Through a series of presentations, our Canadian speakers will discuss the importance of telling personal stories in basic income advocacy.

Dr. Evelyn Forget and Hannah Owczar will highlight the stories of several people facing challenging circumstances and why the existing social safety net isn’t working for them. Their latest book, Radical Trust: Basic Income for Complicated Lives, discusses the importance of approaching basic income with a spirit of radical trust and challenges the ways we value one another in society.

Jamie Swift and Dr. Elaine Powerwill describe the effects of the Ontario Basic Income Pilot on two participants and explore how basic income came to Canada’s largest province. With research from their latest book, The Case for Basic Income: Freedom, Security and Justice, they will also explore the politics of the social justice movement that has been promoting basic income and its future in a post-pandemic world.

Leah Werner will discuss her graduate dissertation on the Ontario Basic Income Pilot, with a focus on the personal narratives of basic income recipients in Lindsay, Ontario. Her presentation will discuss how the pilot fostered a feeling of hopefulness and opportunity in the community, and how the circulation of personal stories was an effective and compelling advocacy tool to garner support for basic income.

Dr. Evelyn L. Forget, University of Manitoba

Evelyn L Forget is Professor of Economics and Community Health Sciences at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg (Canada). Her research examines the health and social implications of poverty and inequality, and she is often called upon by governments, First Nations and international organisations to advise on poverty, inequality, health and social outcomes. Her most recent books are Basic Income for Canadians: from the COVID-19 emergency to financial security for all (Lorimer and Co., 2020) and (with Hannah Owczar) Radical Trust: Basic Income for Complicated Lives, forthcoming in July.

Elaine Power is a Professor in the School of Kinesiology & Health Studies and Head of the Department of Gender Studies at Queen's University. She is co-author with Jamie Swift of "The Case for Basic Income: Freedom, Security, Justice" (2021) and a founding member of the Kingston Action Group for a Basic Income Guarantee.

Hannah Owczar is a writer and communications specialist in the department of Community Health Sciences at the University of Manitoba. She is a graduate of the Creative Communications program at Red River College, where she majored in journalism. Owczar is the co-author of Radical Trust: Basic Income for Complicated Lives, and her writing has also appeared in several major news outlets in Manitoba, including the Winnipeg Free Press and CBC News. She holds an undergraduate degree in Human Rights from the University of Winnipeg.

Jamie Swift, Kingston Action Group for a Basic Income Guarantee

Kingston writer Jamie Swift is the author of numerous books, most recently The Case for Basic Income: Freedom, Security, Justice with Elaine Power. He was a finalist for the 2017 Writers’ Trust of Canada’s Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing. He has lectured at Queen’s University’s Smith School of Business, produced documentaries for CBC Radio’s IDEAS, held the Michener Fellowship for Public Service Journalism, and written widely for newspapers and magazines. In 1995 he joined a weekly social justice vigil at Kingston City Hall, standing for twenty years in solidarity with people targeted by poor-bashing governments. Which led to his interest in Basic Income.

Leah Barrett Werner, Concordia University

Based in Montreal, Leah has a background in anthropological research, writing and teaching. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English and anthropology from McGill University and a master’s degree in anthropology from Concordia University. She has conducted ethnographic research on the Ontario Basic Income Pilot Projects, and is interested in emerging narratives surrounding basic income and the ways basic income can help us re-imagine social values around work, identity and poverty.

If you'd like to learn more about the progress, pilots and policy supporting Basic Income in the last year make sure  to register for the weekend conference to see the full schedule here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/19th-annual-nabig-congress-2021-june-17-19-2021-tickets-147319186653

The Art of Storytelling: Personal Stories and Basic Income