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giving happiness global impact

Oh Canada

Photo by Nicolas Way Age 2

Canada Gives!

In this week’s Globe & Mail there was an article which jumped out at me. “Canada Ranked Second-Most Charitable in the World”. Globe writer Sarah Boesveld, writes a clear message “Canadians are a giving group of people”. Not surprisingly I was attracted to this headline as I too am Canadian. The World Giving Index commissioned by the Charities Aid Foundation, ranks countries “giving” based on three criteria:

Giving money
Volunteering time
Helping a stranger

As I dug a little deeper into this article and the Charities Aid Foundation website I learned another piece of information which I found very interesting. Here is a quote from the World Giving Index report:

“the survey asked people whether they had given money to charity in the last month and to rank how happy they are with life on a scale of one to ten. For all countries CAF compared the strength of the relationship between giving with both a nation’s GDP and the happiness of its population. CAF found that the link between happiness and giving is stronger than the link between wealth and giving.”

So the happier you are the more you want to share. Seems like a pretty basic concept our parents tried to teach us while growing up. I’m teaching the same to my 3 year old to this day. You will be happier if you share your toys with your friends rather than hording them for yourself or pulling them out of their hands and then hording them for yourself. Sometimes I wonder where we forgot this simple lesson in this world.

So my questions to you are the following.

Why do you think Canadians ranked so high on the giving index?
If you are a person that gives back, in what form do you give:

Donating money
Volunteerism
Helping a stranger
Helping the planet
Do you think we are a happier nation?

I look forward to hearing from you.

What people are saying about 365give

“I wanted to express my gratitude for the teaching you provided today. Your message was delivered eloquently, compassionately, and without judgment. The kids were engaged, and now have knowledge with which they can change the world. We all appreciated how you took the time to help us learn to build positive mindsets and practice happiness.”
Shelley Gardner, Grade 6 Ridgeview Elementary (West Vancouver)
“Actions really do speak louder than words, which is why I believe the 365give Challenge has resonated throughout my community. Every give we do is so important to us and leaves us happier and appreciating our lives a little bit more than before.”
Mahina Niyozova (Tajikistan)
“After watching the 365give TEDx Talk, I was inspired to join and begin a daily giving program in India. Today, along with 12 other volunteer women, we provide 100 meals to local underprivileged children in Bangalore for school every day.”
Deepika Ahuja, Mom (Bangalore, India)
“My life has greater meaning now.”
Renate Jorge, @BeKindBrazil and 365give Member, Family Program (Brazil)
“I just wanted to share that 365give really helped me. I am a better person now, thank you.”
MayLee, 365give Member, Individual Program
“This 365give Challenge has really injected excitement and extra enthusiasm in each work day as I think about what we can do. It has motivated me and the students.”
Cristina Peters, School Counselor (New York City, USA)
“I have seen a huge shift in energy throughout my classroom since doing the 365give Challenge. The Challenge has empowered my students to make a positive difference in the school’s community and beyond.”
Cella Adriana, Special Needs Educator /The Holliswood School (New York City, USA)
“The 365give Challenge helps students understand their impact on others. It opens avenues for introducing and discussing global and local issues in classrooms. It is powerful to watch students of all ages think about how they can make a change in another person’s life with one small act.”
Jessica Hall, Primary Teacher, French Immersion at École Pauline Johnson (West Vancouver, Canada)