Facilitators Corner
In our last Newsletter, it was suggested that we all needed some time for relaxation and reflection. While we continue to enjoy the summer with restrictions slowly being removed, we have increasingly become aware of the human and financial cost that could have been mitigated had there been a Basic Income in place.
The rumours are hot that a federal election may be called within a few weeks. There are many issues facing the next Government as we emerge from the pandemic but we need to show that the lack of a basic income affects everyone’s well-being and our ability as a country to emerge stronger and wiser.
The pandemic has demonstrated that the lack of income security is bad for landlords and tenants, precarious workers, small businesses/start-ups, and their customers. There is strong evidence that FINANCIAL STRESS is a major factor for poor health outcomes and the list goes on. A Basic Income is an investment for the future and a more sustainable society. Are you ready and prepared to demand that our political candidates support a national Basic Income program NOW? We must convince our MPs to be courageous and ensure that a national Basic Income is one of the priorities in their platforms if they want our votes.
If you haven’t done so already, to help promote and support our goal of achieving an income tested national Basic Income, we ask you to join OBIN as a volunteer. We will be canvassing members within a few weeks to serve on our Coordinating Team (C-Team) and/or to join an Affiliate in your Riding.
We need to continue to challenge the many myths about Basic Income including that it is unaffordable and that people are inherently lazy. No matter who we are talking to, remember that a Basic Income meets the values of all political parties.
Joe and John
Lobby Day
This fall, OBIN will be lobbying as many MPPs as we can. The purpose of Lobbying Day is to build relationships with MPPs, preferably with your own MPP. Lobbying is a chance to have a focused conversation about Basic Income. The best conversations are based on trust and respect, which means that it's good to spend time building rapport with your MPP, so that they trust you. A good way to build that trust and respect is by expressing gratitude to your MPP for their service to the public. It helps if you can get specific about something that they have done for which you are grateful.
If you are interested in learning more about how you can participate in Lobby Day, please contact me, Caterina Lindman, at [email protected]. If you need tips on how best to talk to politicians about basic income, recently OBIN partnered with Basic Income Canada Youth Network (BICYN) to host a webinar about how to lobby your MP or MPP, and the recording from the webinar is at this link.
Caterina
BI and Criminal Justice
OBIN, in partnership with the Basic Income Canada Youth Network and Coalition Canada, are excited to share a briefing note as part of the Case for Basic Income for Criminal Justice. Read the briefing note here, and sign on as an individual or organization to show your support!
#BasicIncomeBoughtMe
The Basic Income Canada Youth Network’s #BasicIncomeBoughtMe campaign is in full swing, highlighting how Ontario Basic Income Pilot participants talked about spending their basic income payments. Click here to learn more, and catch the full campaign on Instagram.
In Closing
Always feel free to reach out with comments or feedback.
Please contact any of the Coordinators or Joe or John at [email protected], or if you are interested in starting a new affiliate or joining an existing one, reach out to Caterina at [email protected].
If you have the wherewithal, please consider supporting our efforts with a one-time or recurring donation here.
Piers
Ontario Basic Income Network
www.OBIN.ca