About us
HEH – Hyvän Elämän Hautomo, Good Life Think and Do Tank ry is a non-profit organization founded in 2026 in Helsinki, Finland.
HEH grew from the vision of Johannes Cairns and from concerns shared by the people who joined around it: what does it mean to live a good human life at a time of growing ecological and social pressures, increasing knowledge about human well-being, and recognition that knowledge alone rarely leads to collective change?
In spring 2025, a small group began exploring this question together. Over the following months, people from different fields and backgrounds joined in and helped shape HEH’s vision, mission and way of working.
HEH brings together people, knowledge and different perspectives on the good life. It creates spaces to examine what supports human and planetary well-being, explore possible futures and pathways, and turn ideas into public discussion and practical action.
OUR VISION
A GOOD LIFE WITHIN THE PLANETARY BOUNDARIES
Our vision is a flourishing, just, and connected world where all beings can thrive within the limits of our planet.
We imagine and practice a future where quality of life is measured not by material excess, but by meeting essential needs, fostering purpose, deepening connection to oneself and more-than-human world, and ensuring the long-term viability of planetary systems.
OUR MISSION
Our mission is to catalyze change by co-creating science-based and culturally grounded pathways to planetary well-being — connecting people, knowledge, and action for a just world.
WE AIM TO
- Challenge dominant ideas of success, prosperity and growth, based on e.g. profit and extraction
- Empower individuals and communities with tools for sustainable living
- Bridge gaps between science, policy, and everyday life
- Support systemic change through education, storytelling, and public engagement
- Honor diverse knowledges and strengthen the emotional, social, and political foundations for a good life within planetary boundaries
- Create meaningful and lasting social and political impact
FOR US, A GOOD LIFE MEANS
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Gaining meaning, connection, and community
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Centering both basic needs and structural conditions (like democracy, equality)
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Moving beyond GDP toward deeper indicators of well-being
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Including all beings — not just humans
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Living within planetary boundaries
To this end, we embrace complexity, resisting oversimplification. We aim to communicate with broader audiences, engage with different worldviews, and maintain hopeful realism.