Welfare and social programs are common targets. But, now, it seems that people from both sides of the spectrum are discussing things like the morality of social programs ("why should I work hard and pay taxes while some slacker watches telly all day?").
People are looking for answers and don't want to be closed-minded. Maybe it's time to revisit questions about the legitimacy of welfare? I fear that this plays into the hands of the cynical. I would have thought intellectuals would be more immune to this type of crap after the years of failed conservative experiments around the world. Instead of trying to figure out who's naughty or nice, they should be talking about something like the cheap and easy to administer Guaranteed Annual Income.
Hi Raz, Thanks for your articles. Great work. Looking forward to
ReplyDeleteseeing you soon.
Exploring social innovation programs in the UK was a great follow up
to this piece.
In the last couple of years through my work that has been focused on
vocational training and (re) employment for aboriginal people,
followed by work with people on disability pensions (the closest thing
we have to a guarenteed Income system in Ontario), I have had
opportunities to see the intricacies and challenges of many aspects of
our social service system as it attempts to provide a social safety
net (without being a hammock) for people lagging far behind in terms
of financial security (and otherwise).
While many aspects of the system demonstrate the great human values of
care and compassion in action, it is not clear to me yet that positive
social programs are a particularly high priority or a natural skill
set for our species.
When I reflect on our collective human capacity and industry to solve
technical challenges like space travel, cellular (telephone)
communication, and using remote micro robots for surgeries (actually
the techies had me with the mysteries of a corded telephone, motion
pictures, and the eight track tape), I wonder why engineering in the
social world is so difficult for us. Why do we live in a society where
we can text, tweet, and talk our way down Bay street on a $500 iphone
but have to step around the guy sleeping on the street in a box in the
winter?
Conversations around Innovation in social programs and outcomes is a
huge interest for me so thanks for sharing your thoughts and drawing
our attention to new ideas. However, a flag went up for me when
reading what I may have misinterpreted as the suggestion that
guaranteed income plans were somehow a simple, affordable, solution to
complex social problems and redistributive issues. Yes GIP's done well
may have an important role to play in good social policy but I think
they are only a part of the solution. Seeing the enabled dependence,
despondence, and defeatism first hand while recalling the Louis
Armstrong tune "a man wants to work for his pay, to have a little
place in the sun, to have a little gal, proud to say, that she'll be,
his number one", has me wanting to put on my writers cap here to and
chime in.
One of my favorite examples of a world renown successful personal,
social, and economic rehabilitation programs is called The Delancey
Street Foundation (US and abstinence based FYI). It is a collaboration
of government, charitable donors, and the people trying to remake
their lives from the scorched earth of their painful personal
histories. Often the stories of marginalization, abuse, poverty,
addiction, and crime are generations deep - all in the heart land of
democracy and the American dream. The path to self sufficiency is long
and difficult while the supports are both personal, individual and
systemic. Education and inclusive employment through social enterprise
are two of the cornerstones of this complex and successful program.
We need this type of thing here in Ontario! Who is in?
www.delanceystreetfoundation.org check it out.