living where they think people care about each other". He added the study showed people were "everywhere too pessimistic", with wallets much more likely to be returned than predicted. The 13th annual World Happiness Report, released to mark the UN's International Day of Happiness, ranks the world's happiest countries by asking people to evaluate their lives. Finland again took top spot with an average score of 7.736 out of 10, while Costa Rica and Mexico have entered the top 10 for the first time. Both the UK and the US slipped down the list to 23rd and 24th respectively - the lowest-ever position for the latter. The study, published by the University of Oxford's Wellbeing Research Centre, asked people to rate their own lives on a scale of 0-10 - zero being the worst possible life and 10 being the best possible life. Country rankings are based on a three-year average of those scores. The 2025 World Happiness Report also found: declining happiness and social trust in the US and parts of Europe combined to explain the rise and direction of political polarisation; sharing meals with others was strongly linked with wellbeing across the globe; household size was closely linked to happiness, with four to five people living together enjoying the highest levels of happiness in Mexico and Europe Jeffrey D. Sachs, president of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, said the findings reconfirmed "happiness is rooted in trust, kindness, and social connection". "It is up to us as virtuous individuals and citizens to translate this vital truth into positive action, thereby fostering peace, civility, and wellbeing in communities worldwide," he said. Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, director of Oxford's Wellbeing Research Centre, added: "In this era of social isolation and political polarisation we need to find ways to bring people around the table again - doing so is critical for our individual and collective wellbeing."
BBC News
20-03-2025
- General
- BBC News
Strangers twice as kind as we think, study suggests
Strangers are about twice as kind as people think, a study looking at happiness across the globe year's World Happiness Report - released on Thursday - measured trust in strangers by deliberately losing wallets, seeing how many were returned and comparing that with how many people thought would be handed rate of wallets returned was almost twice as high as people predicted and the study, which gathered evidence from around the world, found belief in the kindness of others was more closely tied to happiness than previously thought. The report ranked Finland as the world's happiest country for the eighth year running, with the US and UK slipping down the list. John F. Helliwell, an economist at the University of British Columbia and a founding editor of the report, said the wallet experiment data showed "people are much happier living where they think people care about each other".He added the study showed people were "everywhere too pessimistic", with wallets much more likely to be returned than 13th annual World Happiness Report, released to mark the UN's International Day of Happiness, ranks the world's happiest countries by asking people to evaluate their again took top spot with an average score of 7.736 out of 10, while Costa Rica and Mexico have entered the top 10 for the first the UK and the US slipped down the list to 23rd and 24th respectively - the lowest-ever position for the study, published by the University of Oxford's Wellbeing Research Centre, asked people to rate their own lives on a scale of 0-10 - zero being the worst possible life and 10 being the best possible rankings are based on a three-year average of those scores. The 2025 World Happiness Report also found:declining happiness and social trust in the US and parts of Europe combined to explain the rise and direction of political polarisation;sharing meals with others was strongly linked with wellbeing across the globe;household size was closely linked to happiness, with four to five people living together enjoying the highest levels of happiness in Mexico and Europe Jeffrey D. Sachs, president of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, said the findings reconfirmed "happiness is rooted in trust, kindness, and social connection". "It is up to us as virtuous individuals and citizens to translate this vital truth into positive action, thereby fostering peace, civility, and wellbeing in communities worldwide," he De Neve, director of Oxford's Wellbeing Research Centre, added: "In this era of social isolation and political polarisation we need to find ways to bring people around the table again - doing so is critical for our individual and collective wellbeing."
