Creating a world of enough

Sign GBLI petition here

Like so many people, I live with my feet in two worlds. My main involvements right now are coordinating lunches for homeless folks with no disposable income, and being an usher at the Francis Winspear Centre for Music, which caters to people who have enough disposable income to attend concerts. 

Driving downtown for my shift last night, I saw patrons of the arts in glittering clothing, and Brian, who came to our last service at ICPM wearing filthy socks in place of shoes on (we did manage to find him a pair of second-hand boots).

All of the above tells me that our world is far from what God wants for us, and what true justice dictates. Every human being deserves a world of enough, but too many people fall through the cracks because of illness, misfortune, trauma, and other situations that leave them destitute.

But it doesn't have to be that way. People have been talking about concepts like Universal Basic Income or Guaranteed Living Wage for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. The problem is that they've been argued concepts instead of realities. Theorists never manage to get us to put our monies where they need to be! 

The idea is that if everyone has enough to cover their basic needs, all people benefit because no one has to pay for those who fall through the cracks out of neglect -- since there is very little neglect. Simply put, most people living below the poverty line will prefer to look after themselves and contribute to a functioning society if they can, rather than live on its lower rungs in an over-regulated welfare situation where they can never get ahead.

I've been looking for a good video presentation on the benefits of Guaranteed Basic Liveable Income (or GBLI, as it seems to be called in Canada) and haven't found much. Most of the presentations suggest that it's too risky or the projected results of a trial run are too uncertain to merit even an attempt. I'm wondering if those videos are made by rich folks who want to keep poor people poor instead of sharing their wealth.

The thing is, our present income assistance programs have so many tricky disqualifications built into them that some of my own family members will never get ahead. Instead of being a hand up, current social assistance programs hold people back through challenging limitations on how the money is allocated and used, while a GBLI means that people are free to make their own choices, no one is disqualified for having enough, and healthcare and education are available to everyone on a more equitable basis.

The only problem I can see with the idea of a Guaranteed Basic Liveable Income is that it hasn't been given a fair try in North America. That's why this post is about creating a world of enough, making sure that no one has to struggle for their basic needs. No one should ever have to choose between rent and groceries, or medicine and electricity!

If you agree, and you live in Canada, click here for the link to a petition you can sign to encourage the Canadian Government to get to work on implementing a GBLI for all. And if you live elsewhere, I hope you can look into the possibilities for your own part of the world.

Everyone deserves enough, wouldn't you say?

Simple Christmas idea #19 -- Consider a community gift

Not everyone needs their own (fill-in-the-blank)...

On Sunday morning, I was delighted to wake up to a radio program about collaborative consumption, Buy Nothing Christmas, and the Sharing Economy. Finally, finally, our media is starting to take more notice of people who are refusing to buy into rampant consumerism, people who find alternatives to following our culture's obsession with possessions. More and more of us are discovering that we can be happy with less, and that celebration does not require that we buy, buy, buy. If you like to listen to good podcasts, you can find the radio program by clicking here. It's 27 minutes in length, and worth a listen.

One of the worst things about this consumer culture in which we live is the fact that it has brainwashed us into thinking that we all have to have our very own fill-in-the-blank. But as many of us already know, the truth is that we don't all need our very own snow blower, lawn mower, apple picker, car, or basketball hoop. Some things are better held in community where many people have access to them. Cooperating and sharing with neighbours means that people use fewer resources to get along in this world. Not only that, but just getting to know the locals and sharing things between us builds symbiotic connections that strengthen community and create opportunities for the sharing of more ideas toward a better and kinder world.

If you're lucky enough to have an active community league in your area, get a membership, and find out about community-building and community sharing initiatives. Often there are playgrounds being planned or other things in the works that can use all kinds of neighbourly support. If not, it's always possible to invite a group of neighbours to gather and discuss projects that can make your neighbourhood a happier and more self-reliant place. I can't resist attaching this video about a woman who did just that. Pam Warhurst and her friends at a kitchen table in Todmorden weren't thinking about the gift they were creating when they started the Incredible Edibles project, but that's what they have done. Sometimes all it takes is one person with an idea to bestow something fantastic upon an entire community!

Video from KarmaTube

And while I'm on the topic of making our communities' future kinder, I'd like to invite you to click this link and sign a petition to encourage the City of Edmonton to become a community that supports Fair Trade and Fair Trade farmers by using Fair Trade products. It's another way to gift our world by doing something small to make it a better place...

How to get a new dishwasher… Little Flower style

It didn’t take long for the members of Little Flower house to get tired of doing dishes by hand when the old dishwasher broke down on the weekend. Tim, honourary home maintenance guy and core member, drew a picture of a new dishwasher, showed it to everyone in the house, and they all signed their names to what became a rather effective make-shift petition.

Tim brought his petition to the General Body Meeting on Monday night, and showed it to the entire L’Arche Edmonton community, finally giving it to the community leader, Sister Pat. She showed it to the Board Chairperson, Wendy, who surprised everyone (including herself, we suspect) by announcing that she would take the petition to a few appliance stores the next afternoon, and see if perhaps she could convince one of them to donate a brand new dishwasher.

On Tuesday morning, Wendy told her curling team the story of Little Flower’s dishwasher petition, and showed it to her friends at the rink, explaining her intended errand that afternoon. She was surprised again when one of her teammates wrote her a cheque for a new dishwasher, asking only that a charity receipt be issued to her husband’s business. 

Tim’s efforts got results faster than any other known petition!