Bringing Happiness and Productivity to Hungary 365 Days a Year
Ten years ago moral values dropped dramatically in Hungary: Alcohol and drugs became an everyday problem with youth and adults. There were more divorces than marriages and we saw the decline of school life via our children. Criminal stats were high and the ‘solution’ was to build more prisons. And unemployment was enormous,” say Antónia and Ferenc Novák about the scene that drove them to search for answers.
When they found The Way to Happiness, they had an answer suitable for the masses. The husband and wife team took the helm of TWTH Hungary and expanded its activities to “365 days a year.” They built up their team to 14 members, even recruiting their two children, and organized it to have multiple activities going simultaneously.
Their programs are broad and far reaching, including Facebook promotion, an online “Happiness Consultancy,” seminars to schools, national contests based on the 21 precepts, workshops, promotion of custom covers, person-to-person booklet distribution, instruction of the online classroom and TWTH “Creative Children Days.”
With 11 schools teaching the curriculum, 24 businesses and individuals with custom covers, 3,000 children having participated in contests and over 100,000 booklets distributed, they are making definite impact.
“You give power and bravery to me. You give me back what I lose so many times: the belief in myself.”
And while the hard numbers speak volumes—such as Hungary’s 2016 Crime and Safety Report declaring a significant decrease in the overall crime rate for all major categories—they don’t say it all.
It is the lives touched that tell the story.
Writes one such woman on Facebook, “You give power and bravery to me. You give me back what I lose so many times: the belief in myself. When I am sad, you can make me cheerful. When I am happy, I will be even more cheerful because of you. You give frankness, love and hope to people. I thank you, The Way to Happiness Hungary. You always come and help your fellow people! I love you all!”
FACTS
THE BIG PICTURE
The universal appeal of The Way to Happiness as told by the numbers.
21
PRECEPTS
Imparting moral values from “Take Care of Yourself” to “Be Worthy of Trust” to “Flourish and Prosper.”
115
LANGUAGES
The Way to Happiness holds a Guinness World Record as the most-translated nonreligious book.
187
NATIONS
have supporters and coordinated distribution of The Way to Happiness.
20%
OF COLOMBIA’S
population has been reached by 10,000 Colombian National Police Officers distributing the booklet.
118
MILLION BOOKLETS
distributed worldwide since its introduction in 1981, providing a moral compass for all to live by.
MAKE A DIFFERENCE
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.
