----- Original Message ----- From: Jan Slakov <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Saturday, February 12, 2000 7:43 AM Subject: rn: 7th Generation Bill: an opportunity for fundamental change > Dear RN, > > Mike Nickerson, who is on this list, has been working for over 20 > years on the 4th "r" of environmental sustainability (Reduce, Reuse, > Recycle, Rethink). At a certain point this project took on a name: The > Sustainability Project. > > Currently, the project has taken the form of the 7th Generation > Initiative. The first move in the Initiative will be a parliamentary bill > promoted by Joe Jordan the MP from Mike's riding. The "Canada Well-Being > Measurement Act" will be presented in the House of Commons as a Private > Member's Bill likely this month (Feb.). This initiative has politicians > from different parties working together (so not only does it fit the > "sustainability" part of our Democratic Renaissance agenda, it also fits > with our wanting to overcome superficial barriers that separate us). > > The "Canada Well-Being Measurement Act" calls for the development > and implementation of a measure of progress that takes into account far > more than GDP. It would include such factors as: voluntary and unpaid > work, underemployment, leisure time, forests, fish stocks and soil > fertility, air quality, green house gas emissions, income distribution, > durability of goods, health care, education and the costs of crime among > others. > > What we count and what we measure signifies what we give value to. > When all we count is money, talk about environment and social cohesion does > not produce action. When we legitimize other factors by measuring and > reporting on them in our core measure of progress, they become visible. > Visibility enables anyone to see how policies and actions affect the > measures. Increased awareness of causes and effects will naturally incline > decision makers to consider how their decisions might affect the measures > and the management process will evolve to seek well-being in the broader > context. > > While it is especially important for Canadians to support this > initiative, this is something that every one of us would do well to > support. IF there is sufficient support for this bill, the Canadian > government will set aside funds for improving our measure of well-being. > What this means in practical terms is that a Nova Scotia (Canada)-based > initiative to create a more honest and reliable way to measure well-being > than GNP/GDP, the Genuine Progress Index, or GPI, would get some funding. > (For months now, the GPI crew have been continuing their work, but with no > pay!) Part of the funding plan would enable international experts such as > Marilyn Waring, Herman Daly and Hazel Henderson together to come together > with their Canadian counterparts to work on making this vision a reality. > This, of course, would lead to the GPI initiative becoming something that > can be of value not just for Nova Scotians, but for communities everywhere. > > So, I urge Canadians to write letters to their MPs to say that this > is one Canadian product we are eager to see our government develop and > export. People from other countries could write to say that you are > excited to learn of this Canadian initiative and would like to know if the > Canadian government will support it. (As many parents know, praise can help > bring out the very quality being praised. So, hopefully by praising this > Canadian initiative to Canadian MPs, those same MPs will feel it is their > patriotic (or matriotic!) duty to support this bill.) > > Please write to the Joe Jordan, MP (who is bringing the bill > forward), the Hon. David Anderson, Minister of the Environment, the Hon. > Paul Martin, Finance Minister and their Opposition critics: > environment: Rick Laliberte, John Herron, Jocelyne Bujold, Rick Casson > finance: Jim Jones, Nelson Riis, Yvan Loubier, and Monte Solberg > > The whole spectrum of contact information for all MP & Cabinet > Ministers is available from: 1-800-667-3355 (the government of Canada > information line at the beginning of the blue pages of Canadian phone books) > > You can also Fax-the Feds through the web site at: > <http://www.net-efx.com/faxfeds/> > > Letters by mail are best, e-mail works too except with common knowledge of > MPs emails ids, they receive up to 200 a day from every interest group in > the country. > > Postal mail can be addressed to: > [MPs Name], MP > House of Commons, > Ottawa, ON, K1A 0A6 No postage is needed in Canada for thkis address. > > By e-mail: take the 1st 5 letters of the last name, 1st letter of the 1st > name + this: @parl.gc.ca > > So, Joe Jordan would be: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> and Nelson Riis would be > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>. > > What is this work all about? .... In a nutshell, we are training > ourselves/humanity to see the world differently. We are helping ourselves > to evolve intelligently. > > Once, long ago, no beings on this earth were able to perceive > light. But then some being developed the first "eye" or sight cells > enabling it to make its way more successfully through the challenges of its > environment. Humanity needs to develop its ability to see how its actions > effect the biosphere on which we all depend for life and how we are all > better off if our communities are strong. The Sustainability Project is > all about developing this new way of seeing. > > More detailed information is available at the 'Measuring > Well-Being" link at: http://www.cyberus.ca/choose.sustain > > all the best, Jan (with help from Mike Nickerson) > > * * * * * * * * * * * * > "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful > committed citizens can change the world, > indeed it's the only thing that ever has." > Margaret Mead > > * * * * * * * * * * * * > > http://www.cyberus.ca/choose.sustain > > Sustainability Project - Inviting Debate > P.O. Box 374, Merrickville, Ontario > K0G 1N0 > (613) 269-3500 > e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >
