PRESS RELEASE

Sustainability Project / Seventh Generation Initiative

Press Release Including Popular Concerns in Governance
From Mike Nickerson

April 14, 2001, Ottawa — "Indicators are powerful. What we count and measure reflects our values as a society and literally determines what makes it onto the policy agenda of governments. As we enter the new millennium, these indicators tell us whether we are making progress, whether we are leaving the world a better place for our children, and what we need to change."

So writes Ron Colman, Director of Atlantic Canada's Genuine Progress Index and co-drafter of the Canada Well-Being Measurement Act.

This Act offers an elegant new tool for governance which accepts people as a part of the process. In brief, it calls for an inquiry into which matters are of concern to Canadians, our organizations and institutions. This input would be assessed for recurring themes. Indicators would then be developed to track matters of concern in order to provide ongoing scrutiny for potential problems. The set of indicators would be managed and regularly updated through the office of the Auditor General in collaboration with Statistics Canada.

These are complex times with numerous areas in which problems may arise. To have these areas tracked and reported on, through a clearly established process, would minimize the possibility of something critical slipping by. Canada has 60 million eyes looking out for problems. Providing a channel through which the identified concerns can be impartially noted would take advantage of this tremendous sensibility.

Citizens are no longer content to be governed without their involvement. A well-being measurement institution would provide a channel for involving both those with observations and those who want to know what is going on.

The proposed institution would remove the element of confrontation that often arises when citizens' groups try to make matters of concern known. Without a clear channel through which to draw attention to perceived problems, citizens have to make a fuss to be heard. Fussing, however, is off-putting to many, especially if the issue in question is viewed differently by different sectors. By agreeing to monitor matters which concern a significant number of people, the institution will be open equally to people from all perspectives. When indicators reveal that one circumstance or another is in fact deteriorating, the notice comes without a fuss. With no 'us' or 'them', the path to action would be clear for cooperation. This uncluttered approach would greatly reduce the time it takes to respond to serious problems and could make a tremendous difference to our well-being.

The time has come to incorporate the emerging methodology for measuring well-being into our institutions of governance so that we can effectively stand on guard for present and future generations of Canadians.

If you want to know more, email sustain@web.ca or write postage free to Joe Jordan MP, House of Commons Ottawa, K1A 0A6. More details can be found at: http://www.SustainWellBeing.net/index3.html

"There is only one power available to citizens which does not require great wealth or the use of violence. It is the power of collective persuasion. It works on the subtle levels of thought and conversation and it works directly through democracy."

http://www.SustainWellBeing.net

Sustainability Project / 7th Generation Initiative
P.O. Box 374, Merrickville, Ontario
K0G 1N0
(613) 269-3500
e-mail: sustain@web.ca