Character Strengths as the Next Frontier of Human Development

• In Event: 3-103 - TAD Talks on Using Research to Improve the Lives of Children Around the World

Integrative Statement

Despite major gains in health and economic indicators, measures of social relationships are a growing cause for concern. Nearly half of all US adults experience loneliness on a routine basis and suicide is now the leading cause of death among youth worldwide. Templeton World Charity Foundation has the launched the Global Innovations for Character Development (GICD) (www.globalcharacter.org) initiative with the aim of making substantial progress on the habits and relationships that enable individual and communal prosperity. To this end, the foundation will fund up to 30 scientifically tested interventions to improve one or more character strengths in low and middle income countries. This presentation will highlight several exciting programs such as the Friendship Bench and Forgiveness Therapy as potential models for making progress. The second round of the GICD initiative will be March 23 to August 26, 2019 and all researchers from low and middle income countries are encouraged to apply.

Authors

• Taylor Hazelbaker, UCLA
  Introducer

• Andrew Serazin, Templeton World Charity Foundation
  Speaker