A Recap of The Way to Happiness in Colombia—Now the Happiest Country in the World
With thousands of children kidnapped into the cocaine wars and teachers, judges and politicians murdered on a regular basis, the United Nations once classified Colombia’s national conflict as “the worst humanitarian crisis in the Western Hemisphere.”
Well-known Colombian actor and comedian Andres Lopez decided to take effective action. Integrating The Way to Happiness into his famous stand-up comedy show, he performed it to more than 150,000 civilians, military and police personnel across the country. Colonel Ricardo Prado, a veteran of the Colombian National Police Force, was among them.
“After that conference I went home and showed [The Way to Happiness] to my wife and kids, and then I left them with the video. When I came back, they had tears in their eyes! I realized that The Way to Happiness was the solution that I had been looking for.” Colonel Prado then trained his officers in The Way to Happiness and, together, they delivered seminars to three million Colombians who pledged to practice the 21 precepts in life.
What followed was dubbed the ‘Colombian Miracle’ with crime and homicide rates dropping by 50 percent nationwide.
Then, through hand-to-hand booklet distribution, the Colombian National Police reached 20 percent of the nation’s population.
What followed was dubbed the “Colombian Miracle” with crime and homicide rates dropping by 50 percent nationwide. Colombian officials acknowledged the transformative power of The Way to Happiness as key to bringing that miracle about.
The Way to Happiness has also been in use in schools throughout Colombia. One teacher says, “It would be great if the children of the whole world could read The Way to Happiness because it will change their lives completely.”
How can one measure that change, with more than eight million Colombians now reached with The Way to Happiness? A recent Gallup poll showed that Colombia is now officially the happiest country in the world.
FACTS
BRINGING POSITIVE VALUES TO THE WORLD
Here’s your Way to Happiness progress report on this worldwide grassroots movement.
63
COUNTRIES
aired The Way to Happiness public service announcements on TV to more than 230 million viewers in the last year.
143
NEW GROUPS
sprang up in the last year showing communities and nations a better life through The Way to Happiness.
117
MILLION
copies of The Way to Happiness have been distributed to date.
4.4
MILLION
viewers in 72 countries saw the award-winning The Way to Happiness book on film.
361
MILLION
people have been reached through The Way to Happiness campaign in its bid to bring peace and morality to the world.
YOUR HELP IS NEEDED
The Way to Happiness Foundation International works to reverse the moral decay of society by restoring trust and honesty through widespread distribution of the 21 precepts. Donations support production and distribution of The Way to Happiness booklet and curriculum material.
