A Senate committee in Brazil has approved a “happiness amendment” that, if passed by the entire Congress, would make the pursuit of happiness a fundamental right guaranteed by the country’s constitution.
The amendment was the project of a non-profit organisation, the Movimento Mais Feliz (Happier Movement), and sponsored by Cristovam Buarque, a senator and former presidential candidate who has campaigned for greater investment in education as an essential element in promoting faster growth and development in Brazil.
Yet, the senator himself cast doubt on the effectiveness of guaranteeing happiness by law rather than by more concrete measures.