A Basic Income is a periodic cash payment unconditionally delivered to all on an individual basis, without means-test or work requirement.
The Royal Society of Arts Explains: [2 minutes]
BIEN Congresses
The 24th BIEN CONGRESS in Maricá & Niterói – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – 27-29 August 2025
Linkedin, Instagram, X – biencongress25 (at) gmail [dot] com
BIEN2024 was August 29–31 (Pictures and more coming soon)
Recent News, Opinion, and Research
Call for contributions – Organizing Sufficiency in the Global South: Justice Effectiveness and Instrumentation
The concept of sufficiency has gained traction in both public and scholarly debates in recent years as an organizing principle to direct the ecological transition. However, there are few evaluations of sufficiency policies to date, and even less is known about...
Call for participation: Working Group for Clarification of Basic Income Definition
The Basic Income Earth Network (BIEN), at its general assembly in 2019, created the Working Group for Clarification of Basic Income Definition. Since then we have had online open forum, including at the online venue of the BIEN congress in 2021 Glasgow and in 2022...
REMINDER: CALL FOR PAPERS FOR BIEN CONGRESS 2025 ENDS ON FEBRUARY 18
The 24th Congress of the Basic Income Earth Network (BIEN) will take place from August 27 to 29, 2025, in the cities of Niterói and Maricá, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The call for papers is open until February 18. Submissions for panels, papers,...
Karl Widerquist on Political Philosophy of Basic Income
Today, we are joined by Karl Widerquist, a political philosophy professor at Georgetown University-Qatar. He has an extensive research and publication record on universal basic income. He uses an interdisciplinary approach, incorporating economics, politics,...
BIEN’s Asia-Pacific Hub publishes its first newsletter
In January, BIEN's Asia-Pacific Hub published its first newsletter, 14 pages complete with many articles and photos. To view the newsletter, click here.
Steven Janssens on Basic Income in Impoverished Communities
Steven Janssens is a Belgian filmmaker and engineer known for his diverse career as a director, editor, and trainer. He gained recognition for documenting Crazy Money (2020), a film capturing the Eight project in Busibi, Uganda, where residents receive unconditional...
Jan 29th 3pm: Reflecting on the Swiss Basic Income Referendum
In this event, we will be joined by one of the architects of the Swiss Basic Income Referendum, Enno Schmidt. To date, Switzerland is the only country anywhere that has gone to the polls over whether or not to adopt a basic income for all. Despite ingenious...
Sarath Davala on Indian Nuances of Basic Income
Today, we are here with Sarath Davala. He is an international intellectual, an Indian sociologist, and the Chair the of Basic Income Earth Network (BIEN), a global organization fostering dialogue on universal basic income. Of the organizations I write for and...
Is it time for basic income in Pakistan?
Photo by Hamid Roshaan on Unsplash Social assistance is everywhere conditional, and in Pakistan it is no different. Either it comes with behavioural strings attached — ‘do this and we’ll help you, don’t and we won’t’ — or it is targeted, with receipt conditional on...
Denver Basic Income Project Publishes Playbook
Note: The concept of basic income discussed here does not conform to BIEN's definition. "Many Americans are struggling with poverty, unemployment, mental health issues, addiction, and other challenges that make it extremely difficult to get back on their feet....
Reminder: Paid Consulting Opportunity: Mapping the Global Fundraising Ecosystem for BIEN
The Basic Income Earth Network (BIEN) is seeking a consultant to develop a comprehensive overview of the global fundraising ecosystem as part of our strategy to ensure financial sustainability in 2025. Deadline for applications: 17 January 2025. Project Overview ●...
Interview of Guy Standing re Emergency Basic Income
Dr. Guy Standing is a Professorial Research Associate at SOAS University of London and a founding member and honorary co-president of the Basic Income Earth Network (BIEN). This non-governmental organization promotes a basic income for all. Standing discusses the...