The origin, mission, strategy, financing and directors of Go for Happiness, the cooperation agreements, the difference with the Go for Happiness Foundation, what does Go for Happiness NOT stand for, more information on the prevention of suicide...

• Our current projects will show you what we are involved in at this moment.
• Information on the programme of the contact day and the possibility to register.
• You will get an overview of past activities and those lined up for the future.
• You will find press articles about us.
• You can get information on the book “Down Under”.
•  You can give us a good motto or a strong idea: we might put it in our motto gallery.
• You can always get in touch with us.
• Or you can DONATE.

Mark and Chantal vande Gucht, the initiators, have written the book “Down Under” after the death of their daughter Joke. During the last stages of the editing process, the idea rose to change the direction of something destructive into something positive and valuable for society. On your own, though, this is an impossible task. This is when they got in touch with “Werkgroep Verder” (“working group moving on”) for the surviving relatives of someone who committed suicide and with Jan and Carine Toye who went through the same tragedy. After further contacts had been made, the non-profit organisation Go for Happiness, in its current shape, was formed.

All members of the Board of Directors have personally been confronted with suicide in their immediate personal or professional environment.

Go for Happiness wishes to contribute to the prevention of depression and suicide and therefore, to more happiness in society by giving more attention to people with growing pains, especially youngsters and creating a framework.

Go for Happiness supports the implementation of scientifically based prevention projects and programmes and especially their efficiency studies with focus on the following issues:

• Inventarisation “best practices worldwide”.
• Pupils: Pre-school, primary and secondary education.
• Students: college.
• Giftedness.
• Surviving relatives.
• Working environment.
  

Go for Happiness maintains the following selection criteria for projects:

• Be exclusively oriented towards the realisation of the mission of Go for Happiness.
• Cover one of the above-mentioned domains.
• Have a concrete plan with high quality and measurable results.
• Academic follow-up to validate the results.
• Connect to the strategic plan prevention of suicide of the Flemish government.

Read more on the Go for Happiness projects.

Financing is done by gifts:

• Subscription on “emotional shares” by individuals and companies,
• Sponsoring by individuals and companies.

For gifts over €30.00, a tax certificate is issued.

Go for Happiness is currently administered as follows:

Board of directors:

• Marc vande Gucht, surviving relative, author of Down under
• Jan Toye, Director, surviving relative
• Franz Baro, Director, Prof. em. dr., KUL Leuven, former Chairman WHO collaborating Center for Mental Health Belgium

Advisory Committee:  

   
• Professor dr. Tessa Kieboom (Director of the centre for intelligence research, University of Antwerp).
 
• Professor dr. Kees van Heeringen (State University of Ghent, unit for suicide research)
 
• Prof. Em dr. Roger Dillemans, honorary vice-chancellor.
 
• Valentin Van den Balck, former CEO IBM Belgium.
 
• Johan Maertens, former general director of “De Sleutel”
 
• Prof. Dr. Jo Casselman.
 

Supporting partners:

• Nationale Loterij
• SD Worx
• KBC Group
• Linklaters-De Bandt - Brussels
• Ernst & Young Entrepreneurs at Ghent
• Private anonymous support

Administration-contact:

• Dr Ghita Kleijkers, Diepensteyn 1, 1840 Steenhuffel + 32 479 68 96 36. info@gavoorgeluk.be
  

Non-profit organisation Go for Happiness has entered into cooperation agreements with:

• Go for Happiness Foundation, foundation for public benefit: which, among other things, takes initiatives and develops activities in the same areas as the non-profit. The non-profit is therefore willing to entrust the realisation of a part of its goals to the Foundation.
• The Flemish Government: For the realisation of the Health Objective Prevention of Suicide and the Flemish Action Plan Prevention of Suicide, both parties entered into a collective health agreement, in conformity with Article 35 of the Decree of 21 November 2003 regarding preventative healthcare. Go for Happiness commits itself to support initiatives regarding the realisation of the Flemish Health Objective Prevention of Suicide and the Flemish Action Plan Prevention of Suicide.
  
• The JED Foundation, New York: founded by Phil and Donna Satow, surviving relatives. The JED Foundation works nationally to reduce the rate of suicide and the prevalence of emotional distress among college and university students. To achieve this end, the organisation collaborates with the public and leaders in higher education, mental health, and research.
• Trimbos Institute, the Netherlands: The Trimbos Institute is the national knowledge institute for mental healthcare, addiction and social care. The Trimbos Institute promotes the quality of life by developing and applying knowledge on mental heath, addiction and the related physical disorders.To be developed
• WHO Lead Collaborating Center of Mental Health Problems and Suicide across Europe, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm: to be developed.

Go for Happiness does not have the intention nor expertise to provide therapeutic guidance.

We are happy to provide information and ideas – but NOT as a therapy (we are not capable nor qualified to do this).

Apart from the non-profit organisation Go for Happiness, the Go for Happiness Foundation was established in December 2007. The Go for Happiness Foundation is a foundation for public benefit with a substantial starting capital in order to support the mission of the non-profit organisation Go for Happiness in a recurring and sustainable way.
The non-profit organisation and the foundation have the same mission and complementary goals.  

The Foundation organises and finances scientific guidance of innovative prevention projects and the non-profit organisation primarily aims for the implementation of scientifically based prevention projects and programmes.
Both organisations do preparatory work with the objective of implementing it into government policy.

In the United States, consult the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
AFSP funds research, education and treatment programs aimed at the prevention of suicide.
http://www.afsp.org

National Self-Harm Network in the United Kingdom and other countries.
Provides help for survivors, people who self-harm and those affected. References to resources.
http://www.nshn.co.uk

Centre for Suicide Prevention in Canada:http://www.suicideinfo.ca

Suicide Prevention Australia  -SPA
Home. Suicide Prevention Australia is a non-profit, non-government organization working as a public health advocate in suicide prevention. SPA is the only national umbrella body active in suicide prevention in Australia.
http://www.suicidepreventionaust.org