Abstract
One outstanding feature of GNH – as opposed to using Gross National Product (GNP) to measure the quality of life – is its focus on the Eastern world view in an attempt to deconstruct the long-standing practice of viewing the world largely through Western perspective. In particular, the “invisible hands” directing the market has turned into “invisible feet” that trample on society, producing the phenomenon of “affluent poverty”including environmental and social costs. Thus, GNP-oriented development in Taiwan has actually brought about three other GNPs: Gross NationalPollution, Garbage, Noise and Pollution, GNP=NG(Guns)+NP(Pollution). In a sense, GNPs are the major source against happiness in Taiwan. According to “word map of happiness”, Bhutan ranked eighth and was the only Asian country to make it to the top ten list, while Taiwan came in 62nd and China 82nd. Considering Bhutan’s GNH model on “thinks like a mountain”, Taiwan might facilitate a GNH model of “think like an island”in terms of two perspectives. One perspective will be focused on three-capital discourse associated with natural capital, cultural capital and social capital. Another perspective put emphasis on three-dimension discourse including paradigm shift, institutional transformation and structural change. This paper aims at developing an island-oriented GNH model in a theoretical fashion. In practice, this paper also presents a local case of Bamboo Broom Union (BBU) by applying above-mentioned two perspectives. Considering GNH as a social movement, BBU has launched a grassroots program in pursuing a GNH city in a glocalized and humorous way