International collaborations for well-being

Wellbeing Economy Governments Group

Scotland established the Wellbeing Economy Governments Group with Iceland and New Zealand in 2018 to collaborate in pursuit of new ways to improve wellbeing.  The Wellbeing Economy Governments (WEGo) is a collaboration of national and regional governments promoting sharing of expertise and transferrable policy practices. The aims are to deepen their understanding and advance their shared ambition of building wellbeing economies. WEGo, which currently comprises Scotland, New Zealand, Iceland, and Wales, is founded on the recognition that ‘development’ in the 21st century entails delivering human and ecological wellbeing.

Nicola Sturgeon’s TED Talk on WeGo
Scotland’s First Minister gave this TED talk (ten min) in 2019 about the importance of WEGo and why governments have a responsibility to prioritise wellbeing.

The Network of Institutions for Future Generations (NIFG)

The NIFG is an independent, non-formal network of institutions worldwide for the protection of the interests of future generations. The NIFG’s primary goal is the sharing of knowledge and dissemination of best practices of its member institutions engaged in the promotion of responsible, long-term governance, taking into consideration the wellbeing of our descendants and their natural environment. The NIFG consists of a diversity of institutions, highlighting the need as well as the opportunity to safeguard the interests of future generations through different means and across various disciplines.  It has representatives from Wales, Hungary, Canada, Israel, Finland, Germany, New Zealand, Norway, and Finland.  You can read the Looking to 2030 and Beyond Report here, exploring How Institutions for Future Generations can Assist in SDG Implementation.

Compiled by James O’Donovan of the Cork Environmental Forum

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