Basic income hailed as way to give people chance to chase their dreams
TheStar.com – News/GTA – Mowat Centre report says basic income could spark social innovation by giving marginalized groups support to become social entrepreneurs.
May 25, 2017. By
For many years, Regent Park resident Sam Haque thought the Disney adage: “If you can dream it, you can do it” was advice only for people of privilege.
“I thought it was only something rich parents tell their children,” he says. “But I’m proof that everyone can do it. And that’s the message I’m trying to get out there.”
Haque, 35, who came to Toronto with his mother from Bangladesh when he was 15, turned his back on an opportunity to go to law school about eight years ago to follow his passion for doodling and design, and created Wise Media.
But it wasn’t until he joined Regent Park’s Centre for Social Innovation four years ago that he felt the true social mission of his graphic design and printing business.
“When you get a job, you are only helping yourself,” he says. “But when you become a social entrepreneur, you can help a whole lot of other people by giving them jobs too.”
Haque is an example of the kind of social entrepreneur that could benefit enormously from a basic income, says a thought-provoking report to be released Thursday.
“What if the people who were most at risk — people from low-income and marginalized communities who are living day to day with real challenges — were able to become social entrepreneurs?” asks the report by the Mowat Centre, a public policy think tank affiliated with the University of Toronto.
“With the right support, these are the folks who will unlock meaningful work for people, create vibrant communities and solve intractable problems,” adds the report, which drew on research from Toronto’s Centre for Social Innovation (CSI).
Last fall, Haque hired his first staff person — another local resident — who works about 20 hours a month on projects ranging from logo design, to “full-on” ad campaigns. He pays the aspiring 20-year-old designer $15 an hour, but hopes to one day pay more.
He is now branching out into T-shirt design — with equipment in the apartment he still shares with his mother — and plans to hire local youth to help him complete the orders.
As the Mowat report notes, social businesses create 126 jobs for every 94 jobs that a regular business creates.
In Toronto, the vast majority of social entrepreneurs — whose businesses tackle social woes and create jobs for the marginalized — come from middle and upper-income households and about 69 per cent are of European descent, according to a survey of CSI members.
As Ontario embarks on a basic income pilot project that would pay low-income individuals up to $16,989 annually with no strings attached, there is a chance to broaden the social innovation playing field, the report says.
“We want to be encouraging people from marginalized communities to build enterprises aimed at solving problems in their communities which they probably understand better than most people,” said Mowat policy associate Michael Crawford Urban who co-authored the report with Christine Yip. “So we think there is a real opportunity to unlock that value through a basic income.”
In his provincial discussion paper on basic income last fall, Hugh Segal assumed the three-year time-limit for the experiment wouldn’t provide enough cushion for would-be entrepreneurs and therefore wouldn’t likely have much impact on entrepreneurship.
But Crawford Urban said the CSI data shows most social entrepreneurs expect to be making a living through their business within three years and that many would benefit from a basic income to support them during the development stage.
“We would like to see the government capture that unpaid labour in addition to the paid labour people may be doing, as part of its data collection,” he said.
A spokeswoman for provincial Social Services Minister Helena Jaczek, who is overseeing the basic income pilot project, said the government will “definitely” consider entrepreneurs, including social entrepreneurs as part of the research.
The experiment, to include about 4,000 low-income people, is expected to begin this summer in the Hamilton and Thunder Bay areas and in Lindsay next fall.
Tonya Surman, CEO of CSI, which includes four sites in Toronto and one in New York City, hopes Ontario’s pilot project is successful and that basic income becomes available more broadly so more people like Haque get the support to follow their dreams.
“That’s the kind of pride of entrepreneurship that brings dignity and opportunity to folks,” she said. “It’s about how we create meaningful lives for people.”
https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2017/05/25/basic-income-hailed-as-way-to-give-people-chance-to-chase-their-dreams.html
Tags: economy, ideology, participation, poverty
This entry was posted on Thursday, May 25th, 2017 at 3:17 pm and is filed under Debates. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.
333 Responses to “Basic income hailed as way to give people chance to chase their dreams”
« Older Comments | Newer Comments »
Leave a Reply
Recent Comments
I can’t go into details, but I have to say its a good article!
WoW decent article. Can I hire you to guest write for my blog? If so send me an email!
If wings are your thing, Tinker Bell’s sexy Halloween costume design is all grown up.
of course like your web-site however you have to check the spelling on several of your posts. Many of them are rife with spelling problems and I find it very troublesome to tell the reality then again I will surely come back again.
These kind of posts are always inspiring and I prefer to read quality content so I happy to find many good point here in the post. writing is simply wonderful! thank you for the post
Easily, the post is really the greatest on this laudable topic. I concur with your conclusions and will thirstily look forward to your future updates. Saying thank will not just be sufficient, for the wonderful c lucidity in your writing. I will instantly grab your rss feed to stay privy of any updates. Solid work and much success in your business enterprise!
Hiya, I am really glad I have found this information. Nowadays bloggers publish only about gossip and net stuff and this is actually frustrating.
I wish I could craft such articles as this. Thank you very much.
We absolutely love your blog and find the majority of your post’s to be exactly what I’m looking for. Do you offer guest writers to write content to suit your needs? I wouldn’t mind composing a post or elaborating on a number of the subjects you write about here. Again, awesome weblog!
That is really fascinating, You’re an excessively skilled blogger. I’ve joined your rss feed and look forward to in the hunt for extra of your magnificent post. Additionally, I’ve shared your website in my social networks!
I wish I could craft such articles as this. Thank you very much.
I was referred to this web site by my cousin. I’m not sure who has written this post, but you’ve really identified my problem. You’re wonderful! Thanks!
It’s time for communities to rally.
This is really interesting, You’re a very skilled blogger. I have joined your feed and look forward to seeking more of your great post. Also, I’ve shared your web site in my social networks!
How long have you been in this field? You seem to know a lot more than I do, I’d love to know your sources!
You are good writer. Thank you.
Nice read, I just passed this onto a colleague who was doing some research on that. And he just bought me lunch as I found it for him smile Therefore let me rephrase that: Thank you for lunch!
Hello there! I really enjoy reading your blog! If you keep making amazing posts like this I will come back every day to keep reading.
Wish I’d thought of this. Am in the field, but I procrastinate alot and haven’t written as much as I’d like. Thanks.
Your idea is outstanding; the issue is something that not enough persons are speaking intelligently about. I’m very happy that I stumbled throughout this in my seek for one thing regarding this.