The BIG Forum in Ottawa, May 23 to 26, 2024 Photo Credit: BIG Forum
Welcome to another addition of Small Change where we discuss issues not covered, or at least not in-depth, in mainstream media.
Today I’m speaking with Sheila Regehr about a Basic Income Guarantee (BIG) and the upcoming BIG Forum in Ottawa, Ontario.
Regehr is a retired federal public servant who worked on income security as well as taxation, child benefits, and non-market work. She is the former Executive Director of the National Council of Welfare as well as a Founding member of the Basic Income Canada Network and chair since 2014.
Regehr is also an integral part of the committee planning the BIG Forum taking place May 23rd to 26th in Ottawa.
A first of its kind Canadian forum, BIG has an amazing line up of speakers, contests, movies, books and workshops all centered around advancing a BIG in Canada.
Go to forum2024.ca for all the details about live and in-person events as well as virtual offerings. Registration is open!!!
The list of amazing speakers boasts labour economist Jim Stanford, health economist Evelyn Forget, climate expert Yves-Marie Abraham, as well as community activists Josephine Grey and Paul Taylor.
Disability Benefit advocate Rabia Khedr and former Ontario pilot participant Jessica Topfer, physician Dr. Danielle Martin, and mental health expert Dr. Kwame McKenzie round out the Canadian contingency.
Leading international expert, Ugo Gentilini, will speak to social protection policies and highlight lessons learned from the use of cash transfers during the pandemic.
There’s also a brilliant contest for high school students that includes written and creative categories so youth can have a say on how a BIG can address economics, poverty and fairness across Canada.
Collective post-secondary student debt has reached approximately $23.5 billion in student loans alone(July 2022). And, with the added stress of increased precarious and underpaid work in conjunction with a consistent dearth of benefits due to working multiple contracts – sometimes with the same employer -- it’s time for these vital voices to be included in these BIG discussions.
Add to that, an inaccessible rental market for both post-secondary students and those launching their careers existing alongside an unimaginably out of control housing market that shuts out first time buyers despite having access to tax-free savings accounts (TFSA) and tax-free first-time home buyers accounts (FTHB).
Yet the question remains, after paying monthly federal and provincial installments on massive student debt, trying to scrape together rent for insanely over-priced passive income rental units, paying for over priced groceries as well as expenses like childcare that is not even close to $10 per day in many provinces, where is the illusive leftover money coming from to put into these tax-free savings accounts? Especially, when folks choose to do a second degree or to pursue a masters, PhD or go into medicine.
So, Basic Income Youth Network, a group of young people advocating for a BIG in Canada, want to hear their peers thoughts on a BIG.
All high school students across the country can participate in two contests focusing on artistic expression including spoken word, video, visual art and music that reflects the theme, “Imagining Basic Income: for a More Equitable Canada.”
The other part of this contest engages youth to write an opinion-editorial of 500 words on, “Why a Basic Income will be important to Canada in the next decade.”
An expert panel will evaluate all submissions based on creativity, clarity, originality and depth of analysis.
Each winner will gain national exposure through the BIG Forum website and receive tailored prizes. The winning submission in the opinion-editorial will be published online on Metroland’s news sites. Deadline is May 1, 2024 and send all submissions to tom@forum2024.ca
There’s also a contest for those in university, or working with non-profits, focusing on writing policy briefs.
An event that you won’t want to miss at the BIG Forum is Living Below the Line. Originally written as a play, Living Below the Line has been transformed into a one-hour film that gives space to the voices of those living in poverty. These folks are living below the poverty line as a direct result of political decisions and policies as well as a lack of political will to implement a BIG.
“When people talk about those who are poor, it’s easy to say ‘they haven’t done something right’ or ‘they’re lazy’. Our stories have many different aspects of people who struggle. This is the reality. After one of our shows, someone came up to me and told me she doesn’t feel alone any more in her struggle because now she knows other people are going through the same things,” Kohar Kilejian, co-creator and actor, Cambridge.
Rebekah Haynes, co-creator and actor from Kitchener, shared via email with Small Change that when they performed the play, they had people wanting the troupe to share it more widely. However, due to challenges with scheduling 12 actors with different disabilities, that wasn’t possible.
Instead, the troupe decided to create a film that would share their message and educate a wider audience.
In order to put the Living Below the Line film into context and to answer questions raised by its content, it is vital to have a ‘Talk Back’ following each screening. The ‘Talk Back’ enables audience members to ask questions of the co-creators whose stories are really the heart of the film.
“So often people living with poverty are ignored and unseen. This play gave us the opportunity to express ourselves and share our stories in hopes of showing people the human side of the poverty crisis. Those with less, suffer the most. Having a basic income would be life changing for so many people and allow us to fully participate in society,” Sandee Lovas, co-creator and actor, Waterloo.
Unfortunately, the co-creators and actors are not in a position to be able to pay to attend the BIG Forum. Instead, they are exploring ways to fund three of the co-creators to attend the presentation of the film in Ottawa. Because of the distance that means an overnight stay in Ottawa as well as costs for transportation and food.
“The thing we don’t want to lose with our film is putting a face to the issues we are dealing with. That’s why it’s important that some of us co-creators are at every showing of the film. We can give the background, and answer questions,” Erma Friesen, co-creator and actor, Wilmot.
Basic Income Waterloo Region wants to raise at least $2,300 to cover the costs. If you can help, please send donations by e-transfer to info@basicincomewr.ca or cheques can be made out to Basic Income Waterloo Region and mailed to BIWR, 530 Mooring Post Lane, Waterloo, ON N2K 4B6.
Living Below the Line will provide a receipt and acknowledge all individuals and organizations who make donations. However, Living Below the Line is not a registered charity and therefore donations will not be eligible for tax deductions.
Basic Income Waterloo Region is a group of community members who are passionate about improving Canada’s social safety net, eliminating poverty and responding to the rise of automation in the workforce.
They are committed to seeing a basic income implemented to solve the socio-economic problems affecting communities across Canada. They are not aligned with any political party, because support for basic income extends across Canada’s political spectrum.
They do however, promote research, base their arguments on evidence and collaborate with partners throughout Waterloo Region and across the country to make basic income Canada’s next great social program.
Please make the time to listen to my conversation with Sheila Regehr as she explains why a BIG is the common sense solution that will immeasurably improve the lives of Canadians.
If you are interested in attending the BIG Forum in May register at: https://forum2024.ca/registration/
Thanks to everyone who read today’s article and listened to my podcast. With your continued support, a little Nicoll can make a lot of change.
Music: Real Estate by UNIVERSFIELD is licensed under a Attribution 4.0 International License. freemusicarchive.org.
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The BIG Forum is happening in Ottawa!