Positive psychology interventions for youth are generally targeted to WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, Democratic) populations, omitting the over 1 billion marginalized youth living in low- and lower-income countries. While we have begun to speak about access, aiming to ensure that all youth have equitable access to the benefits of positive psychology, it’s crucial to recognize that positive psychology also has a major role to play in spurring large-scale social change.
Positive psychology and other wellbeing efforts have too often operated in a vacuum without seriously incorporating issues of oppression, injustice, or inequality. Simultaneously, social justice efforts have yet to fully integrate what positive psychology has to offer. This is a case in which the sum is greater than its parts: integrating positive psychology and social change efforts can lead to not only improved individual wellbeing but also more effective social change. By working from 'the inside out,' we make 1+1=100, improving not only individuals’ lives but also changing society for the better.
In this panel, we introduce a few global changemakers doing just that. We discuss the CorStone Youth First program, which draws from positive psychology and has served nearly 150,000 marginalized adolescents across India, Kenya, and Rwanda. You will hear how Youth First has formed an integral component of an anti-terrorist recruitment strategy for vulnerable youth in the slums of Nairobi. You will also hear how Youth First has unlocked girls’ voices in India to avoid early marriages and help others do the same. Finally, you will hear about the social impacts of the ‘Happiness’ curriculum, an ambitious wellbeing program rolled-out in schools by the Government of Delhi. Our prominent panelists will share their views on the effects and promise of positive psychology and wellbeing initiatives on social change and what positive psychology can learn from the field of social justice.