MAIN POINTS
(from interviews)

1. More safety; less crime, theft, drug-dealing, violence

2. More customers for local businesses

3. Much less begging

4. Opportunity for co-ops, cottage industries and crafts

5. Time and energy for community problem-solving

6. More time to build trust

7. Fewer stressed people create a happier community

8. More opportunities to participate in community events that many people currently can't afford

9. More volunteering to create stronger non-profit and citizen's organizations

10. People would be more human; live at a slower pace

11. Society could be more creative, artistic and innovative

12. More contact between young and old and ability to keep cultural heritage alive

13. More people in the neighborhoods, means more company
and help for elders, people with disabilities, and
parents with young children

14. Easier to move to, and rejuvenate, small communities

15. More people could afford to be caregivers

16. People could be more thoughtful and involved about
what is going on in the world

17. When people feel good, and have essential needs met,
they want to give back to the community

18. We could imagine a different way of living

19. We would be investing in our human resources

COMMUNITIES - Quotes

I don't' think we have any idea of what the impact would be [of having a GLI]. Maybe entire other faculties of the brain would open up, I don't think we have a clue what it means to be a human being. We really don't know. I think there would be bursts of creativity and joy, and I don't know what that means. I don't think anybody knows what that means, because we haven't tried it yet. -Valerie

We could get involved with our community. There would be more time to volunteer at the school and at neighborhood houses. Helping people and empowering them and giving them a sense of security for a roof over their head and the necessities of life -what more is there? Then you can concentrate on other things, because if you don't have those, then what have you got? -Sasha

People would be free to participate as volunteers in a number of areas because their income is looked after. People can contribute to society in ways that are meaningful and ways in which they use their strengths. Then they receive positive feedback and feel valuable, and the community benefits from their gifts and they can do that to the extent that they have the time and energy. It's kind of exciting, because you can see the idea of community rising with that more level playing field, less competitiveness. Cooperatives come to mind, ways for people to work together, connected to creating community, pooling of resources-financial or just talents-to create the kind of community they want to live in. -Samantha

It is a very important thing to help women so they can feed themselves and their family. You are giving them a positive token without any conditions. And from that, they will know they belong to the society and will feel a responsibility to contribute to the society, either grow a garden or do volunteer work. A lot want to do volunteer work, but they are worried. "Do I volunteer or find food?" This money is to empower them to see themselves as part of the community and not isolated. -Perpetua

I imagine that if half of the [housing] complex decided to take a year off with a GLI to concentrate on family, I guarantee within six months we would be a lot closer, we'd be out watching our kids. We would have more of a community, in closeness and safeness, and would be working on different issues. For me? I'd know I'd find babysitters. Now there is no one I know well enough, because there is no time to build the trust at all. People nowadays are too scared to get to know people. -Sasha

There would be more family and community, absolutely. How amazing it would be if you eliminated the stress of the basic needs of life. How much more creative people could become in caring and generating community and being much more present in our day-to-day lives in order to care for each other better. -Naomi

A GLI would free up time to be able to sit down and do community problem-solving, but right now we have no time now to do that. Instead, we look at obstacles when we get together instead of solving things. Whenever groups get together, they are trying to meet the basic needs rather than go beyond that, because that is what we are left with. -Faith

It would enhance family and community because you'd be able to spend time with people. You wouldn't have to work all the time and be too wound up and too tired when you get home. Having money, people are less likely to sit around because they are not fed up and frustrated; they have easier steps to attain their goals, solidify their dreams and to get away from being stuck. -Aletheia

When the GST cheque comes, people are happier. The whole feel of the street changes when they know there is money on its way. -Janine

Currently there's this spectre hovering over people: "If I don't get a job and get food on the table tonight, we'll all be evicted tomorrow." If you didn't have that hovering over you, just think what a wonderful community it could be. [GLI] would enrich and enhance community. -Rita

All of a sudden, a GLI would give people and community independence. -Rose

You wouldn't have all these people sitting in doorways with their hands out begging. People feel sorry for them, but are often only getting by themselves; what are they supposed to do? [A GLI] would eliminate that; there would be a lot less people sitting around begging. -Linda.

Theoretically, if you've got some sort of an income that you know is always going to be there, you can budget better. You can set aside some money to get your homegrown business up and going. If you are going to be making soaps and candles or moccasins or whatever, you've got that money to get yourself going. Having a bit more money in your life just makes everything easier. Every thing goes smoother; people are generally happier, and you can get creative so you can give something back to the community. It's as simple as that. -Linda

For inspiration I look to tribal societies. I don't think they were perfect, but they had a lot going for them, and they survived much longer than the industrial revolution is going to survive. -Janine

It would free up energy, and no doubt people could then focus on community problem solving, creativity, innovation; those things would be opened up. -Ruth

A less stressful workload and a GLI will bring balance to personal needs and to the arts, which seems to be viewed as a privileged pursuit. But people should nurture it, especially for children. -Elizabeth

My hopeful vision is that we don't live in a world with the structure of the corporation, but one where [enterprises] are more localized and sustainable. And for that we have members of our community that create things that we need, and then we have a more fulfilling way of living our life. If you are providing for a certain area, and creating the whole thing, you would not need mass production and an assembly line. A GLI would help people create more fulfilling employment. -Jessy

Even safety issues would be easier. The poor stealing from the poor-I would hope there would be a reduction of that because people would have what they needed. -Dawn

With a GLI, I would have been really enthusiastic about doing community projects when I was young. I spent a lot of years trying to figure out what I wanted to do. I didn't want institutional learning and tried learning other skills, but I was feeling exhausted and anxious. If I had the income then, I would have been glad to be doing community work and developing new skills and would have been able to figure out what it is I'm good at. -Jessy

Elderly women need access to homemakers. More matching of people's needs with people's gifts will especially help elderly women, as there will be more younger women around to help them. -Focus group, Jan. 13, 2006

There would be less crime, less victimization of society if the kids spend more time with their families. Crime comes from not enough attention or attachment for kids. We won't need so much money for the court system if we can prevent the crime from the start instead. -Anna

People will want to help when they've been helped. This will not kill the willingness of people to work, or look for jobs. It will open the door to the greater need that every human being has: to give something to society, to work, to be useful, to be helpful, to mean something to the rest of the world. If their basic needs are covered, that will not eliminate their need for meaning in their lives. -Eva

It would allow society to grow more artistically and creatively. -Aletheia

With GLI, probably people will work more doing the unpaid work that needs to get done, no matter what. -Sol

All the community initiatives have all been done. It's all in place already. Just give the people the money and let them live and die with it. If you want to see homelessness drop to zero, that's how you are going to do it. -Donna

The majority of us do have the intention to think of others. With a GLI they could volunteer, help their neighbors, nurture their vitality, tune into the kids. -Elizabeth

A GLI would help volunteers. People like to do volunteer work. It is interesting; people feel very devoted to their volunteer jobs, people organize their lives around their volunteer work. Work gives a sense of self-pride, but that could come from a variety of places, not just paid workforce. I earn a lot less now than before, but I have a sense of doing something that is beneficial. People feel good when they feel like they are helping people. -Janine