President of Colombia Commends Happy Post

The Happy Post Project is honored to have been recognized by President Juan Manuel Santos of Colombia. In a recent speech, President Santos commended Happy Post creator Mario Chamorro for his project. You can read the translated speech below. The original transcript is available in Spanish on the website of the President, as is audio of the speech (President Santos’ comments about Happy Post begin around 30:00).

Tribute to Mario Chamorro

On the other hand I want to acknowledge a man from Pasto that has recently become very famous. His name is Mario Chamorro, he is 31 years old, he lives in the United States. He currently has cancer but apparently it is controlled and he will overcome it.

He achieved a Master’s degree in business administration at one of the best universities in the United States, Columbia University in New York.

He moved to the United States in 2003 to try his luck: he worked as a waiter, he worked as a teacher of Salsa. I did not know that Pastusos were good at Salsa. He had no resources but his talent did allow him to enter this university. He got a grant and a loan to pay for his education.

But this gifted son of Pasto has become very famous in the world for being the creator of a project called The Happy Post Project. What is that? After he graduated from the University, he began to see how some pieces of paper could be transforming elements for the happiness of the people, the psychology of people, of reality itself. And then he says: Happy people can change the world, let’s see how we can make people happier.

That’s a very basic but very profound idea. All the classics, when you read them, the great philosophers from the Greeks, Romans, French — everyone has been writing about how to find happiness.

Well this guy did something really wonderful. Then he began to ask people to write on a Post-it, telling him what makes them happy. And he realized that just by writing, people are thinking about what makes them happy. Writing it had a transformative effect.

That began to take off everywhere. Now the project has reached more than 20 countries. In the United States it is very popular, in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America, and make street days. Thousands of volunteers  ask this: What makes you happy?

Happy Post expressed solidarity, which was well received in Japan after the famous Tsunami. He transformed the lives of many people who were desperate after seeing this tragedy, and suddenly thought for a minute or two minutes, what would make them happy at the time. That changed their psychology.

I wanted to exalt the son of Pasto. And he’s thinking about coming to Colombia to do this process in the regions most affected by the violence.

President Santos also shared Happy Post’s Colombia Project with 1 million Twitter followers this weekend:

All of us at The Happy Post Project are extremely humbled by the support of President Santos. We extend our gratitude to President Santos and all those who have supported and participated in our project around the world.