Saturday, September 19, 2020

Take Action for a Guaranteed Livable Income

United Action for Justice focuses on the justice work of the United Church. UAJ shares worship and education resources, news from church ministries, networks, and partners, and opportunities for taking action locally and globally.

For official updates about The United Church of Canada’s response and policies regarding COVID-19, please visit the United Church's website.

Take Action

Create a Guaranteed Livable Income Program

Poverty can happen very quickly to anyone. Aware that some pandemic-related relief programs (such as the Canada Emergency Response Benefit, CERB) are scheduled to wind up at the end of this month, Moderator Richard Bott has written to elected officials encouraging them to seize the moment to roll out a guaranteed livable income (or universal basic income) program in collaboration with the provinces, territories, and Indigenous leadership. He also shares why now is the time to call on our government to create such a program in this video.

There are a number of ways you can join the call for a guaranteed livable income:

Take Action: Call or write to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Chrystia Freeland, and ask them to seize this moment to roll out a guaranteed livable income program. Download our email template at the bottom of our Take Action page.

Share Your Light: People across the country are asked to light a candle on Tuesday, September 22, at 12:30 p.m. in their time zone to express their support for a guaranteed livable income program to help address the persistent financial vulnerabilities within our country. Light a candle, take a picture, and post it to social media (use the hashtags #UCCanLivableIncome, #guaranteedlivableincome, #UCCan). (Please make your post "Public" so we can share it.)

Join a Vigil: Those who are able are invited to join in one of several vigils taking place at the same time (September 22 at 12:30 p.m. local time, arrive a few minutes early to get organized) to shine a collective light on this important action, to symbolize the unity of all our candles across the country:

Ottawa - at the Centennial Flame at Parliament Hill
Toronto - the Minister of Finance’s office, 344 Bloor St. West
North Vancouver - Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson’s constituency office

Please wear masks and follow social distancing protocols. Attendance limited to local COVID-19 outdoor event caps.

The Rev. Susan Eagle (Chair, Shining Waters Social and Ecological Justice Commission), has also written a prayer with Barry Rieder from the Jane Finch Community Ministry, lifting up the call for a Guranteed Livable Income.

Read the news piece, and find out more about how you can take action to support this initiative today. Be sure to follow United Church social media channels (Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram) for additional updates and statements from former moderators in the lead up to September 22.

[Photo: Minister of Chrystia Freeland (centre), with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Credit: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld]