Live Panel Examines Science-Based Approach for Creating Happiness in Troubled Times
Mission: JOY documentary inspires upcoming dialogue with three prominent experts on happiness, hosted by ProQuest, ROCO Films and FILM PLATFORM
ANN ARBOR, MI, September 30, 2021 – Is there really a prescription for joy? Numerous studies show that bringing joy into our lives improves health and performance – and neuroscience demonstrates that we can take small actions to increase the amount of joy we feel. That’s the topic of an Oct. 5 panel discussion about creating joy – inspired by the international bestseller The Book of Joy and the remarkable friendship between His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. This friendship is also explored in the documentary Mission: JOY – Finding Happiness in Troubled Times.
The free virtual event is hosted by EdTech leader ProQuest, FILM PLATFORM and ROCO Films, and is open to students, faculty, librarians and members of the public. Panelists will include Dr. Thupten Jinpa Langri, English translator for His Holiness the Dalai Lama and a Buddhist scholar, as well as a former Tibetan monk; Doug Abrams, executive producer of the Mission: JOY film and co-author of The Book of Joy; and Dr. Elissa Epel, Professor of Psychiatry and Vice Chair at the University of California, San Francisco. It will be moderated by Peggy Callahan, co-director and producer of Mission: JOY and human rights activist.
“Science has now proven what wisdom traditions have told us for centuries: joy is an inside-out job,” Ms. Callahan said. “It’s not determined solely by our external circumstances. That’s incredible news, especially when we’re going through hard times. We don’t have to wait for joy – we can create our own. We’re excited to share these simple but revolutionary acts of joy with the librarians, faculty and students who attend this discussion.”
Participants will come away with a better understanding about the connection between difficult times and happiness, the latest research on the impact of joy, and practical ways to create it for themselves. They’ll also learn how to get involved in The Big Joy Project, a first-of-its-kind global citizen science project (and can sign up to participate at MissionJoy.org).
“At ProQuest, we aim to affect change through access to knowledge and insight, and we’re deeply honored to host this panel discussion with our partners,” said Chris Burghardt, Senior Vice President, ProQuest Information Solutions. “In addition to sparking important conversations about physical and mental health, science, and humanity, the speakers will also be discussing the valuable role that ebooks and documentary films like Mission: JOY can play in sparking important conversations in education.”
"We understand that students and faculty are returning to school during a global pandemic where many have suffered distress, disease and loss,” said Annie Roney, Founder and CEO of ROCO Films. “Mission: JOY can be an antidote for everyone on campus. Just the act of watching the documentary will bring joy, but the content itself provides real tools for mental well-being. We encourage everyone – from students to scholars to staff – to make creating joy an action item, on and off campus, and this rich panel discussion is certain to kickstart it."
Register now for the Mission: JOY event on October 5 at 2 P.M. ET. You can also get access to the film or the book through ProQuest.
About the Event Partners
FILM PLATFORM is an exclusive collection of the most prestigious documentary films streaming for academic use, available through ProQuest.
ROCO Films is a leading educational distributor of documentary films specializing in impact and engagement.
About ProQuest (about.proquest.com)
ProQuest supports the important work in the world’s research and learning communities. The company curates six centuries of content – the world’s largest collection of journals, ebooks, primary sources, dissertations, news, and video – and builds powerful workflow solutions to help libraries acquire and grow collections that inspire extraordinary outcomes. ProQuest products and services are used in academic, K-12, public, corporate and government libraries in 150 countries.
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