The term progress comes from the Latin word progressus meaning "action to move forward." Each discipline has its own reading of what is the progress and where it may lead us – like philosophy, history, anthropology, etc. Progress as ideology has developed in the nineteenth century, together with the process of industrialization. Progress has been likened to science and growth. It was measured by indicators of economic performance, such as GDP, the main indicator of the performance of nations.

Today, many aspects of growth-progress are problematic. Looking beyond the crisis, many politicians and business leaders are now aware - and say it openly - that the references of the past cannot serve for the future. Whole areas of economic and financial system will be modified in depth. The system of consumption that has fuelled the growth of the West, destroying the environment, is not extensible. In less than twenty years, oil production has significantly declined. Young people today have the certainty that they will live less well than their parents. All signals are in the red!

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The place of the Münchenwiler round table in the international calender
A - International calender
The OECD, the European Commission, the European Parliament, the United Nations, many countries, statistical offices, universities and private foundations have established a vast network that tries to bring up the new factors of progress. Many events in the past and in the future form a dynamic international timetable where each dimension of quality of life and progress is discussed. Among the conferences and the major initiatives, one can note:
2007 (...)

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List o
en français auf Deutsch A – Round table programm
Thursday 4 June 2009
16h00 Welcome and introduction
16h15 Discussions in Working Groups (WG)
18h00 Introductory lectures:
• M. Mauro Dell’Ambrogio, State Secretary for Education and Research, "The relation between research and progress".
• M. Luzius Wasescha, Ambassador, Representative of the Permanent Mission of Switzerland to WTO and EFTA, "Progress and quality of life advantages for Switzerland in globalization".
• M. Enrico Giovannini, Chief (...)

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Questions to participants and interviews
A – Questions
Q1. For you, what are the characteristics of an ability to give everyone a good quality of life over the long term, what are the aspects of well-being and quality of life that you associate with the concept of progress?
Q2. Taking into account developments in Switzerland, in which sectors should invest public money and what changes would be appropriate now to initiate that by 2029 the Switzerland match your vision of progress and the quality of life?
Q3. What do you think are the strengths, (...)

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Mauro Dell’Ambrogio, Staatssekretär für Bildung und Forschung
Die Beziehung von Forschung und Fortschritt
M. Nic Marks, Fonder of the New Economics Foundation for Well-being, London,
"Report on National account of well-being: the Case of Switzerland".
The 9 Study Cases :
1. Xavier Comtesse : « Tomorrow, the invention of statistics by ordinary people »
2. Jean-Luc Gérard : “REPENSER LA QUALITÉ de VIE c‘est renouveler LA PENSÉE - Théorie et pratique (Microfinance)"
3. Anna Maria Darmanin: « The position of the European Economic and (...)

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The Global Project on "Measuring the Progress of Societies"- hosted by the OECD
Mauro Dell’Ambrogio, Staatssekretär für Bildung und Forschung
Die Beziehung von Forschung und Fortschritt
M. Nic Marks, Fonder of the New Economics Foundation for Well-being, London,
"Report on National account of well-being: the Case of Switzerland".
The 9 Study Cases :
1. Xavier Comtesse : « Tomorrow, the invention of statistics by ordinary people »
2. Jean-Luc Gérard : “REPENSER LA QUALITÉ de VIE c‘est renouveler LA PENSÉE - Théorie et (...)

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A – The input of the project and its use
• Offers a specific Swiss contribution to the project of new global qualitative indicators;
• Shows public assets and intangible material of Switzerland;
• Provides a framework for anticipating changes in the society, the economy and globalization;
• Promotes a better targeting of public and private investment for sustainable development quality;
• Mobilizes human resources and organizational assets to Switzerland once again to the construction of Switzerland’s XXI century; (...)

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