ill C-469, the "Canada Well-Being Measurement Act" (CWBMA) could transform the decision making process. What we count and what we measure signifies what we value.
When all we count is monetary transactions (GDP), talk about environmental quality and social cohesion does not produce action. When we legitimize other factors by measuring and reporting on them, they become visible. That visibility enables anyone to see how policies and actions affect the measures and encourages decision makers to pay attention to them.
The purpose of the CWBMA is to establish a set of indicators to measure "the economic, social and environmental well-being of people, communities and ecosystems in Canada." The Act would require public input to determine the "the broad societal values on which the set of indicators should be based."
There are two things you can do to advance Bill C-469. One is to encourage people to think about and discuss what well-being means to them. What do we value? How can we tell if the circumstances related to those values are getting better or worse? Think of issues that matter to you.
How can we tell if the situation is getting better or worse? This is the information needed to establish an effective monitoring system that can inform good decisions. Please help us collect this information and expand the network of interests needed to assure that the potential of this Act is not watered down for lack of public participation or strategic coordination.
The second thing you can do is to lobby your MP. Our experience so far has been that when people review the Act and background materials, they see the sense of it and add their support. The trick with MPs is to get their attention. They are very busy. They do, however, respond to persistent constituents.
Ask your MP what s/he thinks of the "Canada Well-Being Measurement Act". S/he can get full details from the Ottawa office of Joe Jordan MP. Check back every week or two until you get a response. Contact information for all MPs is available from 1-800-667-3355
The Act is politically safe because it only requires that we pay attention to factors that people identify as important. What will happen when these concerns are legitimized by regular reporting and witnessed moving up or down is another story. This is the domain of stages two and three of the 7th Generation Initiative.
A Public Participation Kit is available from the 7th Generation Initiative with suggestions for holding discussions about the questions above. It includes a feedback sheet so we can collect the opinions that will determine what should be measured.
For more detail, see: http://www.cyberus.ca/choose.sustain/index3.html or ask us for a free copy of the new edition of "Measuring Well-Being". Write postage free to:
Joe Jordan M.P.
7th Generation Initiative
Rm. 422, Confederation Building
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON, K1A 0A6
or contact: Mike Nickerson, Coordinator, sustain@web.net or phone (613) 269-3500.