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Alain de Botton, UK
Popular Philosopher and Best-Selling Author: The Consolations of Philosophy and The Architecture of
Happinesss
 Stefan Klein, Germany
Award-Winning Science Journalist
Best Selling Author: The Science of Happiness
 Professor Tania Singer, Switzerland
Neuroscientist researching empathy and compassion
Professor David Matsumoto, USA
World authority on regognition of emotions
Ven. Robina Courtin, USA & Australia
Tibetan Buddhist Nun working with prisoners on death row
 Anita Anand, UK
Presenter, Drive,
BBC Radio 5 Live
› Meet our speakers
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Pre-conference Workshop
8th Oct, 9.00am - 5.00pm
Conference Day 1
9th Oct, 9.00am - 5:30pm
Conference Day 2
10th Oct, 9.00am - 5:30pm
Post-conference Workshop
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Programme
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Thursday 9th October 2008 - Day One
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| THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS |
| 9am | Welcome
| 9.05am | Opening remarks from the Chairperson
| 9.10am | A dialogue: Finding happiness – philosophies of East and West
| 9.15am | The Consolations of Philosophy
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Are we looking for happiness in the right places?
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What does the wisdom of the ages have to offer in the modern world?
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Can I improve my satisfaction and happiness in life?
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Philosophy for everyday life
Alain de Botton, Philosopher, Best-selling Author The Consolations of Philosophy and The Architecture of Happiness
Acclaimed philosopher and writer, Alain de Botton, explores in his best selling books how philosophy can bring practical benefits to modern life.
| 9.35am | Happiness: developing life’s most important skill
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Is happiness the purpose of life?
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Is true, lasting happiness possible?
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Happiness and altruism: does happiness make us kind or does being kind make us happy?
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Towards a science of happiness
Matthieu Ricard, Best-Selling Author Happiness: A Guide to Developing Life’s Most Important Skill, Shechen Monastery, Nepal
Dubbed by research scientists as “the happiest man in the world”, Matthieu Ricard shows in his revolutionary book that happiness is not just an emotion but a skill that can be developed.
| 9.55am | The monk and the philosopher: a dialogue on happiness
A fascinating, in-depth discussion between two leading minds, moderating by acclaimed journalist, Madeleine Bunting.
Moderator: Madeleine Bunting, Associate Editor, The Guardian
Alain de Botton, Philosopher, Best-selling Author The Consolations of Philosophy and The Architecture of Happiness
Matthieu Ricard, Best-Selling Author Happiness: A Guide to Developing Life’s Most Important Skill, Shechen Monastery, Nepal
| 10.30am | Morning Coffee
| | HAPPINESS & SOCIETY |
| 11am | Panel: Do good lives have to cost the earth?
The growing affluence and pace of change within Western society is placing enormous stress on individuals and families. Rather than improving our happiness and wellbeing, the conditions of plenty in which we live appear to be undermining it.
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The challenge of plenty – can we have it all and be happy?
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Are we being spoilt with choice?
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How do we explain the contradiction between material progress and our failure to achieve happiness?
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Can this contradiction be resolved without going backwards in our economic development?
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Implications for the consumer society
Moderator: Tom Hodgkinson, Editor, The Idler, Author: How to be Free and How to be Idle
Panellists:
Andrew Simms, Policy Director, New Economics Foundation, Editor: Do good lives have to cost the earth?
Ann Pettifor, Campaigns Director, Operation Noah; Executive Director, Advocacy International, Author The Coming First World Debt Crisis
Leading minds in economics and the environment explore the interface between the consumer society and the happiness of the planet.
| 11.45am | Living a courageous life
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How can we maintain hope and courage in a troubled world?
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Is it possible for me to really make a positive difference in the lives of others?
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Finding happiness in the face of adversity
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The amazing power of the human spirit
Be inspired by Nazand Begikhani who explores the experience of being an exiled Kurdish woman in visionary poems of political and spiritual depth.
| | THE SCIENCE OF HAPPINESS |
| 12.10pm | An Anatomy of Happiness
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What can science tell us about the brain’s “happiness system”?
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Does biology determine our level of happiness?
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What does science say about the plasticity of the brain?
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Mind over matter – the power of thought to change the brain
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What conditions do we need to foster the pursuit of happiness?
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Science and philosophy: common ground and contrasts
Stefan Klein, Science Journalist & Writer, Best Selling Author The Science of Happiness, Germany
Physicist, essayist and author, Stefan Klein is considered one of the most influential science writers in German speaking Europe. Hear a clear and informed explanation of the biology of happiness.
| 12.35pm | Lunch Break
| 2pm | Empathy and the Compassionate Mind – a path to happiness?
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What happens in the brain when we feel empathy?
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Are empathetic people happier?
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Can the brain be trained to dwell on constructive thoughts?
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Strategies for developing empathy and compassion
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What can “contemplative neuroscience” tell us about happiness?
Professor Tania Singer, Neuroscientist, Center for the Study of Social and Neural Systems, University of Zürich, Switzerland
The ability to “tune in” and empathise with others is a prerequisite for understanding, attachment, bonding and love. Swiss neuroscientist, Tania Singer, will present her research findings on how our brains process empathy.
| 2.25pm | Panel discussion: the science of happines
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How do we measure how happy we are? The study of subjective experience
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What are the dimensions of happiness?
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How can science help us in the quest for happiness?
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Nature or nurture – how far can we go in changing our brain to be happier?
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Case studies on the power of action and thought to increase well-being
Panellists:
Stefan Klein, Science Journalist & Writer, Author The Science of Happiness, Germany
Professor Tania Singer, Neuroscientist, Center for the Study of Social and Neural Systems, University of Zürich, Switzerland
Professor Felicia Huppert, Professor of Psychology, Director, Wellbeing Institute, Cambridge University, UK
Dr David Matsumoto, Professor of Psychology, San Francisco State University, USA; Author: Culture & Psychology
Positive Psychology expert Dr Felicia Huppert, world authority on recognition of emotions, Dr David Matsumoto, and one of the UK’s best loved science media personalities, Dr Chris Smith, will join our pre-lunch speakers.
| 3.05pm | Afternoon coffee break
| | THE FLIP SIDE OF HAPPINESS |
| 3.35pm | Do drugs make us happy?
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What are the most successful strategies for coping with mild depression and general unhappiness?
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Do anti-depressants work for everyone?
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Is this a happiness strategy that should be followed?
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What is the evidence?
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Are alternative remedies more effective?
Professor Irving Kirsch’s research sparked extensive debate and media coverage in the UK and internationally. Hear first hand about this research on anti-depressants.
| 3.55pm | Panel: Is unhappiness being over-medicalised?
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When does unhappiness become a medical problem?
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When do I need to seek help?
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“Talking therapies” - the best prescription for depression and anxiety?
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Antidepressants – friend or foe?
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Strategies for dealing with a national epidemic of unhappiness and depression
Moderator: Anita Anand, Presenter, Drive, BBC Radio 5 Live
Panellists:
Professor Irving Kirsch, Department of Psychology, University of Hull, UK
Paul Farmer, Chief Executive, Mind (National Association for Mental Health)
Professor Sheila Hollins, President, The Royal College of Psychiatrists
Phillip Hodson, Fellow, Media Consultant and Chief Spokesperson, British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy
Dr Richard Barker, Director General, Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry
UK leaders in mental health and the pharmaceutical industry join Professor Irving Kirsch to debate the pros and cons of drug treatments for depression.
| 4.35pm | Personal Stories – working with difficult emotions
This special session will give voice to the lived experience of an inspirational woman living with depression. How has her life and those of family, friends and colleagues been affected? In a tribute to resilience and courage, Ruby Wax will tell her story of how she re-gained happiness and wellbeing in challenging circumstances. Ruby will be interviewed by leading broadcaster, Anita Anand.
Ruby Wax, Comedienne, TV Personality and Actress
| 5pm | Close of Day One
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Friday 10 October 2008 - Day Two
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8.50am | Opening remarks from the Chairperson
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CULTIVATING HAPPINESS IN DAY TO DAY LIFE |
| 9am | Recognising emotion in others - a cross-cultural perspective
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Is happiness different across cultures?
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What do our faces reveal about our emotional states?
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Happiness as an emotion, a mood, an outlook, a trait
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Twelve different happy emotions
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Happy emotions not named in the English language
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Selectivity in the experience of happiness
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Happiness as a motive
Dr David Matsumoto, Professor of Psychology, San Francisco State University, USA; Director and CEO, The Ekman Group - Research Division, Author: Culture & Psychology
Dr David Matsumoto, Internationally acclaimed author and psychologist, Dr David Matsumoto, is a world authority on the recognition of emotions across cultures.
| 9.30am | The pursuit of happiness in an age of inequalities – is positive mental health an antidote to injustice?
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What advantages and assets does mental health provide for us and our children?
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How important is positive mental health in determining what happens to us in life?
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What are the key factors that influence the presence of positive mental health (as distinct from the absence of mental illness)?
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What is toxic to our mental health and what can be done about it?
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If mental health is a collective resource, what action is needed to promote and protect it?
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Is happiness compatible with inequity?
Hear the results of new research commissioned by the World Health Organisation and the Mental Health Foundation on health, resilience and inequality.
| 10am | Case Study: Working with disturbing emotions in the prison system
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What can we learn about happiness from the prison environment?
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“I’m not a prisoner, I’m a monk” - transforming our environment from within
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Why forgiveness is so important for our happiness
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Finding happiness in the face of adversity
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Halting the cycle of anger, conflict and violence
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Cultivating compassion, joy and equanimity – against the odds
Hear the results of new research commissioned by the World Health Organisation and the Mental Health Foundation on health, resilience and inequality.
| 10.30am | Morning coffee
| | EMOTIONAL WELLBEING & HAPPINESS | Hear how “talking therapies” can contribute to our well-being and happiness, from two of the UK’s leading practitioners.
| 11am | Healing shame and self-criticism - compassion-focussed therapy
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What is compassion-focussed therapy?
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How do shame and self-criticism affect our well-being and happiness?
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What does science tell us about shame and compassion?
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Can we train the mind to be more compassionate?
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How can this help people with depression and other psychological disorders?
Dr Paul Gilbert, Professor of Clinical Psychology, Mental Health Research Unit, Derby University, UK
| 11.20am | Feeling better: a guide to mood management using cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT)
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How can CBT help in managing negative moods more effectively?
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How successful is CBT in changing unhelpful thinking?
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What are the tools of CBT?
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How can I effectively manage my emotional states?
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What are some guidelines for emotional health?
Dr Stirling Moorey, Chair, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy Group, Psychotherapy Faculty, Royal College of Psychiatrists, UK
| | HAPPINESS & YOUNG PEOPLE |
| 11.40am | Bringing up happy children
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Every parent wants a "happy childhood" for their children. What best supports this?
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What will most effectively help children to flourish, whatever their temperament?
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How can children understand and survive sadness, anger and other challenging emotions?
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How do parents' values and expectations affect their children's emotional wellbeing?
Sonia Sodha, Research - Fellow, Strategic Research Team, Institute for Public Policy Research
Social commentator, Sonia Sodha talks about the secret of bringing up happy children.
| 12pm | Panel: Laying the foundations for happiness and wellbeing
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Is there a ‘happiness crisis’ among young people?
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Are today’s teenagers more vulnerable?
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Why do children in the UK reportedly have the worst emotional wellbeing in the developed world?
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How do we teach resilience skills to young people?
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Research on preventative approaches to depression
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Importance of attachment relationships for surviving trauma
Panellists:
Jack Heath, Founder & Executive Director, Inspire Foundation, Australia
Tony Bates, CEO, Headstrong, Ireland
David Haswell, NCH Head of Schools, NCH, the children’s charity
Anna Colao, University Student
Ven. Robina Courtin, Founder and Director, Liberation Prison Project, Australia & USA
An international panel of people using innovative methods to reach young people in need of support, moderated by high profile independent headmaster, Dr Anthony Seldon.
| 12.40pm | Lunch break
| 2pm | Case Studies: Teaching emotional resilience and well-being in schools
This session will look at how we can bring greater happiness across generations through improvements in schools. Chief Executive of Teacher Support Network, Patrick Nash, will co-ordinate discussion around case studies of teachers who are harnessing new methods to support student and staff well-being.
Moderator: Patrick Nash, Chief Executive, Teacher Support Network
Case Study 1: Kevin Hogston, Deputy Head Teacher, Latchmere Junior School
Case Study 2: Stephanie Terry, Deputy Head Teacher & Margaret Bond, Class Teacher, St Margaret Clitherow RC Primary School, Neasden, London
| | HAPPINESS, RELATIONSHIPS & WORK |
| 2.30pm | Relationships, wellbeing and work
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Looking at life ‘relationally’ – making lifestyle choices to nurture your relationships
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How can I build healthier relationships in the workplace?
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The bigger picture - nurturing relationships within and between organizations
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What are your relationships for? Are they a means to an end or an end in themselves?
Dr Michael Schluter, Executive Director, The Relationships Foundation, Author: The R Factor and The R Option
Leading campaigner and social reformer Dr Michael Schluter, looks at work and lifestyle choices from a relational perspective.
| 2.50pm | The chemistry of wellbeing – the crucial mind-body connection
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Why are some people centred and confident in the midst of crisis?
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The endorphin effect – how can I trigger the ‘miracle’ hormones of health and wellbeing?
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How can I block adrenalin and cortisol – the hormones of stress and anxiety
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Managing my own body chemistry for increased vitality, health and happiness
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Good leadership and community building – a flow on effect of good self-management
Dr William Bloom, holistic educator and activist, Director, Foundation for Holistic Spirituality, author The Endorphin Effect
One of the UK’s most experienced teachers, healers and authors in the field of holistic development, Dr William Bloom, talks about his seminal work on the endorphin effect.
| 3.10pm | Afternoon tea break
| 3.40pm | How to win friends and influence people: or avoiding the fast lane to unhappiness
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Is the science of happiness turning friends into service providers?
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Reciprocal altruism: virtue or vice; science or shaggy-dog story?
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The family, human rights and freedom: on our ambivalent attitudes towards friendship
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Recovering Aristotle's notion of soulmateship: the friend as 'another self'.
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Is friendship a must-have or a nice-to-have for wellbeing?
Dr Mark Vernon, philosopher, author The Philosophy of Friendship and Wellbeing
Writer, broadcaster and philosopher, Dr Mark Vernon, speaks of the foundations of friendship.
| 4pm | Panel: Positive actions for creating a happier society
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Can we promote kindness, forgiveness and hope in communities?
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How can society respond more quickly to people's changing needs?
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Is it possible for me to really make a positive difference in the lives of others?
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In what way can neighbours encourage and help those who care for others on a full-time basis?
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Who are the everyday heroes in our communities?
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Improving the quality of health and social services – the role of relationships
Moderator: Patrick Nash, Chief Executive, Teacher Support Network
Panellists:
Dr Michael Schluter, Executive Director, The Relationships Foundation
Dr Marcia Brophy, Wellbeing Programme Leader, The Young Foundation
Alison Murdoch, Director, Foundation for Developing Compassion and Wisdom
Matthieu Ricard, Best-Selling Author Happiness: A Guide to Developing Life’s Most Important Skill, Shechen Monastery, Nepal
Dr William Bloom, holistic educator and activist, Director, Foundation for Holistic Spirituality, Author The Endorphin Effect
Panellists discuss how we can strengthen our sense of connection and community.
| | CONCLUSION |
| 4.40pm | What matters most - how not to waste your life
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The pursuit of happiness for ourselves and others
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Does having anything/everything you want make you happy?
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Is what matters most in life at the mercy of what matters least?
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Creating time for relationships, laughter and spirituality
| 5pm | Close of Day Two
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Wednesday 8th October 2008 - PRE-CONFERENCE WORKSHOPS – 6 half day workshops
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9am | MORNING WORSKHOPS 09:00-12:00
Morning coffee break 10:15-10:45
Workshop 1: Becoming your own therapist
Ven. Robina Courtin, Founder and Director, Liberation
Prison Project, Australia & USA
Workshop 2: The Fundamentals of Positive Psychology
Reena Govindji, Clinical Psychologist, Centre for Applied
Positive Psychology
Workshop 3: “Hands-on” Happiness – a participatory playshop for creating
community, Findhorn style
Yvonne Cuneo & Barbara Swetina, Findhorn Foundation
| 2pm | AFTERNOON WORKSHOPS 14:00-17:00
Afternoon tea break 15:15-15:45
Workshop 4: Learning to Recognize Concealed Emotions: Micro Expressions
Dr David Matsumoto, Professor of Psychology, San
Francisco State University, USA; Director and CEO, The
Ekman Group - Research Division
Workshop 5: Work Life Happiness - The 16 Guidelines For A Happy Life
Alison Murdoch, Director, Foundation for Developing
Compassion and Wisdom, UK & Ramus Hougaard,
Centre for Wisdom and Compassion, Denmark
Workshop 6: Mindfulness based meditation
Tony Bates, Founder & CEO, Headstrong, Ireland
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Saturday 11 October 2008 - FULL DAY POST-CONFERENCE WORKSHOP
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9am | FULL DAY POST-CONFERENCE WORKSHOP 09:00-17:00
Happiness: A Guide to Developing Life’s Most Important Skill
with Matthieu Ricard, Best-Selling Author Happiness: A Guide to Developing Life’s Most Important Skill, Shechen Monastery, Nepal
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Endorsing Associations 2008
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